SOC 030 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Workplace Authority, Economic Capital, Physical Capital
Sociological Imagination
- C Wright Mills (1959)
-Sociological Imagination: “quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of individuals
and society, of biography and history, of self and world”
- Understanding how individual biography, history, and social forces intersect
- Personal troubles vs. public issues of social structure
- The sociological study of social inequality is interested in public issues of
inequality
Social Inequality: Unequal access to resources and opportunities by social statuses such as
race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, age, religion, etc. that results in differential outcomes
among groups.
Social Stratification: social differentiation whereby a society groups people into socioeconomic
strata, based upon their occupation and income, wealth and social status, or derived power.
Explanation #1 : Naturalist Argument
Yes, social inequality is inevitable because people are naturally different
- Inequality will always be present because of personal differences among individuals
- Biological differences
- Ex: some people are smarter than others
- Personality differences
- Ex: some people work harder than others
Explanation #2: Functionalist Argument
Yes, social inequality is inevitable because we need it for society to function properly
- Certain tasks are more necessary for the survival of the society than other tasks- if the
people who are skilled enough to perform those tasks are rare, we have to reward those
people to motivate them enough to get training
- Ex: Doctor
- If we eradicate inequality, why would anyone be motivated to go to school or work
difficult jobs?
Explanation #3: Social Constructionist Argument:
No, inequality is not inevitable
- Inequality is a by-product of social structure
- Inequality is not a byproduct of human nature nor individual differences
- It is not the result of innate differences in individual or group talents,
characteristics, or motivations
- It's not nature that creates inequality, its nurture- how someone is nurtured is a
result of their social position- their social position is a result of social structure
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Document Summary
Sociological imagination: quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of individuals and society, of biography and history, of self and world . Understanding how individual biography, history, and social forces intersect. Personal troubles vs. public issues of social structure. The sociological study of social inequality is interested in public issues of inequality. Social inequality: unequal access to resources and opportunities by social statuses such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, age, religion, etc. that results in differential outcomes among groups. Social stratification: social differentiation whereby a society groups people into socioeconomic strata, based upon their occupation and income, wealth and social status, or derived power. Yes, social inequality is inevitable because people are naturally different. Inequality will always be present because of personal differences among individuals. Ex: some people are smarter than others. Ex: some people work harder than others. Yes, social inequality is inevitable because we need it for society to function properly.
