SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY

CLASSISM VS CLASS PRIVILEGE

Definitions

•Classism - Social Inequality

The varying degree to which different people have access to and control over valued resources such as money, wealth, status and power.

Held in place by a system of beliefs and

cultural attitudes that ranks people.

Definitions (continued)

Social StratificationThe division of society into layersInequality tends to be passed on from generation to generation

Class bias An attitude that leads to discrimination based on an individual’s or group’s education, occupation, income, wealth, and/or economic means.

Social Class & Life Chances / Life Styles

Class creates differences in life stylesClass has a significant impact on:

- our health- educational standing

- All Canadians do not have an equal opportunity to succeed- Racism & Sexism compound the effects of classism

Examples of life chances (One’s access to resources)

Others?

Rent or own?

Education Access

Likeliness to experience

discrimination

Being paid “enough”?

Lifestyle/Lifespan

link?

Getting & Keeping

Stable work

“The elephant in the room” http://www.diversityweb.org/DiversityDemocracy/vol11no3/gilbert.cfm

• Threatens the fundamental myth that all people in Canada enjoy equal access to opportunity

• Unexplored beliefs about class impact the policies, practices, and relationships that shape our lives

• Class privilege must be recognized to break down systemic barriers to opportunity

Thoughts to ponder: •List some of the language that we use that reinforces classism.

• Is class visible?

Troubles with Classes

• Taboo subject –what does this mean?

• We don’t speak about ourselves in terms of class

• Seldom discussed - language is not well developed so it is difficult to have conversations about the the impact of class

• Definitions means different things to different people; need a baseline to understand each other.

Class Distinctions• 16% of Canadians living in poverty; we will look at Hamilton Stats later today.

• School success strongly linked to social class

• Most Canadians live in class segregated communities

• Differences in health and life expectancy related to social class

Measuring Class• Wealth• Income• Occupation• Education• Where you live• Buying power

• Entertainment, sports, vehicle

How Class Works

• http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html

• This site uses four main characteristics of: 1) Occupation, 2) Education, 3) Income, and 4) Wealth.

• Let’s decide as a class what the averages score for each of these variables is? I will give you the categories and we’ll vote with a simple show of hands.

Variables of social Class - Income

• Wages and salaries earned from paid occupation. Historically we see that “rich” people made more than “poor” people.

• The difference between the two has been called the “Rich Poor Gap”.

• Is the Rich Poor Gap smaller now than is was 10 years ago? How about 20 or 30 years ago?

Rich Poor Gap – The Great Divide http://www.sprc.hamilton.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SPRC_Rich_and_Rest_of_Us.pdf

• Using Hamilton income & a 2010 survey:

• The bottom 90% average income [483 935

people] $31 200 - up 2% from 1987 with inflation

• The top 10% average income [53775 people]

$143 900 – up 27% from 1987 with inflation - any thoughts about these facts?

Rich Poor Gap – The Great Divide http://www.sprc.hamilton.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SPRC_Rich_and_Rest_of_Us.pdf

• Remember that top 10% from the last page?

• The top 1% average income [5380 people]:

$406 000 - up 47% since 1987 with inflation

• The top 0.1% average income [540 people]: $1 269 900 – 1987 stats not available.

- Thoughts about these numbers?

Re-visting the question: Do the rich get richer?

- the information shows average income of the top 1% is 13 times the average income of the bottom 90%. Only 9x more in 1982.

- Earning: bottom 90% hold 60%; the top 10% hold 27%; the top 1% hold 13%.

- The long form census was discontinued and the data no longer available for comparison. But Income Tax returns filed is a new path.

Poverty Rates in Hamilton

• Around 20% of people in and around Hamilton live in poverty.

• But the rate has a geographical factor.

• It drops down to 5% in Carlisle and 6% in Waterdown but soars to 46% in the L8N postal code and to 41% in the L8R area.

• Why is that? What are your thoughts?

Variable of Social class – Wealth (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Assets: cash, savings, and checking accounts, stocks, bonds, real estate etc…

• Wealth• Is an important source of power• Occupation - a major determinant of your level of income, wealth, and power.

Are the concepts of Wealth and Affluence

only defined by money?

Quote

“The best things in life are not things.”

Art Buchwald

- thoughts?

Variable of Social Class – Occupation (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Occupation - a huge source of income, wealth, and power – also a significant source of social prestige. Education factors in here too.

• i.e., Physicians are near the top of this scale and newspaper carriers near the bottom

• Generally, white-collar occupations have more are higher in prestige scales than blue-collar workers, but these differences are shrinking.

