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SOCIOLOGY REVISION. What is sociology. Sociology= How people shape society ------------------------------------------------------- How society shapes people Differences in socialisation between boys and girls
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What is sociology Sociology= How people shape society ------------------------------------------------------- How society shapes people Differences in socialisation between boys and girls Girls- socialised to care about appearance, socialised not to fight, socialised to be girly and feminine Boys- socialised to be tough and strong, socialised to fight, not to show emotions, to be manly.
Primary socialisation- This is where the child learns the norms and values of society such as manners, learning from right and wrong. Secondary socialisation- This is after the early years of childhood and continuing throughout their lives Six agencies of socialisation • Work-secondary socialisation • Friends/peer groups- secondary socialisation • Media- secondary socialisation • Religion-primary& secondary socialisation • Education- secondary socialisation • Family-primary socialisation Deprivation- when you don’t have something. E.g. deprived of love, money.
Teenagers Social groups Celebrities Men women Old people
Sociology- Sociologist explain human behaviour in terms of social factors. • Biology-Biologist explain human behaviour in terms of body. • Psychology- Psychologists explain human behaviour in terms of the mind. Exam question How far are women and men equal in modern Britain Yeswomen and men are equal *laws- new laws have been enforced to make men and women equal. Sex Discrimination, Equal Pay Act. *work- women are doing traditional males jobs such as body building, working as builders and men are doing traditional women jobs such as male nurses, primary school teachers. *work-more women being promoted and working in top position *politics-more women are in politics e.g. Margret Thatcher first female MP. *work- before when a women found out she was pregnant that was the end of career but now after pregnancy the majority of women come back to work *crime- women are committing more crimes like men *family- women and men's roles in the house are becoming more symmetrical, men and women are doing the same roles.
No women and men are not equal *Work-despite new laws, women still face discrimination and sexual abuse at the workplace. *Family- feminist still believe that the family is not a rosy view like the functionalist describe it, in the family women are still being abused, raped by their husbands. *Work- women are less likely be promoted. (Glass ceiling) *Work- women and men working in the same jobs, women are more likely to be in the lower position in the job. *Work-women are more likely to work part time, to have time to look after their children. *Work- women are more likely to be off from work to look after their child who might sick. *Crime-Despite women committing more crime, men are still committing the more serious crimes like paedophile compared to women who might shoplift. *Work- men are more likely to be paid more than women. *Family- boys and girls are socialised differently. Girls are socialised to cook and clean whereas boys are socialised to fix and build things in the house.
Family • What is a family • A family is a husband and wife who lives with their biological children. • This definition is dated as sociologist feel that there are different types of families. • Lone parent family- a single mum or dad living with their children • Reconstituted family-a step family e.g. a widowed woman with her children is in a relationship with a single dad with his children and all come to live together. • Extended family-afamily living together of different generations. Grandparents, aunts and uncles etc. • House holds- one person living by themselves or a group of people living together sharing facilities such as bath room, toilet. • Nuclear family- a husband and wife who live with their biological children. • Alternatives to families • It is important to know that some children do not come from these family types, some could be in foster homes, adopted, have gay and lesbian parents or living on the streets.
Lone parent family • Advantage- have a more deeper relationship with children because it is only one parent. less arguments because only one parent making the decisions • Disadvantage-less money coming in, have less clothes and food. • Extended family • Advantage-get to have quality time with different family members. • Disadvantage-less privacy, more noisy and disruptive, can’t do homework. • Households • Advantage- privacy and quietness can do whatever you want to do. Or a lot of company and can share things with other room mates. • Disadvantage- boring, lonely living by yourself. Or more fights and arguments over who should clean or cook. • Nuclear family • Advantage- more money coming into the home, as both parents are working, more emotional support. • Disadvantage- more arguments and fights between the parents, parents more likely to separate or divorce. • Reconstituted family • Advantage-more income, more emotional support. • Disadvantage-step children might not like each other and argue and fight more likely to put a stain on their parent relationships.
