Lesson 7 Global Stratification

Learning objectives for Chapter 7

What are the key ideas concerning global stratification from the stand point of Conflict Theory, Functionalist Theory, and Symbolic Interactionalist Theory?

How did slavery develop?

What determines social class?

Why is gender universally used as a method of social stratification?

How do the elite maintain stratification?

Vocabulary to learn from Chapter 7

caste systems

class

global stratification

slavery

social stratification

three worlds model of global stratification

Discussion

Time Changes Who May Be Disadvantaged

A POLICY is the explicit or implicit standing plan that an organization, system or government uses as a context for making decisions. The plan is the totality of the principles, positions, political platforms, social norms and guidelines that are relevant to the people it serves. In effect, "policy rules our lives." It includes laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, and reflects the norms and values of our society. This encompasses PUBLIC POLICY, which includes all policy which affects citizens.

SOCIAL POLICY is defined as those activities and principles of society which guide the way society intervenes in and regulates relationships between individuals, groups, communities and social institutions.

Social policy is the result of society's values and customs, and determines the distribution of resources and level of well-being of the people. It helps guide immediate and future decisions, especially with regards to allocation of resources that are both valuable, and in short supply.

Social policy involves government plans and programs (education, crime prevention, health care, etc.) which are good for the citizens, and help decide who gets what, when they get it, and for how long. There is a necessity to make choices because of limited funds.

Social policy is determined by bureaucracies, who take the laws passed by Congress, and transform them into workable policies that affect the people.

When a group of policies are all aimed at a specific target group (example: Social Security, senior centers, etc., provided for the elderly), these are termed "GENERIC" PUBLIC POLICY.

Taxes collected by the government to fund these programs are often referred to as GENERAL REVENUES.

Social policy does not spring only from new and exciting ideas. It has its basis in the past; in what career government workers are accustomed to and suggest to newly elected officials. Some believe that this bureaucracy is so powerful that it, not the elected officials, really runs the legislative agenda and therefore, maps out the direction of policies into the future.

Whether you hold to that idea or not, it is important to see the roots of our current policies. It is important that you learn (and are tested on) basic historical information. This list of dates will be spread over three lessons to give you a chance to learn it well.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SOCIAL WELFARE

(Please note that many of our social welfare policies are based on the policies and decisions made in early England)

1349 England: Statute of Labors under King Edward III. Public policy began here. Before this, a poor person could do what-ever he was able to do to provide for himself. This law:

1. Set forth maximum wage for earners;

2. Outlawed alms collected by churches for the poor. The poor were considered worthless, and should get nothing. The poor and jobless could not travel, so there was no hope of going elsewhere to find a job. Those not working were sent to prison.

3. Maximum Age for Full Time Employment: Children were expected to work at age five, the work day being 16 hours per day, seven days a week.

1531 Begging was outlawed in England

1536 Punishment of sturdy vagabonds and beggars. This made a distinction between the disabled and whole-bodied. Towns began providing work for the poor and apprenticeships for poor children age 5-14. If a person was sick, lame or aged, he was not quite as disdained as the "whole" person was. Poor people went to town officials and the church for help.

1572 First tax (mandatory) for care of poor. Provided poor houses, etc.

1601 Elizabethan Poor Laws. Deemed "worthy poor" were orphaned children, or people sick, lame, or old. "Unworthy poor" were the slothful, drunkards, and all able-bodied over the age of five. Children five years or older were considered to be adults, and were responsible to support their parents. Adults were to support the elderly in their community.

1634 Term "worthy poor" changed somewhat, to include all children to age five (no longer needed to be orphaned).

1700's Almshouses created; obligation for the poor shifted from town to province. America adopted English definitions of "worthy" & "unworthy poor" in making social welfare policy.

This history will continue in the next lesson

Movies assigned

Chapter 7 Global Stratification

Videos that you can rent which are based upon some of the principles of this lesson:

Oliver!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The 3 Amigos

Air America

Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves

Lesson 8 Social Class in the United States

Learning objectives for Chapter 8

What are the key ideas concerning stratification in the United States from the stand point of Conflict Theory, Functionalist Theory, and Symbolic Interactionalist Theory?

Recognize the consequences of social class on physical and mental health, family life, education, religion, politics, the criminal justice system, and new technology.

Know about the inequalities in the distribution of wealth and income in the United States

What are the major characteristics of the poor?

How does poverty affect groups differently including women, children, and the elderly?

Explain Erik Wright's updated model of Marx's class theory.

Vocabulary to learn from Chapter 8

characteristics of each social class

Horatio Alger myth

poverty as defined by the government

relative poverty

social class

social mobility

status inconsistency

structural explanations of poverty

welfare reform

Discussion

Social Policy History continued in the United States:

1840's America treated mentally ill, epileptics, etc., as "insane"; locked them in asylums, often caging them like animals. Dorothea Dix, teaching Sunday School in an asylum, was appalled by the conditions she saw there. Tried to get legislation requiring humane treatment of the mentally ill.

