Name ………………………………………
Revision activity
booklet for Paper 2
Topic 6 – Social Inequality
Social inequality
What is social inequality and stratification?
What so sociologists mean by the term social inequality?
How is society stratified by social class?
How is society stratified by gender?
How is society stratified by age?
How is society stratified by gender?
How does stratification affect people’s life chances?
How do sociologists measure stratification based on
social class?
Explain Karl Marx’s views on stratification?
Explain Max Weber’s views on social class?
How do functionalists explain social class?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Registrar
Generals’ scale?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the NS-SEC
scale?
How do inequalities based on gender, ethnicity and age
affect people?
What is gender?
What inequalities are based on gender?
What is ethnicity?
What inequalities are based on ethnicity?
What is life course?
Green
Amber
Red
What inequalities do people face in youth and in old age?
How are wealth, income and poverty distributed in
the UK?
Is wealth distributed fairly through the UK population?
What is social mobility?
What is poverty?
How do we measure poverty?
Which social groups are most likely to experience poverty?
What are the sociological explanations of poverty?
What is the culture of poverty?
What is the cycle of poverty?
What is welfare dependency?
What is the Marxist explanation of poverty?
How do unemployment and the inadequacies of the welfare
state explain poverty?
Contemporary examples
How much social mobility is there in Britain?
Are other divisions in society more important the social
class?
Has Britain got too high a level of welfare dependency?
Can you give 3 recent examples from the news that relate to
anything above?
Social Inequality glossary list
Absolute poverty
Achieved status
Ageism
Ascribed status
Asylum seeker
Culture of poverty
Cycle of deprivation
Dependency culture
Environmental poverty
Ethnic diversity
Ethnic group
Ethnic minority
Glass ceiling
Income
Institutional racism
Life chances
Means testing
Middle class
Patriarchy
Poverty trap
Racial discrimination
Racial equality
Racial prejudice
Racism
Relative poverty
Scapegoat
Selective benefits
Sex discrimination
Sexism
Social exclusion
Social mobility
Social security
Socio-economic class
Social stratification
Stereotype
Subjective poverty
Underclass
Unemployment
Universal benefits
Voluntary sector
Wealth
Welfare reform
Welfare state
Welfare to work
Working class
What is stratification?
Stratification describes the way in which different groups of people are placed
within society. The status of people is often determined by how society is stratified
- the basis of which can include;
o Wealth and income - This is the most common basis of stratification
o Social class
o Ethnicity
o Gender
o Political status
o Religion (e.g. the caste system in India)
The stratification of society is also based upon either an open, or closed, system.
OPEN
Status is achieved through merit, and
effort. This is sometimes known as a
meritocracy. The UK is a relatively open
society, although disadvantaged groups
within society face a glass ceiling.
CLOSED
Status is ascribed, rather than achieved.
Ascribed status can be based upon
several factors, such as family
background (e.g. the feudal system
consists of landowners and serfs).
Political factors may also play a role (e.g.
societies organised on the basis of
communism), as can ethnicity (e.g. the
former apartheid regime in South Africa)
and religion.
Structure of inequality
The power of the elite within society is based upon;
 Income
 Wealth
 A network of social connections – sometimes known as the ‘old boys
network’
In contrast the least powerful within society have few opportunities to escape
from poverty. There are different explanations for this. For example the New Right
sociologist Charles Murray argued that the poorest members of society had
become too reliant upon welfare benefits. This had led to a gradual loss in the
ability of the poor to adopt values that would take them out of poverty; such as
self-reliance and personal initiative. Most people within society are neither rich nor
poor. They form part of the middle-class –which is the most numerical social class
within society.
During your revision, you need to be aware that life chances are determined by
factors such as;
o Social class
o Gender
o Schooling
o Ethnicity, etc.
You also need to explain why such differences in life chances exist. For example
ethnic minorities often face a glass ceiling at work due to discrimination upon
racial grounds; which can be either overt (or obvious), or covert (in other words,
hidden). Women also face the same problem.
You should also be aware of the existence of an “underclass”. Members of the
underclass form norms and values that often differ to the rest of society. They are
caught in a poverty trap (or cycle) from which they find very difficult to escape
from. This is despite changes to the welfare and benefits system designed to get
welfare claimants into work.
Social change and stratification
You should be aware of recent changes to the class structure of British society.
There are several points to consider;
 Society has become more open in recent years as people have found it easier
to move from one social class to another. This most common trajectory is
the movement of people from the working-class to the middle-class. Some
sociologists describe this movement as embourgeoisement.
 The life chances available to women have improved since the 1970s. One
explanation for this is the impact of feminism.
 The life chances available to people from ethnic minorities have also
improved in recent years, in part due to legislation designed to prevent
discrimination. Changing attitudes within society should also be considered
 A small minority of people still gain a position within society via ascribed
status (e.g. the royal family)
You also need to identify changes to the distribution of wealth and income within
society since the 1970s. For example due to changes to the tax and benefits system,
the rich have gained in wealth and income. Britain now has a relatively low level of