Cross-cultural families Families in china Due to over crowdedness in china • Women are only allowed to have one child which has to be a boy • If a women has a abortion she is entitled to free holiday pay • A lot of females in china are in orphanages because they have been abandoned and not wanted. Communes It originated in the USA in 1960-1970 Communes comes from the word community because every one has to share every thing and live as one big community. They believe that the cat is the head of the house hold. The Nayar people • Originates in India, • The women lives with her brothers and sisters and is visted by a number of lovers every night • Kibbutzim • Originates in Israel • The children are taken from their real mothers and are looked after kibbutz mothers, children sleep separate from their parents so don’t see their parents often. • Once teenagers they move into a teenager house. • Oneida community • Originates in New York, based on group marriages, all members should love each other and not live as monogamous couples. • when child is born is looked after mother for 16 months • Believe in scientific breeding, limited amount of parents are chosen to be suitable biological parents.
Relationships within the family have changed between 1950 to 1970 Young and Willmott have found that roles between men and women in the household are becoming more symmetrical Men women There roles have become more similar there is a overlap, so the roles are more integrated.
Functionalist view of the family • View the family as good for society because... • Reproduction-without the family the human race would die • Emotional support-thefamily gives us love, warmth, affection • Economic function-the family gives us food, shelter • Primary socialisation-it teaches the children us how to fit into society, rules and norms of society • New right • They believe the family is a good thing • They believe the nuclear family is the ideal family, because a child is more emotionally stable living with two parents than living with one. • They don’t believe in other forms of families, as the nuclear family is best for society and the individual • They believe that men should go out to work and women should stay at home and not work • They believe that all crimes and other problems in society such as teenage pregnancies, gay and lesbian coupled are due to fact that there are more lone parent families, more divorces • Marxist • Believe that society is made up of two groups the bourgeoisie- the ruling class and the proletariat- the working class • They believe the family just reproduce the workers that the bourgeoisie need for this capitalist system. • The family teaches the children to be obedient and hard working this is what the ruling class want them to know • The family is a way of keeping wealth and riches through the family so the ruling class still remain rich and the working class can not get a hold of it • Feminist • They look out for the interest of women • They believe men are the dominated ones and we live in a patriarchal society • Men dominated and control everything and have the power • Men benefit from the family because they have their dinner cooked, clothes washed, children looked after for them.
changes in Relationship between parent and child Contemporary trends in marriage *In Britain marriage is based on monogamy *Increase in cohabitation *Less people are getting married *More people getting divorced *people marrying later in life *more ethnic marriage *more people having children without marrying Changing family Single women more likely than married women to end pregnancy with abortion Women having fewer children More people living longer, increase in one person household.
Exam question • Is the traditional family less important than it was in the past? • Yes the traditional family is less important • There are more different family types, such as lone parent families, extended families, reconstituted families, households. • More people are choosing to cohabitated rather than marry • More people are choosing to have children with out being married • Religion is less important to people now(secularisation) • More divorces and separations • Alternatives to families, gay and lesbian couples. • Fathers not taking responsibility for their children so there is a rise in lone parent households.
