Global Stratification

1. Global Stratification Professor Roderick Graham

2. If the World Were a Village of 1000… • 584 Asians • 124 Africans • 95 East and West Europeans • 84 Latin Americans • 55 Soviets • 52 North Americans • 6 Australians and New Zealanders

3. If the World Were a Village of 1000… • 165 people speak Mandarin • 86 speak English • 83 speak Hindi/Urdu • 64 speak Spanish • 58 speak Russian • 37 speak Arabic • The rest speak Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, German, French, and 200 other languages

4. If the World Were a Village of 1000… • 329 Christians • 178 Moslems • 167 “non-religious” • 132 Hindus • 60 Buddhists • 45 Atheists • 3 Jews • 86 all other religions

5. If the World Were a Village of 1000… • 1/3 are children and 60 > 65 yrs • ½ of children are immunized • 28 babies born; 10 die • 1 is infected with HIV • 200 people receive 75% of the income; 200 receive 2% • 70 own an automobile • 1/3 have access to clean, safe-drinking water • 1/5 of the adults are literate

6. Global Inequality • The world is unequal • We classify the 194 countries of the world into three groups: high income, middle income, low income

7. How is the world stratified?

8. High Income Countries • 64 nations are considered high income • Per capita income over $10,000 • Very industrialized, jobs are computer and service oriented • Able to produce goods faster and cheaper • Have about 22% of the world’s people • Most people live in cities Ex: Mexico (Latin America), Saudi Arabia (Middle East), South Korea (Asia), South Africa (Africa)

9. Middle Income Countries • 73 of the world’s nations • Per capita income between $2500 and $10000 • 2/3 live in cities • Most of the world’s population lives in middle income countries 59% • Manufacturing jobs Examples: Bulgaria (Europe), Thailand (Asia), Bolivia (Latin America), Lesotho (Africa)

10. Low Income Countries • 57 nations are considered low income • About 29% of the world’s population • Per capita income of less than $2,500 dollars • Most are found in Central Africa, East Africa, and South Asia • Jobs are in farming or gathering basic resources • Traditional cultures – most people follow the cultural patterns of their ancestors Ex: Pakistan and Afghanistan (South Asia), Chad, Nigeria (Africa), Haiti (Carribean)

11. Relative vs. Absolute Poverty • Relative Poverty – lacking goods and resources that other people around them have • Absolute Poverty – lacking resources that are life threatening (food, water, shelter) • Many people in low income countries are in absolutepoverty

12. Why are some countries poor and some rich? Explanations to Poverty • Lack of technology • Population growth • Cultural Patterns • Social Stratification • Gender Inequality • Global Power Relationships Note: You should read this section carefully (p. 258 – 268)

13. Modernization Theory • This model of economic development explains global inequality in terms of technological & cultural differences between societies W.W. Rostow’s Stages of Modernization • Traditional stage - Changing traditional views • Take-off stage - Use of talents and imaginations • Drive to technological maturity - Diversified economy takes over • High mass consumption - Mass production stimulates consumption

14. Modernization Theory The Role of Rich Nations in Modernizing Poorer Nations • Assisting in population control - Exporting birth control and educating people on its importance • Increasing food production - The use of new hybrid seeds, modern irrigation methods, the use of chemicals and pesticides • Introducing industrial technology - Machinery and information must be shared if shifts in economies are to take place • Instituting programs of foreign aid - Money can be used for equipment necessary for change to take place

15. Dependency Theory • This model of economic development explains global inequality in terms of the historical exploitation of poor societies by rich ones “Today’s world economy is rooted in the colonization that began 500 years ago” • Rich countries form the core of the world economy being enriched by raw materials from around the world • Low income countries are the periphery, providing inexpensive labor and a market for industrial products • Middle income countries form the semiperiphery, having a closer tie to the core

16. Dependency Theory • The world economy makes poor nations dependent on rich ones Three factors leading to dependency: • Narrow, export-oriented economies - Poor countries produce only a few crops for export to rich countries • Lack of industrial capacity - Poor countries must sell raw materials to rich countries and then buy finished products back from them at high prices • Foreign debt - The poor countries of the world owe the rich countries $1 trillion dollars, including hundreds of billions to the United States

17. Response Paper #3 Introduction to Sociology, Response Paper #3 For this response paper, you will select two of the four below and answer the questions. For this assignment, you do not have to write your paper in one complete essay. Instead, you can number each part of the question and answer each part separately (most questions have three parts). All papers should be typed and double-spaced. The length should be between three and five pages. • Pp. 236 and 237, “Middle-Class Americans Increasingly Downbeat about Their Short-Term Economic Progress” • Pp. 240 and 241, “The Welfare Dilemma” • Pp. 260 and 261, “Bottom of the Barrel” • Pp. 262, “Happy Poverty in India: Making Sense of a Strange Idea” Paper Due on 4/23 for CSI Paper Due on 4/26 for FIT