income tax for those on a high level of income.
You also need to explain why such changes have occurred to the distribution of
wealth and income. For example during the 1980s the number of people in poverty
doubled. This was partly due to changes to the welfare state which included;
o Reducing the value of welfare benefits
o Encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own (and
their families) needs, rather than relying upon the state. The aim of
such changes was to tackle the dependency culture – an idea
influenced by the New Right
Since 1997 the Labour government has attempted to reduce the level of poverty by;
o Increasing the level of public expenditure on the welfare state
o The welfare to work programme
o An ideological commitment to helping those less advantaged within
society
Whilst the gap between rich and poor has continued to grow, there has been a
decline in the rate of child poverty since Labour came to power. The government’s
target is to end child poverty by the year 2020.
Welfare State
You need to understand changes within the welfare state since the 1970s. There
are three main eras you need to be aware of;
Era
Changes made
Influenced by
Golden age of the
welfare state (1945
– 1979)
The scope and scale of the
welfare state expanded
under governments of both
main parties
The Beveridge report which
aimed to combat the 5 evils
facing society (want, ignorance,
disease, squalor and idleness)
Conservative
government (1979 –
1997)
The level of benefits was
reduced, and the
availability of many welfare
payments was restricted.
The level of taxation was
also lowered in an attempt
to reduce the role of the
state.
The New Right argued that the
welfare state created a
dependency culture in which
welfare claimants had little
incentive to return to work.
The New Right had a major
impact upon the Conservative
governments of the 80s and 90s
Labour
government since
1997
Taxation has been raised in
order to fund an increase in
the level of public
expenditure. Benefits have
also been targeted towards
those who are less able to
provide for themselves;
such as pensioners and
An ideology called the Third
Way. The most prominent
sociologist associated with the
Third Way is Anthony Giddens.
children.
You need to distinguish between the two main types of welfare benefits; universal
and selective.
UNIVERSAL
SELECTIVE
Universal benefits are provided to all
Selective benefits are provided on the
regardless of a claimant’s financial status. basis of a claimant’s income and
One example is child benefit, which is
circumstance. An example of a selective
paid out to all families with children
benefit is the Child Tax Credit.
regardless of income and wealth.
Welfare benefits and services are usually provided by the state, but an increasing
range of services are also provided by the third sector, and private firms.
The STATE
The government provides
both selective and
universal benefits via the
welfare state
The THIRD SECTOR
The PRIVATE SECTOR
The third sector consists of Private hospitals are
charities and not-for-profit sometimes used to treat
organisations; such as the NHS patients. The
Specialist Schools and
government also works
Academies Trust.
with the private sector in
schemes funded by the
Private Finance Initiative.
There is a debate amongst sociologists over the desirability of welfare provision.
Those who defend the welfare state in terms of providing basic wants and needs,
and for ensuring some degree of equality within society, tend to be on the left of
the political spectrum. In contrast, the main criticisms of the welfare state in
recent years tend to derive from the New Right, who argue that the welfare state;
o Is inefficient.
o Undermines personal initiative.
o Creates a culture of dependency.
o Leads to high levels of taxation, which damages the economy.
The New Right has itself been criticised for blaming the poor for their own
problems. However, the arguments put forward by the New Right were highly
influential during the 1980s and 1990s under the Conservative governments of Mrs.
Thatcher and John Major. Since Labour gained power in 1997, the influence of the
New Right has declined.
You also need to be aware that since 1997 the government has provided a
substantial increase in resources for the welfare state. They have also attempted
to;
o Encourage people to gain employment and move off welfare.
o End child poverty by the year 2020.
o Create a more just society where opportunities are held by the many,
not the few.
The Labour party, and the Liberal Democrats; are more supportive of the welfare
state. In contrast, the Conservatives are more critical of the welfare state.
However in 2006 the Tories signed up to the government’s target of ending child
poverty (by 2020)
Poverty
Whilst it is difficult to measure poverty, there are two widely accepted methods;
o Absolute poverty – This is when a person cannot provide for his/her
basic needs such as food and shelter. Homeless people suffer from
absolute poverty.
o Relative poverty - The government’s official statistics define the
poverty level as those earning below 60% of average earnings.
There are other measurements of poverty; such as subjective poverty and
environmental poverty, but they are less widely used.
You will need to refresh your knowledge of the poverty cycle. This occurs when
those living below the poverty level find it difficult to escape from their
circumstances. There are several reasons for this;
o Welfare claimants either lose benefits, or experience a decline in the
level of benefits received; when they return to work. They may
therefore be worse off if they gain a job.
o Welfare claimants adopt a ‘culture of poverty’ which consists of a set
of norms and values that differ to those of mainstream society. This
makes it very difficult for them to re-enter the labour market.
o New Right theorists argue that welfare payments undermine personal
initiative, thus trapping many people into poverty. As such, the poor
become more and more dependent upon the welfare state – and
therefore find it very difficult to escape.
The impact of poverty can be hugely significant. This can include a;




