Wealth, Power, and Inequality - University of...

Intro Stratification Sciences Davis and Moore Tumin

Wealth, Power, and Inequality

ChangHwan Kim

KU

Week 1

ChangHwan Kim (KU) Wealth, Power, and Inequality Week 1 1 / 27


Jefferson’s use of the phrase in the Declaration of Independence.



“All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The firstare the rich and well-borne, the other the mass of people... The people areturbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right... Give,therefore, to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government.They will check the unsteadiness of the second, and as they cannot receiveany advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain goodgovernment.”

Alexander Hamilton (1780)



“We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest povertyknows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, becauseshe is an American; she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes ofGod but also in our own.”

Barak Obama (2013)



Social Stratification

Definition: Ranking system for groups of people that perpetuatesunequal rewards and/or life chances in society.

Principles of stratification1 Social stratification is a characteristic of society – not just due to

individual differences.2 Social stratification persists over generations. But most societies allow

some sort of social mobility or changes in people’s position in a systemof social stratification.

3 Social stratification is universal but variable (it changes).4 Social stratification involves both inequality and beliefs.



Social Stratification as Patterned Social Inequality

Social Stratification is patterned social inequality. It is also theunequal distribution of societal resources. Saying that inequality ispatterned indicates that the differences occur:

I on a wide-scale basisI with regularityI and along lines of certain specific, identifiable characteristics (race,

class, gender, occupation, education etc)

Patterned: if we know whether a person or group possesses or doesnot possess certain traits, then we will be able to predict withreasonable accuracy how this person or group is likely to fare in thesocial hierarchy.



Bases of Stratification

Stratification is usually based on three major premises:

Power: the ability to impose ones will on others

Prestige: the respect given by others

Property: forms of income / wealth



The Origin of Social Class Analysis

The study of social class has its origin in Western Philosophy.

Philosophers during this period realized that wealth, power, andprestige were not equally distributed in society.

They understood that this unequal distribution of resources reflecteda social hierarchy composed of families with different class interestsbased on the amount of wealth, power, and prestige that theycontrolled.



Social Sciences vs. Natural Sciences

1 Experimentation and “the scientific method” (causality)

2 Complexity of human behavior (e..g, omitted variables)

3 “Free will” (human behavior is often unpredictable)

4 Social sciences usually have much lower predictive power than donatural sciences

5 Empirical tests between competing theories are typically highlyimperfect in social sciences.

6 Social sciences are therefore characterized by a variety of differentbroad theoretical approaches that vary in terms of their assumptionsabout the nature of social science, society, and human behavior.

7 These broad theoretical approaches that share common basicassumptions are sometimes called paradigms.



Subjectivist Objectivist Continuum

Analyzing the differences between social scientific theories andapproaches versus natural science theories:

Subjectivist – Objectivist Continuum.

Natural science is more objectivist than is social science.



Davis and Moore thesis

Functionalism

Social stratification: “Social inequality is...an unconsciously evolveddevice by which societies ensure that the most important positions areconscientiously filled by the most qualified persons”

Assumptions: Duties of various positions...1 not equally pleasant to perform2 require various degrees of talent & ability to perform3 vary in their functional importance to society4 Assumptions: society must have:

F some rewards that act as inducements to fill the positions and ensurethe duties are performed

F way of distributing these rewards among various positions



Davis and Moore thesis (continued)

3 Types of rewards:

1 Economic incentives: sustenance & comfort (e.g., money)2 Esthetic incentives: humor and diversion (e.g., video games)3 Symbolic incentives: self-respect and ego (e.g., bow to your professor!)




Two Determinants of Positional Rank (Reward):

1 Functional importance:

1 functional uniqueness: no other position can perform its duties (e.g.Prime Minister)

2 Dependence: degree to which other positions are dependent on it(entire country; elected & appointed government positions)

2 Scarcity of Personnel; Talent; Training:

1 the scarcity in the supply of personnel for a functionally importantposition,

2 the availability of talent to fill that positions3 the difficulty of the training for the positions




Summary: the rewards of a position depend on:

1 its functional importance2 scarcity of personnel: talent availability and training difficulty



The Problem of Functionalism

In functionalism, “the consequences of some behavior or socialarrangement are essential elements of the causes of that behavior.”

For example, “Birds have hollow bones because hollow bonesfacilitate flight.”

I The consequence of hollow bones is flight.I This consequence caused the birds have hollow bones.

This is a problem of reverse causation.

Functionalism generally entails social evolution, the system changingas more “functional” aspects survive and thrive.



Melvin Tumin (1953)

“Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis”

Conflict theories: another paradigm

Many sociologists doubt whether the full extent and patterns ofinequality as it currently exists in American society can be fullyunderstood as deriving solely or even primarily from the functionalistprocess described by Davis and Moore



Tumin’s Critiques

According to Davis and Moore, we can judge that some positionsmore important based on the idea of “survival value.” But how tomake judgments of greater or lesser functionality? (e.g., Can wesurvive without garbage collectors?)

Existing inequality may influence our perceptions about which jobsare functionally important

How well does a society know what talent exists? Stratified societiespresent obstacles to discovery of talent.

According to Davis and Moore, training requires sacrifice. Butsometimes, “sacrifice” is a rationalization of privileged treatment.(e.g., To send kids to private schools, parents should “sacrifice” theirfinances.)



Tumin’s Critiques (continued)

Scarce and desired goods are not the only possible rewards for“sacrifice” and work. (e.g., joy in work; social duty; respect).

Difference in prestige does not have to lead to stratification. Forexample, differences in prestige between the old and the young doesnot lead to stratification.

Inequalities in pay probably go well beyond compensating persons fortraining and may at least partly derive from occupational or classpower




Inequality in pay may have negative consequences such as envy,distrust, hostility, reduced social cooperation, lower productivity, andnegative self-concepts; these may generate hatred and ultimatelyvarious forms of social conflict between the social classes or otherhierarchical social groups

With an extreme level of inequality, the lower classes may becomealienated and feel disenfranchised from society which may increasesocial problems of various sorts (e.g., crime, drug dependency, riots,revolutions)




There are dysfunctions of stratification1 Limits discovery of talent2 Limits the expansion of productive resources (b/c of 1)3 Elites have power to establish ideology that rationalizes the status quo

(i.e., no progress)4 Distributes “favorable self-image” unequally within a society (b/c low

self-esteem brings in low productivity).5 Encourages hostility, suspicion, and distrust among the different strata6 Reduces feelings of membership within society through positions on the

prestige ladder (lead to destruction).7 Reduces loyalty8 Reduces motivation to participate



Two Paradigms about the Nature of Inequality

Functionalist view Conflict view

status quo radical changesocial order structural changeconsensus modes of dominationsocial integration contradictionsolidarity emancipationneed satisfaction deprivationactuality potentiality



Read Textbook chapters 1 and 9, and Reader chapters 5, 6, and 7.


Wealth, Power, and Inequality - University of...

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