新泽西大学：《社会学讲义》英文版 Video clip from SEIU

Jati atroouction to sociology I Video clip from SEIU, Stronger real Together: Invisible No More II. Explaining Social Stratification S50 Billion= a stack of s100 Bills 50 kilometers high-> A. Functionalist Ozone Layer explanations Mount Everes On this scale the football field is less than 1/2 pixel wide B. Conflict theory explanations magefromhttp://curve.org/index.html

I. Video clip from SEIU, Stronger Together: Invisible No More II. Explaining Social Stratification A. Functionalist explanations B. Conflict theory explanations Image from http://lcurve.org/index.html

Jati atroouction to sociology read Invisible No More: Quality Home Care Why are home health care workers paid so poorly? Why do many health care workers lack health coverage for themselves and their families? Is this right? Is this good for society What will it take to change this situation

Invisible No More: Quality Home Care • Why are home health care workers paid so poorly? • Why do many health care workers lack health coverage for themselves and their families? • Is this right? Is this good for society? • What will it take to change this situation?

Jati n4r00ncnzon00oclol0gy Functionalist Theory of stratification Positions in society vary in their functional importance Functionally-important positions require advanced training, skill, or special talents Society needs to motivate people toto through that training and/or to develop skill and talent The way society does this is by attaching the highest rewards to the functionally most important positions Social stratification is therefore functional for soc/e ty

Functionalist Theory of Stratification • Positions in society vary in their functional importance • Functionally-important positions require advanced training, skill, or special talents • Society needs to motivate people to to through that training and/or to develop skill and talent • The way society does this is by attaching the highest rewards to the functionally most important positions • Social stratification is therefore functional for society

Jati atroouction to sociology Any problems with this argument? how to define functional importance? does acquisition of training or skill have to be unpleasant and costly might the scarcity of talents be artificially created through social means? Might not social stratification prevent the acquisition and recognition of talent? Even if the theory shows why some level of stratification is necessary, it doesn't in any way explain the level of inequality that actually exists Are there ways in which social stratification is dysfunctional?

Any problems with this argument? • how to define functional importance? • does acquisition of training or skill have to be unpleasant and costly? • might the scarcity of talents be artificially created through social means? • Might not social stratification prevent the acquisition and recognition of talent? • Even if the theory shows why some level of stratification is necessary, it doesn’t in any way explain the level of inequality that actually exists • Are there ways in which social stratification is dysfunctional?

Jati atroouction to sociology Stark's Response: Replaceability a way of defining functional importance independently of rewards avoids problem of tautology those who are least replaceable command the highest rewards those who are most replaceable receive the lowest rewards But does this have anything to do with function any more?

Stark’s Response: Replaceability • a way of defining functional importance independently of rewards • avoids problem of tautology • those who are least replaceable command the highest rewards • those who are most replaceable receive the lowest rewards • But does this have anything to do with function any more?

Jati atroouction to sociology Conflict Explanation of Social Stratification Deals with two other problems with the functionalist theory of stratification: why inequality in most societies is much greater than it has to be to motivate people (and why it varies between societies) how replaceability can be manipulated how scarcity can be socially produced

Conflict Explanation of Social Stratification Deals with two other problems with the functionalist theory of stratification: • why inequality in most societies is much greater than it has to be to motivate people (and why it varies between societies) • how replaceability can be manipulated, how scarcity can be socially produced

Jati atroouction to sociology The politics of Replaceability Two Strategies professionalization unionization read Video clip: Janitors for Justice Victory!

The Politics of Replaceability: Two Strategies • professionalization • unionization Video clip: Janitors for Justice: Victory!

Jati atroouction to sociology Conflict Theories of stratification Inequality is about power How can the fact that the ratio of ceo pay to average worker pay rose from 30: 1 to 475: 1 in twenty years in the U.s (and not most other places?

Conflict Theories of Stratification: Inequality is about power • How can the fact that the ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay rose from 30:1 to 475:1 in twenty years in the U.S. (and not most other places)?

Jati atroouction to sociology Conflict Theories of stratification The Importance of (Counter) Power In all industrialized societies, stratification is reduced by government intervention But is reduced much less in the United states than elsewhere

Conflict Theories of Stratification: The Importance of (Counter) Power • In all industrialized societies, stratification is reduced by government intervention • But is reduced much less in the United States than elsewhere

SVEDEN NORWAY BELGIUM LUXEMBOURG DENMARK The United states CZECH REPUBLIC has the highest NETHERLANDS FRANCE child poverty rate 10.7 GERMANY of any JAPAN industrialized GREECE country. 126 AUSTRALIA 15,4 POLAND 15.5 CANADA IRELAND 19、7 TUAKLY Child Poverty in Rich Nations(UN/, June ITALY 2000) 224 6.2.MEXICO

The United States has the highest child poverty rate of any industrialized country. Child Poverty in Rich Nations (UNICEF, June 2000)