SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Patricia Hill Collins, Social Stratification, Social Inequality
Document Summary
Social inequality : unequal distribution of wealth, power, prestige in a society. Matrix of oppression- multiple influences on our ability to succeed in society. For each person, these variables combine and interact in idiosyncratic ways. Social stratification : given members of a society are categorized, placed in groups, and ranked in a hierarchy. Those who are ranked higher have higher access to resources and opportunity. Those who are ranked lower have little to none. Analogy: stack of pancakes- if you pour the syrup and butter on top, the top pancake will become soggy and in theory should trickle down in reality, the bottom pancake is dry. Born into social position with no possibility of change: social inequality is justified and maintained by the beliefs of a society i, american dream i. ii. Success is the result of individual effort: just world hypothesis- humans have need to see the world as orderly, predictable and fair i.
