social stratification: class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sex
DESCRIPTION
Defining social stratification and discussing it's most common divisions such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sex. Also looks at the impact each has on education.TRANSCRIPT
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
CLASS
RACE
ETHNICITY
GENDER
SEX
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN EDUCATION
GROUP 3MEMBERS:
VIEANNA KHADAN
VASHTI SANCHEZ
CHRISTINA SOOKDEO
SHERRY-ANN SARRAN
ROSEMARIE WILSON-MANSINGH
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
R. W. Murray defines social stratification as, “arrangement of any social group or society into hierarchy of positions that are unequal with regard to power, property, social evaluation and psychic gratification ”.
The division of society into classes, categories or ranks.
Division in society, leads to social inequality
Most common divisions are:
CLASSRACE
ETHNICITYGENDER
SEX
Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards
Closed system: movement = impossible-
Caste System:
Scarce resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed statuses
Slavery: Has economic basis
Class system:
Distribution of scarce resources and
Rewards is determined on the basis of achieved statuses.
Open system: movement =possible
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
SOCIAL CLASS
(Newman, 2013, p.319)
A social class is a group of people who share a similar economic position in society based on their wealth and income.
Class is essentially, therefore, an economic stratification system.
CLASSClass can change throughout your
lifetime. It is based on achievement (social
mobility)Exogamy Ownership in means of
production(WHO)Conflict theories-Capitalist
(Bourgeoisie) and Labourer (Proletariat)
Three aspects to determine social class:
WEALTH
POWERPRESTIGE
Wealth -Depending of the strata you belong to access to materials and resources will be limited or enhanced.
Power – teachers have power over their students, they help shapes the lives of children.
Prestige- children with parents with high income levels are viewed highly than the (labour workers)
Social Mobility Social mobility refers to the movement
within the social structure, from one social
position to another. (Changing social status)
Types of mobility Vertical Horizontal
IMPACT ON EDUCATION
Exploitation- lack of equal resources in schools, means children do not all have enriched experience.
Family settings are different also. Lack of skill and effort in children education will determine the job level they will have.
Conflict theory Power –taking control of society (taking
advantage of the working class) Proletariat
Functionalist theory Every jobs in society needs to filled. Your
efforts determine your job level.
RACE
RACE DEFINED: There are no biologically “pure” races.
RACE- Is a category of people who share inherited physical characteristics and whom others see as being a distinctive group
Racial social stratification is built upon idea that social differences are linked with hereditary characteristics which differ between races.
A Brief History of race
Race did not exist until the European expansion and exploration beginning around 1500 until then.
People were divided on the basis of religion, class, language or status.
A Brief History of race
Historically scholars have placed people into three groups:1. Caucasians-fair skin and straight or wavy hair
(whites)
2. Mongoloids-yellowish or brownish skin with distinctive folds on the eyelids (Asians)
3. Negroids-dark skin and tightly curled hair (blacks)
However, this well known classification system has difficulty describing the complexity of race.
WHO AM I?
Social Status and Effects of “Race”
Life chances
Where you live
How you are treated
Access to wealth, power and prestige
Access to education, housing, and other valued resources
Life expectancy
The Social Construction of Race
Race is important because of the social meaning people have attached to it.
Race is a social construct based on how people define themselves and others on physical and social characteristics.
Racial classifications are a function of how people define, label and categorize themselves and others into groups.
A majority group – is one that is culturally, economically and politically dominant.
A minority group – is one that is culturally, economically and politically subordinate.
CHALLENGES FACED
equal access to health care, educational opportunities, treatment in the criminal-justice system, environmental racism.
assimilating into a foreign society, learning English, open discrimination, hate crimes.
Strategies for Ending Inequality
Antidiscrimination laws: outlaw discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin.
Affirmative action laws: require employers, schools and others to increase the representation of groups that historically have experienced discrimination.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS A TEACHER!
ETHNICITY
ETHNICITY The word “ethnicity” is of modern origin. In
America, it appears to have been used for the first time in 1941 in W. Lloyd Warner and Paul S. Lunt’s “The Social Life of a Modern Community”.
Warner used ethnicity in the sense of a trait that “separates” the individual from some classes and identifies him with others.
DEFINING ETHNICITY Ethnicity - belonging to a group that shares the same
characteristics, such as country of origin, language, religion, ancestry and culture.
Ethnicity: refers to membership of in a culturally- and geographically defined group that may share language, cultural practices, religion, or other aspects.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT… People of the same race can be of different ethnicities. For
example, Asians can be Japanese, Korean, Thai, or many other ethnicities.