Loss of status and income (if the person was previously in employment).
A decline in self-esteem.
A decline in personal health.
A feeling of social exclusion.
There are also implications for society. For example, a wide gap between rich and
poor within society can result in social conflict.
Inequality based on Gender

Feminist approaches explore gender inequalities in society. Over the last 40
years, reforms in areas such as education and employment have addressed
aspects of gender inequality. The government have introduced antidiscrimination laws such as the Equal Pay Act (1970) to reduce gender
inequalities.

Today women are increasingly likely to achieve high level educational
qualifications, high status jobs and good salaries. Despite this, feminist
approaches argue that gender remains the most significant social division in
contemporary society.

Some Feminist sociologists see society as patriarchal. This is where men have a
lot of power within families, politics and the workplace. Men also generally
receive a bigger share of the rewards such as wealth and status.
Inequality based on ethnicity

Over the last 40 years, reforms and policies have addressed inequality based on
ethnicity in areas such as education, employment and criminal justice. For
example, ethnicity in areas such as education and criminal justice.

Many employers have equal opportunity policies to support equality and
diversity.

The 1976 Race Relations Act outlawed discrimination based on ethnicity.

The equality and Human Rights Commission has powers to enforce the equality
laws and to shape public policy on equality issues.

As a result of such changes, sociologists believe that ethnic inequality is less
significant now, although others argue that there has been little change in the
fields of employment, education and criminal justice.

Unemployment rates in England and Wales are higher among people of Pakistani,
Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean heritage than among White British or White
Irish people.

Research has also found that men and women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi
heritage have much worse chances of getting professional and managerial jobs
than their white peers of the same age and educational level.
Inequality based on Age

Sociologists argue that age is socially constructed. This means that society
decides how age will be interpreted. This can be seen in historical and crosscultural differences in expectations surrounding age.

Child Labour is now illegal in Britain, it was the norm among working-class
families in the 19th Century and exists in some parts of the world today.

The status of older people can also vary between cultures. In some cultures,
getting old is seen as something to be avoided. In other cultures, older people
are seen as having a high status in society as their experience is valued and
appreciated.