No the traditional family is not less important * The functionalist believe The nuclear family is still important because it provides the 4 main things: reproduction, primary socialisation, emotional support and economic function. *the new right believe that the traditional family is good for society as they believe the a child born into this family is much better off than a child born in to a different family *Murray believes a child born into this family is emotionally, academically, financially better than a child in any other family type. *This family type is looked as a norm and is socially accepted compared to a gay and lesbian family
Education • Functionalistview of education • It teaches us skills for work literacy, numeracy and I.T, vocational courses prepares for there future job. • It teaches us the norms and values of society so we can fit in. it teaches children from different cultures to fit into British cultures • Choosing the most able people for the most able and important jobs, through exam sorts people out and put the people in jobs that best suits their ability • How to be a good citizen • Marxists view of education • Working class children learn the skills for working class jobs. Middle class children get the qualifications need for high status jobs. • Control in school is preparing them to follow the rules of the ruling class. Obeying your teacher is obeying your boss • It teaches people to accept the values of the ruling class. Schools teach students to work hard so they are prepared to work hard at their jobs
The Hidden curriculum/informal learning • What you learn in the day to day running of the school but not officially taught. E.g. being punctual, being obedient, wearing uniform. Learn this through the rules and routines of the school and learn without realising. • It teaches how it is going to be in the work place • Learn to accept that there will always be people on top of us (Hierarchy) • Schools prepare us to compete • Learn to accept societies social controls while they are in education Being punctual=informal Walking down the corridor in a orderly fashion=informal Taking active part in assembly=formal Doing homework=formal Wearing school uniform=informal
Debate over comprehensive schools. • Advantages • Accepts children regardless of ability, class, race,religion • Children get to mix with children of different ethnic backgrounds • Parents don’t have to pay fees • Disadvantages • because it Accepts people with different abilities, teachers might be teaching the children who are less able at a lower level so this could be holding the more able people back and vice versa • Because it accepts anyone people who got excluded from previous schools might still act the same and give the school a bad reputation • Less facilities, have to share text books • Children have to be in the same class with people who are disruptive, so this could affect their learning • Accepts people who don’t speak English so this can bring down GCSE results.
Education system in contemporary Britain Nurseries3-5 year olds Primary school 5-11 year olds Secondary school 11-16 year olds College16-18 year olds University18-21 year olds
Independent Vs state schools • Independent • better facilities, students get there own books rather than sharing • Smaller classes teaches teach in smaller groups, so more time to spend with each student • Results are very good beacause children are motivated to learn whereas state schools are well known having children who disrupts the lessons. • Parents are more interested in their childs progress and push and support their child. • State schools • Are free, parents don’t have to pay fees • Accepts children regardless of ability • Break down barriers in society as children are freely to mix with other children of different race, background,religion • In independent schools, students may have to travel far to get to school whereas, children would not have to travel far to go to their local state school.
Factors that affect a child doing well at school • School • Friends/peer groups • Teachers • Parents • Media • Bullying • Poor attendance and punctuality • Social class • Self esteem/confidence • Money • Groups who under achieve • Boys • Black Caribbean boys • Bangladeshi • Working class • Girls are out performing boys because... • They are more prepared and organised with their equipment • They are more hard working than boys • Feminism have done alot in changing attitudes on women roles • They tend to think about the future more than boys • since the National curriculum came in boys and girls have to study the same subjects • Laws now againts sexism • WISE-women in science and engineering . Organisations have come in to help women succeed
Boys are underachieving because .... • Boys are more disruptive in class so loose learning time by being sent out • Boys get street credfor acting bad and tough, so want to impress friends and go against school rules • Boys are more likely to be excluded from schools • Boys give up and don’t want to try hard • Boys are too hard to manage so teachers just simply give up • Disadvantages of Statistics • Too broad-some the categories of different ethnic groups are too big • Small scale-most of studies are based on small areas • Socialclass-the results could have more to do with the kids being working class than their ethnic group
Exam question • Recent educational reforms have attempted to increase the equality of opportunity in the education system. How far have they been successful? • Yesthey have been successful • Boys and girls are more equal because they get to study the same subjects now because of the National Curriculum 1988 • Parents have different choices in what schools they should send their child to. So this means that working class and middle class have a chance to go to the same schools • Schools accept children regardless of ability, religion,ethnic,classso children have a chance to learn regardless of who they are • No they have not been successful • The national curriculum seems to be biased towards British culture, so this is unequal towards ethnic groups such as black Caribbean as they only learn the British culture. • In college and universities boys and girls still study different subjects as they are allowed to choose which subjects they want to do • because of funding and league tables, schools choose what pupils they want to attend the schools by doing entrance exams, working class children are less likely to pass the exam.
