Social Inequalities

1
Social Inequalities

• This is also known as
• Differentiation

2
People are not equal

• We all have status
• We are all born with ascribed status gender,
  ethnicity, age.
• We all gain achieved status social class, job,
  criminal record, position.

3
People are treated differently

• Status will affect how people see you.
• Prejudice they may judge you on external
  characteristics before they know you.
• Discrimination they may act on prejudice and
  treat you with more or less respect based on
  prejudice.

4
Forms of prejudice

• Racism people are treated differently because
  of their ethnicity or culture.
• Ageism younger and older people are treated
  with disrespect.
• Sexism males and females are offered different
  treatment because of gender.
• Snobbery people have different status according
  to their social class.

5
Types of prejudice

• Overt discrimination is open and people know
  about it.
• Covert discrimination is hidden and people
  pretend not to discriminate.
• Personal discrimination belongs to one person
  alone.
• Institutional discrimination is when the rules of
  a group of people discriminate against certain
  social groups.
• Positive discrimination is when certain groups
  are favoured.

6
Reasons for prejudice

• Misunderstanding we do not understand others
  points of view.
• Scapegoating we blame other people for things
  that are wrong in our lives.
• Ignorance we do not know how other people think
  and judge them by our standards.
• Stereotyping we assume we know what people are
  like before we really know them.

7
Inequality

• Being of low status can affect
• Your life chances you will get fewer
  opportunities for success.
• Your life style you may earn less money and
  have fewer of the good things you would like.
• Your life expectations you may have a shorter
  life and worse health.

8
People with low status

• The poor
• The young
• The old
• Unemployed people
• Sick people
• Disabled people

• Single mothers
• Mentally ill
• Ethnic minorities

Not everyone in these categories experiences low
status. Those who fit into these categories are
more likely to have problems than others
9
Poverty

• People can feel poor in a number of ways
• Primary or absolute poverty they dont have the
  essentials for life.
• Secondary or relative poverty they dont have
  what others have.
• Subjective poverty they dont have as much as
  their friends.

10
Patterns of inequality

• Everyone is getting a little richer, except the
  very poorest in society such as the homeless.
• Rich people are getting richer more quickly than
  poor people are getting richer.
• There are still very many people who are very
  poor and experience struggle.

11
The end

• Britain is a very unequal society. Some people
  have far easier lives than others.
• Mrs Griffiths