1854 Dix Legislation. This was the first time the federal government acknowledged some responsibility for welfare of the mentally ill. The legislation passed, but was vetoed by Pres. Franklin Pierce. This veto stood for over 70 years, until passage of the Social Security Act in 1935. States rights vs. federal rights were a big issue at this time.

1861 U.S. Sanitary Commission was set up. Public health funded by private, voluntary contributions.

1870's Charity Organization Societies (COS) organized. Funded by private, voluntary contributions. Akin to United Way now.

1880 Settlement Houses formed in America. Here, wealthy women of the community taught new immigrants the American ways and language; practicing one's own culture was frowned upon.

1889 Jane Addams, revered as "Mother of Social Work," organized Hull House, which became a model of settlement houses.

1900's to World War II Progressive Movement in America - young people were moving from rural to urban areas. A middle class was developing. Prohibition made alcohol illegal. The Salvation Army provided aid to alcoholics and "bums," requiring them first to go to church and pray for forgiveness. Welfare policy saw uniformity and efficiency with the belief that the state had a duty to protect the interests of the people and provide for the needy. Major government reforms and improvements, with organized social services being funded.

1909 White House Conference on Children -- focused on destitute families, "boarding out", etc.

1911 National Urban League on Urban Conditions -- Social work was founded here, and the workers received some training.

1912 U.S. Children's Bureau Act established a national agency to collect information on children

1916 Federal Income Tax became mandatory. Child Labor Act.

1921 Maternity and Infancy Act reduced infant mortality rate.

1929 The Great Depression - 522 banks closed; 34% of males out of work. By 1930, 6 million unemployed. Hoover did little to remedy the problem, relying on volunteers to care for needy.

1933 Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) - emergency relief to states and communities. The National Recovery Act provided employment through public work projects.

1935 Social Security - part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" to help spur recovery from the Depression. These programs established the framework for modern social welfare.

By this point the historical shows a change, due to the depression, that greatly alters the nation's viewpoint of "the poor."

1950s Americans as a whole believed that poverty had been eradicated. Few new reforms were proposed; existing ones were threatened. Some social reformers tried to expose the hidden subculture of poverty that still existed in America.

1961 First White House conference on Aging (Pres. Kennedy)

1965 Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society (War on Poverty) made great strides in giving aid to the needy, many of which were designed to empower poor communities to help themselves.

1968 Great Society loses favor, due partly to cost of Vietnam War

1969 Richard Nixon election. Begins to dismantle Great Society; proposes a guaranteed annual income to poor with certain requirements.

1972 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for poor.

1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

1976 More Regressive Tax -  rich & poor pay nearly the same percentage; detrimental to the poor, who have less discretionary income.

1980 Ronald Reagan elected. This administration believed that federal social welfare output should be minimal, then only short-term. This contributed to increasing poverty. Benefits for the needy fell; homelessness grew at an alarming rate.

1984 Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG's) developed under the Reagan administration to check rising costs to Medicare of hospital stays. Results in many patients out "quicker and sicker."

1981 Revision in way unemployment tallied. Only those enrolled at Job Service are counted in unemployment rate. This doesn't provide for counting those without unemployment benefits.

1993 Bill Clinton to the presidency saw great welfare services reform: a 5 year life-time for welfare was instituted. States are allowed to cut that down to 3 years total in a person's lifetime.

Hopefully you have learned the history of Social Welfare in the United States To help you remember it better, re-read the history within the context of OTHER historical events. For an example: the mid 60's saw the beginning of Medicare and LBJ's "Great Society." It was ALSO the greatest economic expansion of all time in any country (we were the wealthiest that we have EVER been at that time!). So launching the programs we did at that time made good sense.

However, now we are in quite different economic circumstances: we are the greatest DEBTOR nation on earth! We also have considerably more people than we thought we would have at this time, especially due to the expanding life expectancy (more people are living to older ages: in fact, the fastest growing segment of the population are those OVER 85 years old!), and relatively few children were born to support the large baby boom generation. The demographic and economic changes paint quite a different picture from what we experienced in the '60's!

Movies assigned

Chapter 8 Social Class in USA

Videos that you can rent which are based upon some of the principles of this lesson:

Social Class in the USA

The Grapes of Wrath

It's a Wonderful Life

Lesson 8 Social Class in the United States

Learning objectives for Chapter 8

What are the key ideas concerning stratification in the United States from the stand point of Conflict Theory, Functionalist Theory, and Symbolic Interactionalist Theory?

Recognize the consequences of social class on physical and mental health, family life, education, religion, politics, the criminal justice system, and new technology.

Know about the inequalities in the distribution of wealth and income in the United States

What are the major characteristics of the poor?

How does poverty affect groups differently including women, children, and the elderly?