Work • Formal work=official work, get a contract, money is taxed by the government • Primary-working with natural resources such as coal mining, cutting wood, farming. • Secondary-working in factories producing goods such as making chairs, tables • Tertiary-providing a service for people such as hairdressing, air hostess • Informal work=unofficial work which is not taxed by the government • Hidden- illegal work, can go to prison such as drug dealing, a private tutor doing private lessons and not declaring it • Domestic-house work such as cleaning, cooking • Communal-volunteering helping out in the community such as planting plants for the community
Primary jobs • Tertiary jobs Secondary jobs Domestic jobs Hidden jobs Communal jobs
Why people work • Money-people who work may not like their job but need money to enjoy pleasures out side of their job, this is extrinsic satisfaction. For example a cleaner working 2 jobs to get money to pay for a Caribbean holiday. • Job satisfaction-people may enjoy their job, and find intrinsic satisfaction out of their jobs. For example a teacher is happy when all of her students get A’s in their exam. • Friendships and companionship-people may work to make friends • For status & identity- people may work to get high status because their job may give them a high status. For example a being a doctor gives you high status whereas being a cleaner gives you low status.
Work affects our non-working life • Status- if you are a lawyer or a doctor people will look up to you where as if you are a cleaner or road sweeper people would look down to you. • Health-work has a huge impact on our health for example, if a secretary works on a computer all day long, she may experience eye problems because she is straining her eyes, she may experience back problems because she is sitting at computer all day and in later life may have arthritis because she is typing all day. Another example is a builder he might have a bad back because he is lifting heavy things all day and repetitive stain injury because he is using the same muscles. • Family-people may work long shifts and may not get to spend a lot time with their children e.g. a doctor or air hostess. • Leisure-ifpeople have high paying jobs, they may afford to go on holiday 3 times a year, buy cars and houses where as people who have low paying jobs may be only able to afford to go on holiday once every year. • Choices- it determines what you can afford, whether where you buy your food and clothes from. for example a middle class doctor may buy their food from Harvey Nichols and a working class cleaner may buy their food from Netto.
Technological developments at work • Industrialisation- more factories being build up e.g. factories for making biscuits • Automation- automatic machines being brought in to do the whole process so workers are not needed e.g. a ATM machine. Machines can do boring repetitive jobs, Less human error. Deskilling people, people are needed to the jobs • Machineries- machines being brought in, so more goods are being made, so more profits. Machines can break down, still need workers to control the machines. • I.T- computers, new jobs are created in I.T, reskilling people. People are losing jobs. • Divisions of labour-one person works at different stages of making a product e.g. one person is sewing the button the next person is sewing the hem. More goods being made more profits. Boring, repetive, no job satisfaction, more likely to be off from work.
Alienation • Alienation is when workers have no job satisfaction out of their jobs • How do workers deal with alienation • Come to work late • Skive • Play jokes on each other • Put little effect in job • Daydream • Take days off often • Take longer breaks • What do employees do to combat alienation • Team building days e.g. having a barbecue, a dinner party for all workers • Share profits between the workers • Include workers in meetings so they have a say in the decisions • Comfortable furniture, comfy sofas, TV while workers are on their breaks • Rotate jobs every week so workers don’t get bored of doing the same thing.
Ethnicity and work • Ethnic minorities such as black and Bangladeshi people are more likely to be unemployed because • They face racial discrimination • Less likely to be promoted • Less likely to get a job compared to white British people with the same qualifications • Are all ethnic minorities more likely to be unemployed • No Chinese and Indian people are considered to be cleaver and have more chances.
