Inequality: The unequal distribution of resources and opportunities.

Piachaud (2009): Argues that different causes of inequality within the UK include large
differences between people in terms of inherited wealth, education and access to the labour
market.

Wealth  Ownership of assets such as property, land and souvenirs.

Income  The amount of money a person earns on a weekly/monthly/annual basis.

Status  The amount of social standing somebody has. If someone is well thought of by
their community and peers, then they have a high social status.

Power  The ability of an individual or group to get what they want.

Social stratification:
 The idea that societies are divided into hierarchies.
 The are made of ‘strata’ (layers).

Is society an open system or a closed system?

 Functionalists believe that movement up, down or between the strata is possible.
(open system)
 Marxists believe that movement up, down or between the strata is rare. (closed
system)
 Feminists believe it is unequal as women can’t break the glass ceiling
 Marxists argue that if there is an open system, capitalism doesn’t exist (but it does).

Social mobility = Movement between the strata.

Life chances: Opportunities that people have In their lives. Including: income, wealth,
education, health and quality of life.

Social class refers to the economic position you are in: occupation and income.

Explain what is meant by social class, with examples (4)

 Marxists believe that your social class is ascribed because social stratification exists.
They argue that the proletariat are in a bad position and cannot move up the strata
because the barriers put by the bourgeoise, making the system closed.

 Functionalists believe your social class is achieved. This is because they believe in
social mobility, the ability to move up the strata. If you work hard and get a good
education then you will have a better social class. Therefore, they say we live In an
open meritocratic system where social class can change.
Is Social mobility a myth?
Sociologists measure class in two ways:

The registrar General’s classification (job/annual salary): Has 6 classes

Skilled-non manual, intermediate and professional occupations are seen as middle class.
Whilst, Manual jobs (semi-skilled or unskilled) are seen as working class.

The NS-SEC (National-Statistics Socio-economic classification): Has 8 classes

1. Higher managerial and professional

2. Lower managerial and professional
3. Intermediate
4. Small employers and own account workers
5. Lower supervisory and technical
6. Semi routine
7. Routine

One advantage is that this covers the whole adult population, including the unemployed.
Social mobility:
 Refers to the movement of individuals or groups in social position over time.

Vertical Social mobility:

 Moving up or down the social ladder
 For example: Obama went from being in a m/c family to the president of US
 Another example: Bernie Madoff who went from being a rich and powerful
wall street executive to being a prison inmate. He was in a Ponzi scheme and
took millions from people promising to give it back but only gave back and
kept saying will later in the space of 20 years.

2 Types Intra-generational and inter-generational:

 Intra = An individual over the course of their life may go up or down the
occupational ladder.

 Inter = Within a family (if a child has a different occupational classification than
their parents.

Horizontal Social mobility:

 Similar social class but higher position.
 For example Teacher  Head of department

Sociologists:

Goldthorpe and Lockwood in 1969 ‘Affluent workers’ study:

 Idea of a new working class – much more individualistic, supportive of
capitalism and aspirational for themselves and families.

Devine tested these ideas:

 Interviewed a sample of male manual workers.
 Her sample was not as communal and there was still injustice, so she rejected
their ideas.
 Devine believes that we do not live in a classless society because there is still a
sense of injustice at the existence of extreme class inequalities. BUT it is
changing.

Functionalists and stratification:

Functionalism is a consensus theory that believes that society needs value consensus
to function, as it provides a sense of unity and social cohesion (Working together)
and harmony. Without it society would collapse into chaos and there would be too
much conflict.

Parsons: Organic analogy

 If all systems in society are functioning in harmony than society will remain
‘healthy’.
 They argue that some parts are more important than others, hence why
inequality exists.
 These more important parts require specific skills, not everyone has the talent
to fulfil these skills.
 Talented people only sacrifice if they see rewards at the end.

Durkheim:
 Inequality motivates people to want the top positions and these positions
must look desirable.
 Top positions must be scarce and valued in society.
 High status, generous salaries, bonuses and rewards motivate people to work
hard.
 A system of inequality is necessary to attract talented people to the top and
rewards are given in a way that deemed fair.