The term ageism describes a situation where someone is treated differently
because of their age. In Britain, there are now two regulations against age
discrimination in employment and training.
Social inequality studies
Roberts – The children of unskilled workers are 50% more likely to die in
infancy than those of professionals. They are also 6 times less likely to go to
university.
Shaw - Inequalities in health care exist in Britain. There are fewer doctors in
areas where people had the highest need for medical care. Poverty and poor
health are closely linked.
Holmes – As part of the socialisation process, boys and girls are channelled into
doing different kind of things i.e. boys are seen as tough and talk about cars,
girls are seen as more delicate and talk about clothes or cooking.
Li – Women has worse pay levels than men of similar ages and educational levels
and had worse chances of getting managerial jobs.
Li – All ethnic minority groups had a much worse chance of accessing
employment than their white peers.
Social Trends – in 2001, the wealthiest 1% owned 33% of the wealth, up from
29% in 1991. The most wealthy 50% owned 97% of all the wealth in 2001, up
again from 93% in 1991.
Goldthorpe – Found in 1972-74 there was social mobility and working class kids
could end up in middle class jobs, they were less likely to do so than middle class
kids.
Crompton – Found that by 2008, social mobility is in serious decline and there is
little movement between the classes now.
Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey (PSE) – 26% of British population were
living in poverty, that is unable to afford two or more necessities.
Millar – Two groups with the highest risk and the longest durations of poverty
comprise females: lone mothers and older women living alone.
Murray – Welfare benefits encourage crime, single parenthood and
unemployment and takes away the incentive to work from people.
Burchardt – Social exclusion means being unable to participate in key activities
in society: consumption, production, political engagement and social interaction.
How to answer 4 mark questions
The pattern of these questions is:
Explain what sociologists mean by………..
EG “Explain what sociologists mean by labelling.”
Sometimes the question may add when studying……
EG “Explain what sociologists mean by conformity when studying education.”
The marks are allocated as follows:
1 mark for basic statements about the question with little or no reference to the topic that the
question’s set on.
2-3 marks for a partial or under-developed sociological explanation, possibly via an
example, in which some general reference will be made to the topic that the question is set
on.
4 marks for a clear explanation focused on the topic that the question is set on that uses
examples from specifically relevant areas of sociology
How to start your answer:
In the context of (insert name of topic), (keyword) means………
EXPLAIN
THE
PROCESS
EXAMPLE
DEFINITION IN
CONTEXT
Example: Family section: Explain what sociologists mean by patriarchy. (4 marks)
In the context of the family, patriarchy means
For example….
This happens because…
Crime and Deviance 4 mark questions.
Explain what sociologists mean by institutional racism. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by social exclusion. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by the poverty trap. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by the glass ceiling. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
How to answer 5 Mark questions
DON’T FORGET: underline / highlight the key words in the question and then use them in
your answer.
EG: Describe one way in which gender roles in the family have changed in the past 50
years and explain why this change has happened.
DESCRIBE
one way in which gender roles in the family have changed in the past 50 years is
NEW PARAGRAPH
EXPLAIN
this change has happened because
Mark scheme:
Describe one: 2 marks
1 mark for a partial description.
2 marks for an appropriate and more developed
description
Explain:
3 marks
description.
1-2 marks for a simple explanation linked to the
3 marks for a clear explanation explicitly related to the
description AND relevant sociological theory /
concepts.
Describe one way in which governments have attempted to end gender
discrimination in the workplace and explain why this policy might not have been
successful. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one reason why people find themselves in poverty and explain why it
might be difficult for them to get out of this situation. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one way in which some minority ethnic groups have fewer life chances
than others and explain why this appears to continue over time. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one reason why some sociologists use relative definitions of poverty
and explain why some politicians might prefer to use absolute definitions. (5
marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one way in which the status of the elderly may be lower than that of
other age groups in society and explain how this may lead to discrimination
against them. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one consequence of child poverty and explain why the problem of child
poverty continues to exist. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one way in which governments have attempted to increase upward
social mobility and explain why this may not have been successful. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Describe one possible cause of social exclusion and explain why people often
find it hard to escape from this situation. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
PEELing apart your essay
For your question, identify at least three points – there must be at least ONE in each
column.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Introductions
Use the question at the beginning of your introduction for example;
Use the
words from
the
question as
a starter to
your first
sentence
 How far Sociologists would agree that marriage in Britain today is
important is debateable because
Or
 How far sociologists would agree that the type of school a child
attends has a significant effect on his or her life chances is debatable
because
Use the introduction to break down what the question is asking you;

Define any key terms it mentions – EG “life chances”

Is there a theory it is talking about – EG Marxism / Functionalism / New Right

If statistics are involved, what is the key trend or pattern in this area? – EG
Rising / Falling / Steady / High / low
Pointless picture of a
banana (teacher joke)
Now PEEL the question apart
You need to do the following for EACH of your 4
points
POINT
theory or
concept
EXPLAIN
what do
sociologists
think about
this?
EXAMPLE
evidence
from stats
or a
relevant
example
from real
life
LINK
to the
question
and next
paragraph
Conclusion starters
Your conclusion should address the essay question directly (weigh
up all the evidence/theories) and answer the ‘How far.’ part. E.g
 To a large/a small / some extent sociologists agree because...
 To sum up it would appear that many/some sociologists agree/disagree…
 In conclusion it would seem that most/few sociologists agree/disagree…
 Mention any statistics that support your conclusion
Mark
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
Knowledge and
understanding
Basic statements with
little sociology
Some understanding
of relevant sociology
“How far” (Evaluation)
Sociological terms
Spelling / punctuation
no response
very limited range
poor
no response
limited range used
appropriately.
some accuracy.
More developed
understanding of
relevant sociology
Clear understanding
understanding of
relevant sociology
recognises ‘how far’.
A good range used
effectively.
reasonable accuracy.
Explicitly and in detail
addresses ‘how far’
a wide range used
very effectively.
considerable accuracy
Use the
mark
scheme to
assess
how well
you’re
doing…
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that modern Britain is a meritocratic
society.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that inequality based on ethnicity is a
more significant cause of social division than social class in modern Britain.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that gender discrimination in the
workplace remains an issue in Britain today.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that Britain is now a classless society.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that unemployment is the most
significant cause of poverty in Britain today.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that ethnic inequality is the most
important cause of social division in modern Britain.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that a person’s ethnicity is the most
important factor affecting his or her life chances.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that children born into poverty will
grow up to be poor throughout their lives.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that improving access to high-quality
education is the most effective way to increase upward social mobility.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the growth of an underclass has
led to an increasing number of social problems in Britain today.
Sociologists WOULD agree
Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Key terms associated with social inequality
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N
S
L
T
Q
I
E
L
S
R
T
V
M
A
W
A
K
K
L
T
__ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __
__ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
A
R
O
N
N
E
Y
S
C
A
P
I
T
A
L
I
S
M
I
G
Y
Y