Structure of inequality

The power of the elite within society is based upon;

• Income
• Wealth
• A network of social connections – sometimes known as the ‘old boys network’

In contrast the least powerful within society have few opportunities to escape from poverty. There are different explanations for this. For example the New Right sociologist Charles Murray argued that the poorest members of society had become too reliant upon welfare benefits. This had led to a gradual loss in the ability of the poor to adopt values that would take them out of poverty; such as self-reliance and personal initiative. Most people within society are neither rich nor poor. They form part of the middle-class –which is the most numerical social class within society.

During your revision, you need to be aware that life chances are determined by factors such as;

• Social class
• Gender
• Schooling
• Ethnicity, etc.

You also need to explain why such differences in life chances exist. For example ethnic minorities often face a glass ceiling at work due to discrimination upon racial grounds; which can be either overt (or obvious), or covert (in other words, hidden). Women also face the same problem.
         
You should also be aware of the existence of an “underclass” – a term associated with the work of John Rex and Robert Moore. Members of the underclass form norms and values that often differ to the rest of society. They are caught in a poverty trap (or cycle) from which they find very difficult to escape from. This is despite changes to the welfare and benefits system designed to get welfare claimants into work.

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