Measuring unemployment • Only measure people who are signed on to the job centres. So this is a problem because it underestimates the true level of unemployment • So people who are unemployed and are not signed on to the job centre are excluded such as • Young people • Pensioners • Women with children who’s husband works • People looking work but not claiming benefits • Groups more likely to experience unemployment • Young people-still in education, don’t have time to work • Pensioners- worked before, so they are retired from working • Older workers- the more older you are the more likely to be employed because employers may want younger workers who may have more energy to do the work or may not want to spend time or money training older adults. Employers may be Ageist • Ethnic groups(black, Bangladeshi)- may face racial discrimination from employees. • What causes unemployment • As there are more automated machines in the work place, workers are not needed to the jobs that the machines can do, so as a result lose their jobs • How does unemployment affect a individual • Men-lose confidence as they may feel that they should be providing for his family, he may feel that he is the bread winner. • Young people- may be forced to depend on parents for money and this could cause conflict and arguments • Black people- are disadvantage, may feel a victim of discrimination and racism also may have to live in poor housing. • Women-may have to take on the traditional role as a women doing house work such as cooking, cleaning • Older adults-loss in confidence particarlly in men and loss in occupational identity
Future of work • Down shift-workers may leave their high paying jobs to live a much simpler life. i.e from working in a bank and getting £60,000 a year to now working as a shop assistant and getting £6,000 a year • Core worker-peoples jobs which are secure, and permanent, full time within an organisation e.g. teachers • Peripheral workers- people’s jobs which are insecure and are not permanent. There contracts are part time, short term, temporary e.g. people who work for the agencies. • Flexi working-workers are able to choose the hours they work that fits their life style. For example a single mum working 9.30-2.30 so she can have time to take her son to school and pick him up in time and returns to work at 5.30-8.30 to work a another shift. • Working at home- workers can do the same work that they do in the office at home and can email it to their boss, have video conferencing, fax work. • Positive view • Technology will allow us to do so much stuff • Leisure-due to technology new jobs will appear working in gyms, entertainment,tourism • Home working-allow workers to fax, video conference, email bosses • Shorter working time, because automated machines do every thing so It will liberate us give us more freedom to do more leisure activities • Negative view • Employers will only benefit from flexible working because they can take on staff to suit the needs of their business. • Working at home is not well paid, stuffing envelopes, for £3.00 a hour to do boring repetitive work • Peripheral workers have less security in their jobs so will have to take up several jobs to make ends meet
Exam question • To what extent are men and women equal at work • Yes they are equal • Laws-Sex Discrimination, Equal Opportunities. these laws make men and women more equal in the work place • More women are working today than ever before. • women are now doing jobs which were thought to have been traditional jobs such as body building, mechanics, builders and men are not doing traditionally male jobs, male nurses, dancers. • women are in highly paid jobs just like men and are in top positions now Margret Thatcher 1st female Prime minister • before when a women found out she was pregnant that was the end of her career but now the majority of women return back to work after pregnancy • No they are not equal • Despite new laws women still are victims to sex discrimination and sexual assaults in the work place • The majority of men still get more money than women • Women are more likely to work part time, so they could have time to look after their children • Women are more likely to take time off work, looking after their children when they get sick • Women are less likely to be promoted in there jobs (glass ceiling) • Even though men and women working in the same jobs, women are more likely to be in the lower position. • Woman are more likely to be in low skilled jobs e.g. cleaning
Stratification • Wealth- how much things you own • Income-how much money you get from your job • Power-the ability to control people and whether people will listen to you • Status- whether people look up to you or down to you.
Stratifications systems • Caste-originates in India, ascribed status born into the caste, Brahmins are at the top and untouchables are at the bottom considered to be a disgrace to society and are regarded with disgust by the other population. The caste which you are born in is decided by what you did in your previous life. • Feudal- originated in medieval Europe, a king gives out land to nobles in return for loyalty. For example when it is war, the nobles will fight in defence for the king. • Slavery- originated in the 19th century, someone who was not a slave was a freeman. • Social class- the class depends on what job you do. For example if you are a psychologist you are middle class whereas if you are a bin man you are working class.