Davis & Moore: Role allocation

 Stratification has the job/function of role allocation.
 People get jobs matching their ability and effort.
 Without rewards, we could not be sure people would want the best jobs.
 This would lead to a dysfunctional society.

EVALUATION:
 Inequality has become bigger (migration, less opportunities, more people have
same jobs)
 Marxists argue that capitalism makes inequality necessary because it socialises
us to be greedy.
 Marxists also argue that the W/C work hard so why don’t they move up?
 Ignores power and status (particularly ascribed status).

New Right and stratification:

  People should be responsible for their destiny
 Competition and choice, meritocracy are good as it encourages hard work.
 Pay should be related to work  if rewards increase then work will too.
 Get back to traditional family values (men = breadwinner, women = home).
 Cut benefits as it creates an underclass.

Murray:
 Get rid of benefits as it encourages perverse incentives.
 It creates poverty and an underclass which is even worse for society.

Saunders:
 Best way to organise society is to have unequal rewards.
 Middle class had the best occupations as they were naturally clever and
worked harder.

EVALUATION:
 New right ignores positives of alternative family types.
 Cutting benefits would lead to more poverty.
 Not everyone on benefits is lazy

Marxism and stratification:

 Based on disagreement
 Focus on competition between groups (Bourgeoise and proletariat).
 Try to maximise their own benefits  greedy  encouraged to do it.
 Relationships are based mainly on conflict.
 They are defined by getting whatever resources they can from each other.
 There have always been 2 distinct groups.

Capitalist society:
Weber and stratification:

 A leading critic of Marx

 He uses identity to discuss how groupings can affect people.
 He stated that your class is based on your market value.
 Market value = How much money your able to earn.
 For example: how much money someone can demand to be paid.
 Footballers – little of them so they can demand high pay e.g., Ronaldo = GOAT  lots of money
 Nurses – lots of them so they cant demand high pay.
 People with the same market value = same social class.
Poverty:
How do we measure poverty?
The national poverty and social exclusion survey examined the extent of poverty and social exclusion in Britain in 2000.

They used several measures of poverty:

1. Income levels – 26% of the population live in poverty.
2. Lack of items seen as necessities by the major population – in 2000 the survey asked.
3. Subjective measures – some people could afford these necessities but chose not to have them (These people wouldn’t be
considered living in poverty).

Absolute poverty:
 Income is insufficient to obtain the minimum things needed to survive.
 Have access to basic necessities such as enough food, water, shelter, heating and clothing.
Globalisation:
 The interconnectedness of society – countries, nations are brought together.
 This includes internet, travelling transnationally and the global media.

Globalisation has only had positive effects on poverty. Do you agree? (9)

Positive Negative
The global trade had bought the work closer It has damaged job security - migration
together – boosts economy
This includes companies from all over the world Multinational companies have more people to
(more shops = more jobs) choose from and can easily move to another
country – No Job security
Children in the UK have a wider variety of food – Big companies want to pay lower wages and give
tackles material deprivation workers less rights which can lead to
unemployment and poverty.
International trade has flourished – boosts
economy

4 Features of poverty:

1: Culture of poverty (New right)

 Oscar Lewis – Studied in Mexico – managing on little money and building a lifestyle based on this. Crime can be a
way of managing.
 This culture is ‘Learned, shared and socially transmitted as a behaviour of a social group’.
 Lewis says ‘The urban poor’ make little use of instruments such as: banks, hospitals, museums and art galleries.
 In this way, Lewis argues that the poor segregate themselves from mainstream society.
 Charles Murray in 1989 Claimed that the underclass had this culture in the Uk and it was growing.

2. Cycle of deprivation

Poor Poorly
Educational Qualified
Achievement Adults

Poor
Health
Outcomes

Poor Poor
Educational Educational
Achievement Achievement

3. Welfare dependency
 The state in which a person or household is reliant on government welfare benefits for their income for a prolonged
period time, and without which they would not be able to meet the expenses of daily living.