Explain Erik Wright's updated model of Marx's class theory.

Vocabulary to learn from Chapter 8

characteristics of each social class

Horatio Alger myth

poverty as defined by the government

relative poverty

social class

social mobility

status inconsistency

structural explanations of poverty

welfare reform

Discussion

Social Policy History continued in the United States:

1840's America treated mentally ill, epileptics, etc., as "insane"; locked them in asylums, often caging them like animals. Dorothea Dix, teaching Sunday School in an asylum, was appalled by the conditions she saw there. Tried to get legislation requiring humane treatment of the mentally ill.

1854 Dix Legislation. This was the first time the federal government acknowledged some responsibility for welfare of the mentally ill. The legislation passed, but was vetoed by Pres. Franklin Pierce. This veto stood for over 70 years, until passage of the Social Security Act in 1935. States rights vs. federal rights were a big issue at this time.

1861 U.S. Sanitary Commission was set up. Public health funded by private, voluntary contributions.

1870's Charity Organization Societies (COS) organized. Funded by private, voluntary contributions. Akin to United Way now.

1880 Settlement Houses formed in America. Here, wealthy women of the community taught new immigrants the American ways and language; practicing one's own culture was frowned upon.

1889 Jane Addams, revered as "Mother of Social Work," organized Hull House, which became a model of settlement houses.

1900's to World War II Progressive Movement in America - young people were moving from rural to urban areas. A middle class was developing. Prohibition made alcohol illegal. The Salvation Army provided aid to alcoholics and "bums," requiring them first to go to church and pray for forgiveness. Welfare policy saw uniformity and efficiency with the belief that the state had a duty to protect the interests of the people and provide for the needy. Major government reforms and improvements, with organized social services being funded.

1909 White House Conference on Children -- focused on destitute families, "boarding out", etc.

1911 National Urban League on Urban Conditions -- Social work was founded here, and the workers received some training.

1912 U.S. Children's Bureau Act established a national agency to collect information on children

1916 Federal Income Tax became mandatory. Child Labor Act.

1921 Maternity and Infancy Act reduced infant mortality rate.

1929 The Great Depression - 522 banks closed; 34% of males out of work. By 1930, 6 million unemployed. Hoover did little to remedy the problem, relying on volunteers to care for needy.

1933 Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) - emergency relief to states and communities. The National Recovery Act provided employment through public work projects.

1935 Social Security - part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" to help spur recovery from the Depression. These programs established the framework for modern social welfare.

By this point the historical shows a change, due to the depression, that greatly alters the nation's viewpoint of "the poor."

1950s Americans as a whole believed that poverty had been eradicated. Few new reforms were proposed; existing ones were threatened. Some social reformers tried to expose the hidden subculture of poverty that still existed in America.

1961 First White House conference on Aging (Pres. Kennedy)

1965 Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society (War on Poverty) made great strides in giving aid to the needy, many of which were designed to empower poor communities to help themselves.

1968 Great Society loses favor, due partly to cost of Vietnam War

1969 Richard Nixon election. Begins to dismantle Great Society; proposes a guaranteed annual income to poor with certain requirements.

1972 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for poor.

1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

1976 More Regressive Tax -  rich & poor pay nearly the same percentage; detrimental to the poor, who have less discretionary income.

1980 Ronald Reagan elected. This administration believed that federal social welfare output should be minimal, then only short-term. This contributed to increasing poverty. Benefits for the needy fell; homelessness grew at an alarming rate.

1984 Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG's) developed under the Reagan administration to check rising costs to Medicare of hospital stays. Results in many patients out "quicker and sicker."

1981 Revision in way unemployment tallied. Only those enrolled at Job Service are counted in unemployment rate. This doesn't provide for counting those without unemployment benefits.

1993 Bill Clinton to the presidency saw great welfare services reform: a 5 year life-time for welfare was instituted. States are allowed to cut that down to 3 years total in a person's lifetime.

Hopefully you have learned the history of Social Welfare in the United States To help you remember it better, re-read the history within the context of OTHER historical events. For an example: the mid 60's saw the beginning of Medicare and LBJ's "Great Society." It was ALSO the greatest economic expansion of all time in any country (we were the wealthiest that we have EVER been at that time!). So launching the programs we did at that time made good sense.

However, now we are in quite different economic circumstances: we are the greatest DEBTOR nation on earth! We also have considerably more people than we thought we would have at this time, especially due to the expanding life expectancy (more people are living to older ages: in fact, the fastest growing segment of the population are those OVER 85 years old!), and relatively few children were born to support the large baby boom generation. The demographic and economic changes paint quite a different picture from what we experienced in the '60's!

Movies assigned

Chapter 8 Social Class in USA

Videos that you can rent which are based upon some of the principles of this lesson:

Social Class in the USA

The Grapes of Wrath

It's a Wonderful Life