Jobs in order of most qualifications • Doctor • nurse • Teacher • Pop singer • Professional footballer • Bus driver • Rubbish collector • cleaner • Jobs in order of amount paid • Pop singer • Professional footballer • Doctor • Teacher • Nurse • Bus drivers • Cleaner • Rubbish collector
Functionalist view on stratification • They compare stratification to the human body. • Stratification matches the most able people to the most important jobs in society, just like the heart has the most important job to do which is to pump blood around the body to keep the body alive. • Stratification is necessary for society • Stratification is based on merit, those who work harder will succeed and enjoy the pleasures of life • Marx’s view on stratification • They believe stratification is bad because there are only two groups in society and that is the bourgeoisie and the proletariats • The bourgeoisie are the ruling class and own every thing the media, factories, lands. The bourgeoisie exploits the working class and not pay them the true value of there work, the working class are fooled to thinking that every thing is fair and are under false conscience. • As times goes on the ruling class will become more smaller and richer and working class more bigger and poorer. This will lead to a lot of unhappiness between the two classes. This will be major class conflict • Then the working class will realise what is going on(class conscience) and will protest and demand for their rights, their will be a overthrow and the ruling class will give in and the class system will disappear • Then the ruling and working class will be equal, and things in society will be a lot more equal. • Weber’s view on stratification • Three things determines your class • Economic position- how much money you have • Power-the ability to control somebody • Status-whether people look up or down to you • All of these determines your life chances, whether you have the opportunity to be successful
Problems in defining class by jobs • Ignores the big difference between the same jobs e.g. a junior doctor who gets paid much less than a highly experienced Harley street doctor. • Exclude groups outside paid employment such as housewives, young people, • The wealthy upper class who own property and have a great deal of power but don’t have jobs are excluded • Social class is mainly based on the job the man does, this is dated as both men and women work and are major breadwinners • There are major difference in income and life chances between such people get they are put into the same class
How important is social class? • Life expectancy • ‘In 1996, a person born into a middle class family was expected to live 7 years longer than someone born into an working class back ground. Why is this’ • Perhaps the middle class child’ s parents can afford expensive, better quality food. because they can afford it due to the fact they are in well paid jobs whereas working class people are in low paid jobs and can only afford the cheap quality, process foods. • Or perhaps the working class parents smoke around their child a lot and are uneducated about the facts of passive smoking, whereas middle class people know smoking is bad and are less likely to smoke around their child and are more likely to have sense not to smoke at all. • leisure • ‘People from middle class backgrounds are more likely to have holidays than those from working class backgrounds. Why is this’ • Because middle class people are able to afford it because they are in well paid jobs whereas working class people can not afford it because they are in low paid jobs
Embourgeoisement- this is when working class people are becoming more middle class in terms of their lifestyle, values, expectations, behaviour • Proletarianization- this is when middle class people become more working class in terms of their job which may be boring, repetitive, less skilled like a working class job such as working in a factory. • Who are the rich • Land owners- people such as upper class their wealth is passed down through inheritance of land and property • Entrepreneurs-people who set have up businesses such Richard Branson who owns Virgin Atlantic. • Self made rich-people who are rich because they may have a talent e.g. Mariah Carey is rich because she can sing.