4. Social Exclusion Buchard et al

 Consumption – Cannot buy things
 Production – cannot make things
 Political engagement – cannot vote/political knowledge
 Social interaction - isolation
The Poverty Trap:

 The poverty trap is a mechanism which makes it very difficult for people to escape poverty.
 A poverty trap is created when an economic system requires a significant number of various forms of
capital in order to earn enough to escape poverty.
 When individuals lack this capital, they may also find it difficult to acquire it, creating a self-reinforcing
cycle of poverty.
 In order to escape the poverty trap, individuals in poverty must be given sufficient aid so that they can
gain the critical amount of capital necessary to raise/get out themselves out of poverty.
 If those in poverty do not acquire the critical amount of capital, then they will simply remain/stay
dependent on aid indefinitely and regress if aid is ended.

The underclass:

Murray (New right):

Males: Females: Children:  Don’t want to work.

 Sexually irresponsible  Get pregnant  Poorly socialised  Live on state
 No desire to support when young  Educationally benefits
children financially  Single mothers unsuccessful
 Don’t take responsibility  Obtain  Engage in ASB
 See society as
for children social/council (hanging around ‘owing them’ a right
 Often engage in petty housing vandalism and to housing and
crime theft). income.

Some sociologists argue that the poor are to blame for their poverty because of their culture. Do you agree? (9)

New Right Agree:

 There have been a group of long term unemployed since the 1980s.
 Efforts to improve the underclass by education have had limited success.
 Benefits cost the UK a lot of money therefore are negative for society. We should stop giving them benefits.

New Right Disagree:

 Unfair view as many poor people work hard for low pay or insecure jobs.
 This causes capitalism not culture.
 Taking benefits away could result in even more hardship, especially for children.

Marxism Agree:
 Marx predicted inequality would get worse- and it has.
 Rising crime levels of the underclass is a form of rebellion against capitalism.
 It puts for the social justice view that the rich don’t deserve anything and the poor have nothing.

Marxism Disagree:
 Some people are happy not to work and get benefits.
 The revolution has not happened as Marx said it would. Therefore, their theory is inaccurate
 It ignores other areas such as ethnicity and gender.
CLASS:
 50% of lone parent families are on low-income families.
 W/C are at a higher risk of poverty.
 They perform less in education and have to find a secure well-paid job employment.
 Initiative for fiscal studies reported in 2015 that families on middle incomes were now living like poor
people had lived in the past.
 Wages are so low that W/C people might find themselves in poverty, when they are at work.
 Functionalists argue that low wages are needed to kick start the economy.
 Low wages mean that businesses can make profits, the low wages help society grow richer, but take time
for everyone to benefit.
 Marxists argue that greed pushes poverty rates up. Rich get richer, Poor get poorer.

