Sociology - Social Inequalities: Class and Gender

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Sociology - Social Inequalities: Class and Gender

Gender

Bodies sit between nature and culture.

It is difficult to seperate the effects of nature and culture.

a) Produced by social structures (Walby)b) Produced through micro-practices.

Gender is not inherent in people (biologicallyor psychologically).

Sex is biological, gender as social.

What is gender?

Social Inequality...

Some don't have high street bank account.Have to spend 10% income on energy bills.Poor access to transport.

Roughly 20% of population suffer deprivation.

11 years life expectancy difference betweenrich and poor.

Josepth Rowntree said the gap between rich and poor is at alltime high, widest in four years at the moment.

Bourdieu

Much of this is unintentional.

Works to keep upper class powerful + lower class powerless

We continue living in highly stratified societies.

Each class has its own habitus. Social class isan elementary fact.

To understand why social inequalities are reproduced...wealth retention, power, habitus.

What about meritocracy and individualism?

"Merit rewarded in Britain is not divided by class,but united by aspiration." - Gordon Brown

Socialisation Theories +Post-Structuralist Theories.

Bronwyn DaviesReproduction of gender through social norms.Importance of social action: how we do gender.

Sue Sharpe (1976)Children 'rehearse' future roles at home.Changes in attitudes.

Nancy Chodorow (1976) : Psychoanalytic approach.Femininity/Masculinity - rooted in emotional structes establishedin early life.e.g men emotionally restricted , independent and work orientated.Women more emotionally connected, less work orientated and attentive to others.

Treatment by parents produces gender. Imitation and Identification.

4 Social groups...

Low in both.

Low economic and high cultural

High in economic, and low in cultural

High in economic and cultural capital

What is social class?

But do these things necessarily co-incide?

. Also 'educational caital and cultral capital'.- Pierre Bourdieu. Habitus is therefore important.

Not just about economic capital.

Do we live in a class free society?

Is the idea that class doesn't exist a myth?