Upper class Rich from inheriting land, riches, living off investments • Changes in the class system • Before 1950 skilled Office workers, well paid, job security Middle class Less job security, skilled and Unskilled, bus drivers, cleaners Working class
Class system now in Britain Upper class Less land owners, more entrepreneurs Professionals and managerial Doctors, teachers, lawyers Office workers Clerical workers Bus drivers, receptionists New affluent workers/Upper working class Cleaners, road sweepers Traditional working class unemployed Under class
Changes • In 1950 the upper class were made up of land owners. Now today there are less land owners and more entrepreneurs • Sociologists believe that there are a new class emerging in Britain and they are called the underclass these include: • Single teenage mothers • Unemployed • Old people living in poverty • Homeless people • Some ethnic groups • Sociologist believe that the problems we have in society are caused by these people. Their life chances are much worse the problems are: • Children out side of marriage • increase in dangerous Crime • Young people who don’t have manners and morals • Men who don’t look after their children • Men not going out looking for work
Income is a good way in determining someone's class and life chances • The more income you have the more able you are to affords things and become wealthy • People with high income will be able to afford more than one car and houses where as people with low income will only be able to afford to live in one house. • Wealth is a good way in finding out someone’s class or position • Wealth is linked to how much power, status,presige a person has • If someone owns a lot of business, it shows that they are wealthy and are upper class. Whereas if someone just owns a bike it shows that they are less wealthy and that they working class. • Wealth is passed down though inheritence ,so the rich will still remain rich
Social mobility-the ability to move up or down the social ladder • Inter-Generational- whether there has been movement between generations • Intra-Generational- whether a individual has moved up in their life time through the job you have done before is either higher or lower than job you do now • Downward mobility-doing a job now which is lowerthan your previous job or lower than your parents job • Upward mobility-doing a job now which is higher than your previous job or higher than your parents job
Problems in measuring mobility • Don’t know what age to measure mobility, should it be when they are 25, then 35 • Based on what jobs they do, problems when using occupation , so this will affect accuracy of mobility studies. • Change of status, jobs have changed it status. 50 years ago clerical workers enjoyed high status, today this is no longer the case • Old jobs are disappearing and new jobs are appearing so comparison is difficult • More upward mobility, working class background moving into professional/mangerial jobs • Things that influence mobility • Marriage-if a women is working class and she marries a middle class doctor, she is considered to be middle class • Lottery-winning 70 million on the lottery makes you just as rich as the upper class • Inheritance-inheriting 20 million from your grandparents • Less middle class parents are having children, so that means more space at the top for working class children to move up • Middle class parents push and encourage their children to do well and become successful with high paying jobs • Barriers to mobility • Discrimination-ethnic groups make face racial discrimination from employees and so are less likely to get the job • Social class-working class people may have no qualifications, so can not get the high paying jobs because they have no qualifications • Gender-women may face discrimination because of their gender or may have qualifications but would have to take time out from working to look after their children • Jobs which have changed status overtime • Office worker-unskilled worker plumer-skilled worker teacher-middle class • Jobs which no longer exist • Coal miners shoe shiners chimney sweepers • New jobs • Web designer computer technician
Exam question • To what extent is it appropriate to define routine clerical work as a working class occupation • Yes it should be defined • Clerical work is boring and repetitive like working in a factory • You don’t need much skills and qualifications to do this job like a working class job • Because it is repetitive, boring, middle class people are becoming more working class(prolitarinization) • No it should not be defined • Because some of these jobs get paid more than traditional working class jobs • The person may get higher status, than someone doing a traditional working class job • Have more chances of being promoted being a manager • Enjoy better working conditions • Need more qualifications and skills than a lot of working class jobs
Research methods • Ways in which sociologist get information • Primary research: • Questionnaires • Interviews • Observations • Secondary research: • Official statistics • Internet • books
Official statistics • They are produced by the government, • They include information about examination results, gender, crime • Unreliably about unemployment statistics because the method in finding unemployment has changed over 30 times since 1982 so very inaccurate. • Unemployment figures only include people signing on at job centres, not unemployed housewife's, not young people, not people who are unemployed and not seeking benefits or part time workers • Unreliably in health statistics because a doctor may diagnose a person with a certain illness, and that might be the wrong illness. • Unreliably about crime statistics, some crimes might be reported but there are others that were not reported • Quantitative data-collecting data in numbers, e.g. 63% • Qualitative data-collecting data in words such as media reports