Age: Gender:
 Women are more likely to live longer (around  The average hourly earnings for men in 2006 was
5-6 years more) £11.71
 Elderly people are more likely to be in  The average hourly earnings for women in 2006
poverty as they retire and rely on pensions, was £10.24
which are being hit by cuts.  Gap = £1.47 and this adds up
 According to Big issue – ‘Material  Yearly on average the difference is £3439.8
deprivation’ increased between 2014 and  Men get best high paying jobs – patriarchy.
2020, including for another 140,000 children.
 This means that around 1.7 million children SOCIOLOGIST: Miller:
total are forced to go without essentials.  Points out that the 2 groups with the highest risk
and longest duration of poverty are lone mothers
Ethnicity: and older women living alone.
 The EM group that is most likely to experience  Women have a higher LE than men and are less
poverty is Pakistani. likely to have an occupational pension (but have
 Examples: Language barriers, lack of jobs, state pension)
unemployment, migration and etc…  Women are more likely to lead lone parent
 The EM group that is least like to experience poverty families.
is Chinese.
 Over 50% of LPF’s in the UK are on low incomes.
 They don’t value: frivolous spending, they save up,
are educated and have different viewpoints on  Women are more likely then women to work
things. part-time.
 People living in UK households headed by someone
from a minority ethnic group are at risk of living in Feminists:
low-income households.  Feminists argue that the reason why women are
in poverty is linked to patriarchy.
Lister (2004)  Peter Townsend identified different groups of
 Racism and discrimination are key factors in their female poor including pensioners living alone,
poverty levels. This is because they are generally lone mothers, low-income paid mothers and
disadvantaged in terms of unemployment pay and those whose main role was childcare.
quality of their job
 They are also likely to have a low uptake of welfare
benefits, which they are entitled to.
Disability:
Ethnic pay gap:  A factor which affects the chances of falling into
 Some ethnic groups suffer from poverty & racism poverty
may result in discrimination  hard to find a job and  The Joseph Rowntree foundation found in 2015
quality work. that less than half of the disabled population
 A 2016 report form the Joseph Rowntree are working, yet many more would like to work.
Foundation found that ethnic groups were up to  Even when they had higher qualifications, they
twice as likely to live in poverty compared with were likely to be in low-paid jobs.
white people in the UK. It also found an ethnic pay
gap (on average 26%) and lower-paid occupations.
Who is likely to experience poverty?

The PSE (Poverty & Social Exclusion) survey found that poverty is higher among some
groups such as:
 Households with no paid workers.
 Families with children under 11.
 Those who left school aged 16 or under.

Contemporary:
 Today more than 1 in 5 of the population (22%, around 14.5 million people) are in
poverty.
 8.1 million are working-age adults, 4.3 million = children and 2.1 million =
pensioners.

According to the JRF in 2019/2022:

 31% are children.
 25% are working adults with children.
 18% are pensioners.
 18% are working adults without children
Ethnicity and inequality:

Ethnicity: Culture, nationality, norms + values, languages and religion.

Immigration: Moving into a country
Islamophobic: Fear of Muslim

Immigration: Moving into a country

 Since the 16th century there have been waves of immigration from all areas of
the world.
 After war Asian and Caribbean workers were invited to come and work in UK
 EU allows free movement of workers within the EU.
 Functionalists support immigration as it adds culture and more workers for an
effective society.
 Marxists believe the Bourgeoise can exploit immigrants for lower wages.

Stereotype and moral panics:

 Islamophobia, knife crime, gang crime (most is intra ethnic = same),
immigration, Muslim, Men, Arabs.

Ethnic representation in the media:

 Jobs in the media are dominated by White British people, or were throughout
the 1960s and 70s.
 Radio launched in 1967 with only white men DJ’s
 However now we are seeing a fairer representation.
 Black people: Criminals, gang members, corrupt police and sports
 Asians: Smart, geeks and lonely people.

Agbeto (2006) Stated that black people were stereotyped into sport, entertainment
or crime.

Institutional racism:
 Discrimination or unequal treatment on the basis of membership of a
particular ethnic group, arising from systems, structures or expectations that
have become established within an institution or organisation.
 Most of the time it is indirect.

Case Study Stephen Lawrence:

 The McPherson report found the Metropolitan police to be institutionally
racist.
 The Race relations amendment act 2000 was aimed at improving institutions
and practices.
Ethnicity and education:
 10.9% of fixed-term exclusions are Black Caribbean, with 0.29% of permanent exclusions.
 White is 5.14%
 EM’s more likely to be labelled.
 Lack of positive role models
 Black masculinity = Hyper masculinity leads to conflict with schools.
 Black boys reject authority of teachers SLT and don’t take work seriously.

TONY SEWELL:
Generating genius programme – removed all racism and had 25 black boys in it and they achieved
amazing results.
At least 3 made it to Oxford and Cambridge.

Ethnicity and health:

 The nursing times in 2015 argued that EM experience worse health life chances.
 These are mainly linked to poverty.
 In a British social attitudes survey from 2013, 30% of British people described themselves as
racially prejudice, which may factor into mental health also.
 EM 15-50% more likely to die from covid.
 Black people were more than twice as likely to die from covid than white people.

