Social Inequality

SO3260 (Part 1)

Lecturer: Martina Byrne, Teaching Fellow

Email: [email protected]

The module examines forms, causes and consequences of social inequality. The module approaches various forms of social inequality (e.g. economic, educational, status and health) and their reproduction from a modern social-science theory position that combines explanatory theory with rigorous empirical . While sociological theories of social inequality are at the centre of the course, the module also familiarises students with recent contributions from the fields of and epidemiology. Empirically, the orientation is cross-national, covering modern post-industrial , with a particular focus on Ireland. The lectures are structured so as to examine more than one sociologist at a time and so more than one approach to specific questions such as the relevance of class in the and so on.

Students successfully completing this module will be able to:

 critically discuss the concepts, and methodological tools useful for, describing social inequalities

 describe and compare social inequalities within and between societies

 critically discuss and evaluate the evidence of theories of causes of social inequality

 critically discuss and evaluate theories of social inequality

Lectures, seminars and assessment

There are lectures every week of term on Tuesday at 12:00 in Room 4047, Arts Block.

The first lecture is on 24rd September 2013 and seminars commence week beginning 30th September. The seminar is on Wednesday 11am in Room 3126, Arts Block.

The purpose and structure of seminars will be outlined in the first session. There are seminars every week of term and a sign-in sheet will be circulated. Students are expected to attend both lectures and seminars and to actively contribute to the seminars. Each student is expected to participate in one team presentation to their seminar group. Your Teaching Assistant for seminars is Kasia Kozien.

Assessment for Part I is by essay, counting for 50% of the total module. The essay length is 2,500 words and students are expected to follow the style guidelines in the student handbook. Assessment for Part II is by examination, counting for the remaining 50% of the available grade. 1

Course Outline and Core Readings The most important readings are posted on Blackboard.

# indicates that this is not possible for a particular reading in which case students will be directed to the college library or to online journals.

*** indicates importance, the greater the number of stars, the more important the reading.

Class 1: Thinking about social inequality

Topic: What is meant by ‘social inequality’? Why do we study it?

The lecture will explore both the normative aspects of social inequality (fairness, and domination) and its functional aspects such as does need some element of social inequality and if so, how much is sufficient and how much leads to dysfunction and social ?

Seminar topic: Should policies strive for equal opportunities or equal outcomes?

Reading:

Wright, E.O. and J. Rogers. 2011. American Society: How It Really Works. New York: W.W. Norton. Chapter 10: Thinking about fairness and inequality.

Class 2: : The economic source of inequality?

Topics: Marx’s class theory. Sociological approaches to social inequality: Neo-Weberian and Neo-Marxist. Class position as a focal point for analyses of social inequality and ‘life-chances’. How are changes in ‘post-industrial society’ reflected in class structure? What accounts for differences between classes?

Seminar topic: How has class structure changed since the 1970s in Ireland?

Readings:

***Goldthorpe, J.H. and A McKnight (2006): The Economic Basis of Social Class. In: S.L.Morgan, D.B. Grusky, G.S. Fields (eds.): Mobility and Inequality. Stanford University Press, pp. 109-36

** Esping-Andersen, G (1992): Post-Industrial Class Structures: An analytical framework. Estudio/Working Paper 1992/38

* Wright, E.O. (2003): Social Class. In: Ritzer, G. (2005). Encyclopedia of . Calif.; London: SAGE.

*Scott, J. (2002): Social Class and Stratification in Late Modernity. Acta Sociologica 45: 23-35

*Breen, R (2005): Foundations of Neo-Weberian Class Theory. In: E.O. Wright (ed.) Alternative Foundations of Class Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 31-50 2

Class 3: :

Topics: How significant is the class position of one’s parents on an individual’s class position? What is the role of ? How has the ‘upgrading’ of the class structure affected the mobility chances of different classes? Do modern industrial societies differ with respect to ‘open-ness’ or ‘closed-ness’? What makes some societies more open than others?

Seminar topic: How open or closed is Irish society? Feel free to refer to another society if you wish.

Readings:

***Whelan, C.T. and R. Layte (2007): Opportunities for all in the new Ireland? Fahey, T., H. Russell, and C. Whelan (Eds.). The Best of Times? The Social Impact of the Celtic Tiger. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.

***Breen, R. (2010): Social Mobility and Equality of Opportunity. The Economic and Social Review 41: 413-428

***Whelan, C.T. and R. Layte (2002): Economic Change, Social Mobility and : Reflections on the Irish Experience. The Economic and Social Review 33: 89-108

*Breen, R. and Luijkx, R. (2004): Social Mobility in Europe between 1970 and 2000. in R. Breen (ed.) Social Mobility in Europe, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 37 - 76

Class 4:

Topics: Education is an important antecedent of class position and determinant of . Can social inequality (e.g. differential social class position) affect access to, and success in, education? Has that changed over time in conjunction with educational expansion? What factors contribute to educational inequality? Financial resources? Cognitive stimulation in childhood? cultural capital? Does educational inequality differ between societies? What makes some education systems more equal than others?

