Week 7 - Discuss the major aspects of the functional

The Week 7 notes have all links.

After thoroughly reading chapter 7 and week 7 notes, please prepare your paper in the following way, and include at least one page number per paragraph when you refer to the textbook:

Paragraph 1 (from Chapter 7 in book) 150 words

Discuss the major aspects of the functional, conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives as they relate to social stratification. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Paragraph 2 (from Chapter 7 in book) 150 words

Describe Erik Wright’s model of the U.S. class structure based on the theory of Marx.

Paragraph 3 (100 words)

After watching the two short clips (weekly notes), one on the biggest homes in the U.S., and one on Sierra Leone, please answer...

1. What aspects of the concepts of Power, Prestige, Wealth and Property (in your book) were evident in each of these clips?

2. What are the chances for social mobility (both downward and upward) for each of the people in these videos?

3. How would you expect the living conditions in each of these videos to affect the individual lifestyles, attitudes, religious and political behaviors of people living in these regions? For example, who would be more likely to be liberal or conservative?

Paragraph 4 (75 words)

http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/

Links to an external site.

(sometimes you need to wait a few seconds for the site to load.) Examine the Forbes 400 list and note how much individuals have, how they earned their money, where they

http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/

http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/

live, and their important social statuses like age, race and gender. Discuss the patterns you see.

Paragraph 5 (120 words)

Watch the TED talk discussed in Week 7 notes. https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_duflo_social_experiments_to_fight_poverty

Links to an external site.

1. Why is it so difficult to determine whether aid increases or decreases poverty?

2. What did Duflo's experiment on immunization uncover? What did her experiment on schooling uncover? What do her findings suggest about how aid should be distributed?

Paragraphs 6 and 7 (about 300 words total, for both)

YouTube: The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class (57 min) . If you want, you can probably start at the 8:00 or 9:00 minute mark to get to some of the data quicker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

Links to an external site.

1. What role does credit play in the social stratification system in the United States?

2. What social factors create the increased propensity towards indebtedness? Based on Warren’s projection, should we have expected this increase?

3. What social factors make carrying debt particularly threatening to middle class families?

4. What is the relationship between debt and mobility? 5. How does the changing stratification system impact other social institutions like the family?

 

BOOK:

https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_duflo_social_experiments_to_fight_poverty

https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_duflo_social_experiments_to_fight_poverty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A