Ethnicity and workplace:

Positives: EM Mp’s risen from 4.2% to 6.3% in 2015 = Rise in employment

More EM students going to university with Indian and Chinese students outperforming all.

However:
 EM’s are 2 and a half times more likely to be unemployed than White people
 More likely to have an insecure job and inconsistent income.
 Even when they had degrees. They earned 23.1% less on average.

THE ETHNIC PAY GAP: The difference in the average pay between staff from EM in a workforce compared to
white staff.

Ethnicity and sport

 Campaigns such as ‘Say no to racism’ to prevent hate crimes is important but isn’t enough.

Legislation:
 1976 Race relations act: Outlawed direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimization.
 The Race relations amendment act 2000 was aimed at improving institutions and practices.
 The establishment of the Commission for racial equality became the Equality and human rights
commission. Stated that the acknowledge that institutional racism within organisations such as the
MET police must be addressed.
 2010 Equality Act aimed to bring together legislation to improve life chances.

However:
 1963 - 1972 immigration laws made it hard for ‘non-white’ people to enter country.
 The Terrorism act of 2000 gave police power to arrest suspects of terrorism without a warrant and
keep them in jail for 4 days – maximum 14 days.
Sexuality and inequality: Media:
 Moonlight 2006 – Film about a young
Sexuality = Who you are attracted to. African American man grappling with
Transgender = Someone that feels the gender they are his identity and sexuality whilst
experiencing everyday struggles of
born into is wrong.
childhood, adolescence, & burgeoning
adulthood.  Won 3 Oscars incl 1 for
Homophobia: best picture in 2017.
Fear of homosexuals.
Being prejudiced against people because of their sexuality  The Danish Girl- 2015 – based on the
novel by David Ebserhose was a
The conservative and liberal democrats’ government in fictionalised account of the true story
2010 decided there would be 2 million pounds put into of Lili tube, one of the 1st trans women
HBT training on bullying and the use of derogatory to undergo gender reassignment
language in school. surgery.

New right:
 Believe the modern attitudes towards homosexuality has gone against the traditional views on the family.
 Religion has become less significant.
 Heterosexual families are the best for society as a whole.
Have social norms changed?
 1960s and 1970s gay men were treated as criminals.
 Many kept it a secret like Alan Turing.

The gay plague:

 HIV and AIDS were from homosexuals.
 In 1987 the US banned HIV- infected immigrants and travellers.
 In 1985, the LA times conducted a poll and found that 50% of respondents favoured quarantining people
with AIDS.
 Princess Diana shaking this man’s hand changed public perceptions.

Legislation: Transgender role models:

 Sexual offences act 1967  In 1998 Hayley was the 1st transgender character in a
decriminalised homosexuality but it British soap opera (Coronation street) and was the
wasn’t equal. first permanent transgender character in the world of
 In 1987 there was a bill (clause 87) serialised drama. She was married to Roy Cooper
(David Neilson).
which warned schools not to promote
homosexuality – ended in 2003 Stonewall campaign:
 Age of consent for homosexuals was  For the rights of LGBT as in 1 in 5 people have been
21 in and in 2000 was made 16. verbally abused at work.
 Same-sex marriage allowed in 2013  Half of the transgender people are not living in their
 ONS report found that 4850 marriages preferred gender because of fear.
were same-sex couples in 2014
Sexuality and life chances:
 44% - gay and 56% - lesbian
 The youth chances programme found that;
 In 2019 approximately 50% of same-  There is a high level of discrimination and abuse (verbal +
sex couples were either married or in physical).
a civil partnership with around 50%  This can cause issues such as depression and self-harm.
cohabiting.  Youth chances offer training for teachers.
 Civil partnership act 2005  increased  Gay + Lesbian alliance against defamation – helps them.
 World AIDS day (December 1st) explains it’s not
homosexual couples.
homosexuals & gets rid of the label.
 Over 6000 in the late 2000s
Disability and inequality: Employment:

Medical model: Disability pay gap:

 Disability is a bad thing.  The equality and human rights
 A problem commission report a gap of 11% for
 Try and fix the problem with medication or disabled men and 22% for women
wheelchairs.  Women with disabilities face up to
 Personal tragedy double the disadvantage in the
employment sector
Social model: By Mike Oliver  Figures have become worse since
 The barriers need to be overcome by society. 2013
 E.g., A blind child would receive an audio book  People with mental health problems
not eye surgery. have been the worse hit.

Unemployment:
Media:  In 2007, 31% Of disabled adults
 Often unrepresented between the age of 25 and retirement
 Lucy Wood in Disability Planet in 2012 found 2% age were unemployed.
of media workers were disabled compared to  A disabled adult is 2x as likely to be in
19% of who are registered being of working age. poverty than a non-disabled adult.
 Colin Barnes found that they are often shown as
being isolated or unable to take part. Marxism:
 Sometimes even as evil..  They are not valuable to the economy
therefore are treated as such.
Media and moral panics:  They do not support capitalism.
 Former CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell  The social model of disability would
 Faced calls from viewers of the BBC kids show to cost money that the economy doesn’t
cover up her stump and it was scaring the have to spend.
children.
 9 people went to the length of lodging official Legislation:
complaints with the broadcaster.  Disability Discrimination act 1996
 Media creates moral panic relating to disabled  Equality Act 2010.
people and their benefits
 Benefit fraud: They are disabled to claim Key terms:
benefits.
Social inclusion: The attempt to meet the
needs of groups that may feel left out of
society and include all people fully in society.
 making ramps, toilets etc.

Social exclusion: When a group cannot fully

take part in society, they are unable to access
important parts of life. They are unable to
partake in normal relationships and activities,
available to most people in a society.

Childhood
A hate crime Sociologist of somebodies
is a discrimination What they said  Disabled people may feel this: Lack of
protected characteristics, e.g., sexuality, ethnicity, toilet facilities, lack of equipment, labelled,
gender and disability. It breaks the equality act of not given jobs, ramps, left out of sports etc…
2010, and you can be imprisoned as it is illegal.
 Philippe Aries (1960) Argues that in the middle ages the idea of childhood did not exist, and children
were not seen as having a different nature from adults.
Edward Shorter (1975) High death rates encouraged indifference and neglect towards infants.
It was not unusual for parents to give a new-born baby the name of a recently d
sibling.
Postman (1994) Argues that childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed. He identifies that chi
are now entitled to the same rights as adults.
Palmer (2006) Childhood is becoming toxic because of the medial and fast food.
Supported by the international youth tables: UK ranked highly for obesity, self-
harm, drug/alcohol abuse, violence and teenage pregnancy.

Childhood now:
1. The amount of time spent with children by parents has doubled since the
1960s.
2. Children welfare is of paramount importance.
3. Parents take more of an interest in their child’s lives and activities  e.g.
sports days, graduations, parents evening and induction days.

Why is contemporary society now child-centred?

1. Smaller families meaning more individual care and attention.
2. The working day is shorter; 70-80 hours a week to 44 hours.
3. Higher wages and standard of living
4. The ‘welfare state’ benefits childcare
5. Paediatric development

The Dark side of childhood:

 Children’s society said that 11% of children left home or ran away overnight
before their 16th birthday.
 Police found that 3000 crimes in 2006 were performed by minors under the
age of 10.