Seminar topic: How equal or unequal is Ireland’s education system? Feel free to substitute another contemporary society if you wish.

Readings:

*** O’Connell, P.J., S. McCoy and D. Clancy (2006): Who went to college? Socio- in Entry to Higher Education in the Republic of Ireland in 2004. Higher Education Quarterly 60: 312-332

** Whelan, C.T. and D.F. Hannan (1999): Class Inequalities in Educational Attainment among the Adult Population in the Republic of Ireland. The Economic and Social Review 30: 285-307

** McCoy, S. and D. Byrne (2011): ‘The sooner the better I could get out of here’: barriers to higher education access in Ireland, Irish Educational Studies, 30:2, 141-157 3

** McCoy, S. and E. Smyth (2011): Higher education expansion and differentiation in the Republic of Ireland. Higher Education 61: 243-260

Class 5: Health inequality

Topics: Is there a social gradient in health? How can we explain health inequality and differences in health behavior? What factors impact health inequalities? How important, if at all are: financial endowment; knowledge and information; stress and absence of control over stressors? Does health inequality differ between contemporary societies?

Seminar Topic: Why do members of the professional class live longer?

Readings:

*** Marmot, M. (2007): Achieving : From root causes to fair outcomes. The Lancet (370): 1153-63

**# Marmot, M. (2004): The Status Syndrome. How social standing affects our health and longevity. New York: Holt . Chapters 4-7

(Alternatively: M. Marmot (2006): Health in an unequal world. Royal College of Physicians of London)

** Pampel, F.C. and P.M. Krueger, J.T. Denney (2010): Socio-economic Disparities in Health Behaviors. Annual Review of 36: 349-370

* UCL Institute of Health Equity (2010); Fair Society, Healthy Lives. The Marmot Review. UCL

* Burke, S. and S. Pentony (2011): Eliminating health inequalities – a matter of life and death. TASC

Class 6: Earnings inequality

Topics: How have earnings inequality changed? Between the upper and lower end of ? Between and within groups (social classes, skill groups)? Across time and between countries? Why have earnings inequality increased? What role has been played by technological change, labour institutions and ‘globalisation’? Why do some countries have higher earnings inequality? Do countries with higher earnings inequality perform better economically in terms of growth and unemployment?

Seminar topic: Should the minimum wage be lowered or raised?

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Readings:

*** OECD (2011): Divided we stand. Why Inequality keeps rising. OECD: Chapters 1-2

*** National minimum wage. Low Pay Commission Report 2011. Chapter 2.

See http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/

** Frank, R. and P.J. Cooke (2010): The winner-take-all society. London: Penguin, Chapters 1-2

Class 7: inequality and the welfare

Topics: This lecture looks at earnings inequality, redistribution (taxation/transfer payments) and income inequality as well as types of welfare states. Is the welfare state in a period of retrenchment? How effective are welfare state interventions? Does welfare perpetuate dependence? What is the welfare state paradox?

Seminar topic: Should social welfare payments be universal?

*** Nolan, B. (2009): Income inequality and public policy. The Economic and Social Review 40: 489-510

** Iversen, T. and J.D. Stephens (2008) Partisan politics, the welfare state, and three worlds of human capital formation. Comparative Political Studies Volume 41 Number 4/5. pp. 600-637

** Korpi, W. and J. Palme (1998): The paradox of redistribution and strategies of inequality: Welfare state institutions, inequality and in Western countries. American Sociological Review 63: 661-687

* Kenworthy, L. and J. Pontusson (2005): Rising inequality and the Politics of Redistribution in Affluent Countries. Perspectives in Politics 3: 449-471

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Class 8: Inequality and ‘social dysfunction’

Topic: Are less equal societies poorer places to live in terms of health, crime, trust, and happiness?

Seminar Topic: Has social inequality broken Irish and /or British society?

***# Wilkinson, R. and K. Pickett (2009a): Spirit Level. Why more equal societies almost always do better. London: Allen Lane

(Alternatively: R. Wilkinson and K. Pickett (2009b): Income Inequality and Social Dysfunctions. Annual Review of Sociology 35: 493-511).

Further material is available from: http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/

For a critical viewpoint: http://spiritleveldelusion.blogspot.com/

Class 9:

Topics: How does status, prestige and ‘social standing’ differ from social class? Are social status and social class related? Why is social status so important for people? How do status hierarchies come about? How has social change affected status hierarchies?

Readings:

*** Bottero, W. and K. Prandy (2003): Social interaction distance and stratification. British Journal of Sociology. 54: 177-197

*** Frank, R. (2006): Falling behind. Princeton. Princeton University Press. Chapters 4-6

* Pichler, F. and C. Wallace (2009): Social capital and social class in Europe: The role of social networks in . European Sociological Review 25: 319-333

Class 10: Discussion of assessment.

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