Is a job a lifeline out of poverty?• In 2006, of 504 559 living in Hamilton, 18% [or 90 000] lived poverty. Of these 28 000 were, 12 000 seniors, and 34 000 worked.

• Worked & were in poverty??? - yes.

• Working full-time can still mean poverty. • Minimum wage= $10.25/hr x 35hours/wk yields $18 665 per year.

• The Poverty “line” in Ontario is: $21 722 ; 14% higher than full-time minimum wage.

Variables of Social Class – Education (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Critical factor for vertical mobility – determinant of labor force participation

- Equals occupation, income, & wealth in life- Occupation – also a social prestige source.- Racial / gender disparities still exist within work.

• Strong correlation between educational completion and level of income.

What creates our social class?• Ascribed status – factors that affect our ability to access power and wealth over which we have no control.• Racial or ethnic identity• Male or female• Social Background• Age• Ability

• Achieved status – we have earned it, accomplished it

Class Structure in Canada (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Upper class• Upper upper • Lower upper

• Middle classes (very misunderstood)• Upper middle• Middle class

• Working class• Lower class

Social Class Structure (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• The Upper Class• Those who own substantial amounts of wealth:- 3 to 5% of the population• Distinction made between

- Inherited Wealth (1%)- New money (2-4%)

• Historically of British origin – today more varied

Social Class Structure (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• The Middle Class:• Own assets & have well paying jobs• Benefits & security• Minimum of high school diploma• Approximately 45% of population• Because of size, it has tremendous influence on patterns of Canadian culture

• Significant racial and ethnic diversity

Social Class Structure (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Middle Class (continued)• Top half of this category is termed the

• “Upper-middle" class- Family incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 earned from upper managerial or professional fields.

• The rest of the middle class (average middles) typically works in less prestigious white-collar occupations or highly skilled blue-collar jobs

Social Class Structure (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Working Class• Own little or no wealth• Employed in low paying jobs• Insecure employment opportunities• Approximately 30% of the population

Social Class Structure (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Lower Class• Those with the lowest or no income• About 20 % of the population

- Homeless- Welfare recipients- Unemployed- Working poor

* Less desirable neighbourhoods - often racially or ethnically distinct

Who is poor? (Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Race • Higher levels for visible minorities

• Women• Wage gap, part time positions, lower paying positions etc.

• New Comers to Canada• Systemic discrimination – education & work experience

Who is poor? (continued)

• People with disabilities• Less ability to participate in the work force• Face more barriers – real and perceived

• Aboriginal Peoples• History of discrimination

• Young & Elderly• A generation ago the elderly at greater risk today – the young

Social Factors Effect Income Gap(http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/andrew-boozary/health-and-poverty-canada_b_3645551.html)

• The income gap within a country is correlated to a number of social problems:* Mental health * Drug abuse* HS Dropout rates * Imprisonment * Obesity * Health* Social mobility * Violent crime

Hamilton Spectator ”Code Red” Statistics.

Impact of Social Class(Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., 2010)

• Social Class & Health• Poor families and individuals

- More likely to be malnourished- Have higher levels of infant mortality- Have a shorter life expectancy - Are more likely to work and live in hazardous or toxic environments

(FEMA Training N.D.)

Impact of Social Class• Impact of Social Class & Housing

•Poorer individuals and families: * Spend larger income percent on housing * Sub-standard housing more likely. * Over-crowded housing more likely. * Number of renters far exceeds the number of affordable housing

Impact of Social Class• Social Class & Education• Children from poor families are:

- More likely to attend schools with less funding & less likely to finish high school- More likely to be tracked into general or vocational programs in schools, while children from higher social classes are likely to be tracked into university preparatory programs

ReferencesAtwalt, F. (2012). Your postal code matters. Huffington Post, July 2012. Retreived from: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/andrew-boozary/health-and-poverty-canada_b_3645551.html

FEMA Training (N.D.). FEMA Fact page. Retrieved from: https://www.training.fema.gov/hiedu/docs/sovul/session%25207%2520-%2520social%2520class%2520and%2520disaster%2520vulnerability%2520(1%2520of%25202%2520sessions).doc+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

Macionis, J., & Gerber, L., ( 2010). Sociology, 7th Canadian Ed. Person Education.

Mayo, S. & Pike, D. (2013). The rich and the rest of us. Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton, Hamilton ON. Retrieved from: http://www.sprc.hamilton.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SPRC_Rich_and_Rest_of_Us.pdf