Child marriages County lines

66% Of girls in Bangladesh are married A telephone number involving young
before 18 people that are exploited
Young girls are seen as a cost to the family Urban areas to rural areas
Average age girls marry in Bangladesh is 15 Trap houses used
86% of Bangladeshi women with no Used as they appear like school children
education are married under 18
Glamorised as a legal job
Poverty is used

Information hierarchy has changed because of the introduction of technology, this

makes childhood negative.
 Youth and inequality:

Mods and Rockers – the original case study of Hoodies – a modern moral panic
labelling by the media On the 11th May 2005 they were banned
Hoodie became a symbol of delinquiency

Young people and Gang crime – why are Zero Hour contracts – used to exploit young
moral panics a lie? people

Stanley Cohen:
Deviancy amplification: When the media exaggerate the deviant behaviours
Moral panic – The process by which one social issue is made bigger by the media.
Folk devil – The group labelled as the cause of the social problem.

Youth and employment, the latest report form the Institution for public policy
research (IPPR):
 868000 out of work 16- to 24-year-olds
 247,000 have been looking for more than a year.
 About 700000 young people have never had a job.

Youth & Crime:

 Statistics prove that the youth ages 15-19 have the highest percentage of
violent crimes from ages 9-25.
 For 18-year-olds it was 11% and this leads to them being arrested. Arrest
makes the labelled as ‘degenerates’ and makes it less likely for them to be
employed and even if they are then its minimum wage jobs so get lower life
chances.
Old age and Inequality Too old for a credit card:
 Gerontocracy: A from of rule in which an entity is  When Jean Audritt age 80 visited her
ruled by leaders who are significantly older than most local Lloyds bank branch she was told
of the adult population.
by 2 members of staff that she was
 Often members of society will have the most ‘too old’ for a credit card because she
knowledge and this is seen as significant in some doesn’t have an income.
countries.  Job opportunities = lower.

Key factors that have changed this: Key facts:

 Amount of people over 65  Receive a state pension after paying NI for 30
 Stereotyping of older people years
 The information hierarchy  Pensionable age is 65 for men and slightly
 Changes in childhood under for women
 It will be 66 by 2020 for both genders
Stereotypes of old people: Old, alone, lonely, incapable,  Opting for retirement creates a huge
grumpy, sad, disabled, outdated, old clothes etc… disparity in experience for the old.
 Those who take early retirement do not
A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified ‘grow old’ in the same way others do
image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.  By 2021 there will be 33% of the population
over 55
 Key word Definition
Traditional gender roles Gender roles that society has generated
Feminism Conflict theory that exposes the inequality between men
and women
Socialisation The process where children are taught the norms and
values of society, in order to live in that society
Stereotypes Widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a
particular type of person or thing
Discrimination The illegal acts done to specific people due to their
characteristics or ideologies (The action)
Patriarchy Male dominated
Liberal feminists Men and women should work together
Radical feminists Men and Nuclear family should be abolished
Double standards When something is acceptable for one group but not for
another
Toxic masculinity The media creates ideas about men that lad to harm
Gender and inequality:

Traditional gender roles:

Men = Dominant, valuable and breadwinner
Women = Expressive, nurturer and at home.

Why do gender roles cause inequality?

 Unbalanced gender/power dynamic.
 Men’s labour is paid but women’s is not.
 Reserved army of labour  women go to work if a man doesn’t want to or if men go war
(feminists and Marxists would say).
 Unpaid labour  emotional and domestic
Men in the media Women in the media
Needs to provide for women Passive
Strong and powerful Less aggressive
Loud Domestic
Aggressive Care about diamonds/money
Stupid  disregard for intelligence Never speak up
Women only objectified. Beauty & silenced

Love
Inequality beer
in the workplace: Only pretty
Inequality girls get prince
in education:

The glass ceiling: 1. In 2013 UCAS women are 1/3 more likely to enter
 Invisible barrier preventing advancement (pay and higher education.
role). 2. In 2013 more women than men were accepted into
 Worldwide, women hold 1 in 4 SL roles. English universities 134,097 women vs. 110,630 men.
 12% of CEO’s are women. 3. Men and women achieve the same first-class honours.
 When men do work in the same occupation, 4. Women achieve 9% more upper second- or higher-
women are more likely to be in the lower or class degrees.
middle level jobs, but men tend to have senior 5. In GCSES girls outperform boys by 73% to 64%
management jobs.