IDENTIFYING ETHNICITY GROUPSAn ethnic group is a socially distinct population that shares a
common language, culture, and a way of life. These groups are committed to the ideas, norms, and material things that constitute that way of life.
They can be identified through ‘ethnic traits’ such as: Diet Burial
customs Dance, music Pottery forms, and
styles of decoration Shared common history Architecture Language Clothing, hairstyles Religion, rituals
ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS
Race and ethnicity are often incorrectly used interchangeably due to the notion of them being “minority groups”.
Minority group is a sociological term for a group that experiences discrimination, social disadvantages and strong self-consciousness as a result of discriminations.
Not all minority groups are racial and ethnic groups, and not all racial and ethnic groups are minority groups.
IMPACT ON EDUCATION Ethnic minorities experience racism, they are stereotyped,
and often left alone in school and classroom activities.
Ethnic minorities have a different culture that advantages or disadvantages them (eg. Different language, cultural practices and belief systems)
Most ethnic minority groups have higher parental and pupil educational aspirations,
more positive attitudes to school,
do more homework
but do teachers notice this and guide and support them accordingly?
IMPACT ON EDUCATION
Ethnicity is a variable affecting educational attainment.
Without a doubt, prior knowledge (i.e. ethnicity & culture) may effect one’s learning style.
Instructors should be sensitive to the different learning styles and vary their teaching styles accordingly.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
Teaching styles should attempt to match learning styles
Material should be culturally relevant to the learners
Group activities Cultural recognition/appreciation Parent-teacher communication
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
According to Banks (1988),
“Every child comes to school with an ethnic identity whether
these identifications are conscious or unconscious. This
identification must be recognized and respected by the
teacher. The point here is to acknowledge differences rather
than ignore them. It is equally critical that the children
recognize and appreciate their own ethnicity and learn to
appreciate those of the other children in the class.” (p. 43)
Something to remember…DIFFERENTIATING RACE AND
ETHNICITY People COULD adopt any culture (ethnicity)
regardless of ancestry (race), but they do not.
People of common ancestry (race) tend to have similar culture (ethnicity)
• Thus, it is important not to blur the lines between “race” and “ethnicity” since they are logically different.
SEXSEX = MALE AND FEMALES
DEFINING SEX
Refers: To the biological and physiological
characteristics that define men and women.
Biological and anatomical differences between men and women. Including the primary sex and the secondary sex.
TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY
Male and females are sex categories, while masculine and feminine are gender categories.
Some examples of sex characteristics:Women menstruate while men do not. men have testicles while women do not. Men generally have more massive
bones than women.
Generally speaking, men have had, and continue to have, more physical and social power and status than women, especially in the public arena.
Sexism has also caused women to feel inferior to men, or to rate themselves negatively.
EDUCATION
2/3 of all the illiterate people in the world are women.
In many countries women are not allowed to be educated.
In the US however, there has been a trend towards more women in higher education.
EMPLOYMENT
Women are generally found in all the lowest and jobs while men are often paid higher.
In comparable positions in the workplace, for example, women generally receive lower wages than men.
QUESTION
How to you think societies viewed men and women?
Answer – society view men/women in terms of:Differences Unequal – (place, work, personalities, traits, ideas and virtues).
WHAT WE EXPECT FROM MEN AND WOMEN?
GENDER
GENDERWhat is Gender? According to Mustapha (2009),gender refers to the social,
cultural, emotional and psychological construction of masculinity and femininity.
What is Gender about? Social roles and relations between men and women in the
society It affects all parts of our lives (social, economic and
political) It changes over time and vary according to geographic
location and social content
GENDER It is what we expect men and women to do and
behave It is about how power is used and shared
As a result there are: Acceptable gender roles Gender stereotyping for masculinity and
femininity Gender stratification (division of labour) Gender bias Gender inequality
True or Stereotyped? Girls- socially aggressive, gossiping, cooperative Boys- problems solvers, competitive, athletes
Girls- afraid of failure, better at Language and Literature
Boys- risk takers, better in Math and Physics
Girls- friendships conventional, intimate and personal Boys- friendship is a common activity
IMPACT OF GENDER ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
Feminization of Teaching
Having equitable access to society’s resources, including socially-valued goods, rewards and opportunities
Boys or girls may adopt gender-stereotyped beliefs which can decrease academic engagement and achievement
The perception that certain subject areas, such as math, science and computer science, are male domains has an effect on career choices
IMPACT OF GENDER ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
Students are channeled into gender appropriate subject areas by parents, teachers, or the community.
The introduction of the National Curriculum made boys and girls study mostly the same subjects which aids to remove gender inequality.
Equal participation in influencing what is valued, shaping development directions and distribution opportunities.
QUOTE
“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”
― Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume