REVIEW – OCTOBER 09

SOCIAL JUSTICE STUDIES: THEORY, ANALYSIS, PRACTICE

AP/HREQ 3890 6.00A.

 

SYNOPSIS AND GENERAL OVERVIEW: THE FIRST SECTION OF THE COURSE HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO FIVE SUBJECT AREAS: (1) THE SYSTEMATIC AND ANALYTIC STUDY OF SOCIETY (2) THE NATURE OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION [MEASUREMENT TOOLS]; (3) THE SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE; (4) THE STUDY OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY [DOMINANT-SUBDOMINANT INTERACTION], AND (5) ETHNICITY AND RACE AS SOCIAL CONSTUCTS AND STATUS SYSTEMS[{AND BASIS OF} THE RACIALIZATION, STIGMATIZATON AND MARGINALIZATION PROCESS].

THE SOCIOLOGICAL KEY è  CULTURAL DYNAMICS CREATE SOCIAL INEQUALITY è POWER TURNS INEQUALITY INTO SOCIAL STRATIFICATION SYSTEMS è IDEOLOGY MAKES SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION APPEAR NORMAL AND LEGITIMATE.

 

THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES èTO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, SOCIAL INEQUALITY, CULTURE AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

(I)      SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IS A MANIFESTATION OF THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIETY{HOW SOCIETY          WORKS}.

(II)    SOCIAL INEQUALITY IS A MANIFESTATION OF SOCIETY'S SOCIAL STRATIFICATION SYSTEM(S).

(III)   ETHINICTY, RACE, GENDER, AND CLASS ARE MANIFESTATIONS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN SOCIETY.

(IV)   SOCIAL PROBLEMS ARE MANIFESTATIONS OF ETHINICTY, RACE, GENDER, AND CLASS RELATIONS AND DYNAMICS

 

PART I --- THE SYSTEMATIC AND ANALYTIC STUDY OF SOCIETY

 

WE STARTED THE COURSE BY EXAMINING SOCRATES VERSION OF AN IDEAL SOCIETY è “AS A SOCIETY BASED ON JUSTICE AND REASON

 

1)      [IN OTHER WORDS] HE ISSUED THE CALL IN THE WEST TO  RATIONAL INQUIRY” ABOUT HOW PEOPLE SHOULD LIVE TOGETHER IN SOCIETY.

 

[SO] FIRST, SOCRATES LEGACY IN TERMS OF THE WESTERN INTELLECTUAL TRADITION WAS TO LAUNCH THE “SYSTEMATICANDANALYTIC” STUDY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE  AND INJUSTICE

 

2)      [RELATEDLY] THIS IS A CALL TO “CLEAR-HEADEDNESSè OR PRECISION AS A VIRTUE è ARTHUR ADKINS – THE QUALITY OF CLEAR-HEADEDNESS AND COURAGE AS MORAL VALUES OF “UPPER STRATUM” OR GENTLEMENT è [I INTERPRET CLEAR-HEADEDNESS AS THE PROVINCE OF “REFINED BEING”]

 

[SO] NEXT WE HAVE SEEN [IN THE ‘REPUBLIC’ AND ELSEWHERE] THAT è SOCRATES CLEAR-HEADEDNESS IS THAT HE IDENTIFIES JUSTICE AS “TAKING PLACE IN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE” [I.E. SOCIAL RELATIONS OR GROUP RELATIONS] è AND JUSTICE [HE SAYS] IS RELATED TO “THE DOCTRINE OF FAIR SHARES.” [OR WHAT I CALLED THE DOCTRINE OF “EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION]

 

FOR SOCRATES THERE IS NO SEPARATION BETWEEN THE IDEA OF JUSTICE AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF JUSTICE è TO UNDERSTAND JUSTICE WE MUST CONSIDER CONSEQUENCE.

 

THE COURSE THESIS IS RELATED è SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE IN CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN SOCIETY IS REVEALED IN PATTERNS OF INEQUALITY, MANIFESTED PRIMARILY ALONG THE LINES OF RACE & ETHNICITY, CLASS, AND GENDER RELATIONS.

 

THIS IS THE CALL TO SOCIAL INQUIRY ABOUT “EQUITABLE AND INEQUITABLE GROUP RELATIONS” IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY.

 

PART II--- THE NATURE OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATIONAND THE STUDY OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY:

1)      THE STUDY OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION  

A)     EVERY SOCIETY CAN BE DIVIDED INTO LAYERS OR HIERARCHIES THAT CAN BE RANKED ACCORDING TO CERTAIN CRITERIA IN ASCENDING OR DESCENDING ORDER. THIS SUGGESTS THAT INEQUALITY IS NOT RANDOM OR FLEETING, BUT IS PATTERNED AND PREDICTABLE AND TENDS TO CLUSTER AROUND CERTAIN DEVALUED CATEGORIES RELATED TO RACE OR ETHNICITY}}} === [1] THE HIERARCHICAL ARRANGEMENT OF SOCIAL STRATA IN A SOCIETY == A HIERARCHY OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE UNEQUAL PROPERTY, POWER AND PRESTIGE (3PS). [2] SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND INEQUALITY REFERS TO DOMINANT- SUBORDINATE INTERACTION === [3] THE CONCEPT OF A MINORITY AND MAJORITY GROUP DOES NOT REFER TO “NUMBERS” OR “STATISTICAL PROPORTIONS” — BUT RATHER — TO “POWER RELATIONS” == [4] SOCIAL STRATIFICATION MEASUREMENT “TOOLS”== “SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS” VERSUS “SOCIAL CLASS”

 

2)      WHY IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION CONSIDERED THE CORNERSTONE OF SOCIOLOGY?

BECAUSE IT THE MAIN FACTOR DETERMINING HOW SOCIETY WORKS.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IS CONSIDERED THE CORNERSTONE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH BECAUSE EVERY SOCIETY IS STRATIFIED IN SOME WAY – AFFECTING THE SOCIAL RELATIONS OF ITS MEMBERS.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IS CONSIDERED THE CORNERSTONE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH BECAUSE SOCIETY IS DIVIDED INTO STATA/ LAYERS IN DECENDING AND ASCENDING ORDER, WHICH REVOLVE AROUND DIFFERENCES CONSIDERED TO BE CONSEQUENTIAL LIKE RACE, ETHNICITY, CLASS AND GENDER – AND DETERMINE ACCESS TO SOCIETY'S RESOURCES.

ALL SOCIETIES ARE STRATIFIED ON THE GROUNDS OF SOME SOCIAL CRITERIA, AND SOCIOLOGY STUDIES HOW SOCIETIES ARE STRATIFIED BY FOCUSING ON THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF VALUED RESOURCES

EVERY SOCIETY CAN BE DIVIDED INTO LAYERS OR HIERARCHIES THAT CAN BE RANKED ACCORDING TO CERTAIN CRITERIA IN ASCENDING OR DESCENDING ORDER. THIS SUGGESTS THAT INEQUALITY IS NOT RANDOM OR FLEETING, BUT IS PATTERNED AND PREDICTABLE AND TENDS TO CLUSTER AROUND CERTAIN DEVALUED CATEGORIES RELATED TO RACE OR ETHNICITY.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IS CONSIDERED THE CORNERSTONE OF SOCIOLOGY BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIETY AS A HIERARCHY OF POWER, PROPERTY AND PRESTIGE. SOCIAL – I.E., A HIERARCHY OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE UNEQUAL PROPERTY, POWER AND PRESTIGE (3PS).

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IN SOCIETY RESULTS IN "THE HIERARCHICAL ARRANGEMENT OF GROUPS" BASED ON THEIR CONTROL OVER RESOURCES

FINALLY, SOCIAL STRATIFICATION ALSO IMPACTS ALL OTHER DIMENSIONS OF SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY è SOCIAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL ORDER, SOCIAL CONFLICT AND SOCIAL CHANGE.

 

PART III --- THE SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE:

 

1)      CULTURE AND SUBCULTURE è {{DYNAMICS OF CULTURE}}IN MIXED SOCIETIES AND AN AGE OF “ACCELERATED DIVERSITY – ETHNO-RACIAL IDENTITY IN THE GLOBAL WORLD IS OFTEN USED AS A “PRACTICAL RESPONSE TO MODERN PROBLEMS.” è IT IS A MAJOR FORCE IN SHAPING, AND ADVANCING GROUP RELATIONS WITHIN A MULTICULTUAL CONTEXT == I.E. TODAY INDIVIDUALS TEND TO DEFINE THEMSELVES IN MULTIPLE AND CONTEXTUAL WAYS

INTEGRATING {CONCEPTS/REALITY} EXERCISES:

 

A)     EX: GANGS, THE MEDIA, AND THE MYTH OF COMMUNITY’ EXERCISE è [“SOCIAL INEQUALITY” EXERCISE – RELATED TO THE ARTICLE BY SIMON BLACK] WE EXAMINED WHY WHITE YOUTH ARE NOT CONNECTED TO MURDEROUS MOTORCYCLE GANGS [LIKE THE BANDITOS OR HELLS ANGELS], THE WAY THE BLACK YOUTH ARE ROUTINELY CONNECTED TO MURDEROUS “GUN-TOTING-THUG” GANGS, PARTICULARLY IN TORONTO.

 

MOST IMPORTANTLY WE EXAMINED SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF “PROBLEMATIZING” BLACK YOUTH [PUTTING THEM ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA] è

 

i)       THERE ARE “INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY” CONSEQUENCES IN REGARD TO DIGNITY, IDENTITY, SELF-ESTEEM, OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES è

 

ii)      THERE ARE “SOCIETAL” CONSEQUENCES IN REGARD TO EXPLOITATION, CONTROL, INCARCERATION [RATES], AND [EVEN] EXCLUSION

 

iii)     [{{CONCLUSION: CULTURES ARE HIERARCHICALLY ARRANGED IN SOCIETY AND ACCORDED DIFFERENTIAL REWARDS AND OPPORTUNITIES}}]

 

{IN A WIDER SENSE, WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF RACE RELATIONS HERE} è  PROBLEMATIZE” THE “STRUCTURED IMPOVERISHMENT OF BLACKNESS” BY TURNING ORDINARY PRACTICES INTO OCCASIONS FOR INTERVENTION AND SOCIAL CHANGE è  “THE JANE-FINCH STIGMA” – VIDEO SURVEILLANCE, OVER-POLICING OF MINORITY NEIGHBOURHOODS, TASKFORCE-FIXATION AND GANG SQUADS, RAMPING-UP PUNITIVE SENTENCING ON 'STREET CRIME', ETC.}

 

B)     EX: HYPENATED CANADIAN EXERCISE è HYPENATION IS AN IMPORTANT PHENOMENON FOR UNDERSTANDING ETHNICITY AND RACE IN A CANADIAN CONTEXT

“HYPENATED CANADIAN” IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DESCRIBES THEMSELF AND DEFINES THEIR IDENTITY AS A COMBINATION OF ETHNIC OR RACIAL BACKGROUND AND NATIONAL BACKGROUND.

WE IDENTIFY OURSELVES USING MULTIPLE MEASURES AND YARDSTICKS è THESE MULTIPLE IDENTITIES ARE FLUID AND PLURAL.

HYPENATED CANADIANS ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO DEFINE THEMSELVES AS CANADIANS BUT ALSO AS PART OF ANOTHER ETHNICTY OR RACE.

HYPENATED CANADIANS IS THE COMBINATION OF ETHNIC OR RACIAL “SUBCULTURE” AND NATIONAL “CULTURE IN THE FORMATION OF IDENTITY.

ETHNICITY AND RACE ARE SOURCES OF MEANING, STATUS AND ATTACHMENT {IE., INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL “IDENTITY” FORMATION}.

HYPHENATION IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON {VARIOUSLY TERMED “THE ETHNIC REVOLUTION,” “THE ETHNIC EXPLOSION” OR “THE ETHNIC REVIVAL”} è ETHNICITY CAN BE TYPED AND/OR CHARACTERIZED AS FOLLOWS: [A] PRIMORDIALIST (ESSENTIALIST –  “YOUR OWN KIND”), [B] INSTRUMENTALIST (INTEREST AND STATUS-ORIENTED); [C]   IDENTITY THESIS (ETHNICITY AS A MEANS TO AN END);  [D] CONSTRUCTIVIST [CREATION OF ETHNICITY THROUGH MEANINGFUL INTERACTION IN RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES – E.G. POLITCAL AND/OR INSURRECTIONIST] {SEE FLERAS PP. 95}

 

2)      WHAT DID WE LEARN ABOUT CULTURE THAT IS SPECIFIC TO CANADA?

SOCIOLOGICAL THESIS: CANADIAN SOCIETY IS A “VERTICAL MOSAIC” PRODUCED BY THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURE, POWER AND IDEOLOGY

CANADA COMPRISES AN ETHNO-RACIAL HIERARCHY: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN CULTURE, POWER AND IDEOLOGY IS THE BASIS FOR “SOCIAL STRATIFICATION” (POSITION, RANK, LAYER, PECKING ORDER ) IN “OUR” SOCIETY

******SOCIETY IS A SYSTEM OF “GRADUATED PRIVILEGE”----

SOCIAL RANKING// LAYERING //“PECKING ORDER” // “TOTEM POLE” IN SOCIETY == IS AN EXTENSION OF CULTURAL GROUP INTERACTION, EMBEDDED AND ENFORCED BY POWER, AND JUSTIFIED BY IDEOLOGY

****BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF VALUED RESOURCES * SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IS THE CORNERSTONE OF SOCIOLOGY.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION CAN BE STUDIED BECAUSE IT REFERS TO PERSISTENT PATTERNS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY WITHIN SOCIETY è THE WAY THAT WEALTH, POWER AND PRESTIGE IS DISTRIBUTED.

 

PART IV --- THE STUDY OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY [DOMINANT-SUBDOMINANT INTERACTION]

[[HOW DO CERTAIN HUMAN DIFFERENCES COME TO REGULARLY HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES FOR THE LIVES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LEAD IN SOCIETY?]] == STRUCTURED AND RECURRENT PATTERNS OF INEQUITABLE GROUP RELATIONS [*****DOMINANT-SUBDOMINANT INTERACTION].

SOCIAL INEQUALITY – IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE EXISTENCE OF UNEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REWARDS FOR DIFFERENT SOCIAL POSITIONS OR STATUSES WITHIN A GROUP OR SOCIETY.

ALL CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGISTS AGREE ======> INEQUALITY IS ABOUT ENTITLEMENTS: THAT IS, WHO GETS WHAT, HOW AND WHY?

MEASUREMENTS(?)

(A)    INEQUALITY OF CONDITIONS =======>{ECONOMIC PRIVILEGE OR THE MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION OF REWARDS}; AND/OR

(B)    INEQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES ======> {“LIFE CHANCES” – PROBABILITY OF ATTAINING OR FAILING TO ATTAIN CERTAIN GOALS AND EXPERIENCES IN LIFE  (KATRINA EXERCISE?) ======> REFLECTED IN SUCH MEASURES AS THEIR LEVEL OF EDUCATION, HEALTH STATUS, NUTRITION, AND TREATMENT BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM}

IN TERMS OF THESE MEASURES, CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL RESEARCHERS TEND TO AGREE THAT ETHNICITY AND RACE AND GENDER ARE KEY STATUS-INEQUALITY SYSTEMS

 

 

PART V --- ETHNICITY  AND RACE AS SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS AND STATUS SYSTEMS

 

(1)     ETHNICITY - CANADA OFFICIALLY SANCTIONS ETHNIC DIVERSITY [AS A LEGITIMATE FORM OF IDENTITY], WHERE DIFFERENT COLLECTIVITIES OF PEOPLE WITH SHARED CULTURAL TRAITS, INCLUDING LANGUAGE, RELIGION, OR ANCESTRY COMPRISE THE CANADIAN MOSAIC. ETHNIC IDENTITY IS CELEBRATED IN THE FORM OF "MULTICULTURAL POLICY".

 

RACIAL - GROUPS DEFINE THEMSELVES AND/OR ARE DEFINED BY OTHER GROUPS AS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GROUPS BY VIRTUE OF "INNATE AND IMMUTABLE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS". THESE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE IN TURN BELIEVED TO BE INTRINSICALLY RELATED TO MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AND OTHER NON-PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OR ABILITIES

 

IN SHORT, RACE REFERS TO A GROUP THAT IS "SOCIALLY" DEFINED BUT ON THE BASIS OF "PHYSICAL" CRITERIA. 

 

 

(A)    WHEN YOU DEFINE A RACE, YOU DEFINE SOMEONE "BIOLOGICALLY" - WHEN YOU DEFINE A ETHNICITY YOU DEFINE      THEM "CULTURALLY."

 

(B)    IN CANADA TODAY, WHAT USED TO BE CALLED RACE IS BEING SUBSUMED UNDER THE CATEGORY OF "ETHNICITY"   (I.E., BEING GIVEN A "CULTURAL      VOCABULARY" FOR SPEAKING OF PEOPLE).

 

(C)    THE TERM "RACE" IS BEING RESERVED FOR PEOPLE DEFINED AS "WHITE", "BLACK", AND "ASIAN"

 

 

 

(2)     THE MARGINALIZATION, RACIALIZATION AND STIGMATIZATON  è {SUBTITLE: “SOME NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF SOCIAL/ CULTURAL DIFFERENTIATION”}.

MARGINALIZATION: REFERS TO THE STATUS OF A GROUP WHO DOES NOT HAVE FULL AND EQUAL ACCESS TO THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OF SOCIETY. ========è

RACIALIZATION - REFERS TO THE ASSIGNING OF RACIAL CONNOTATIONS TO THE ACTIVITIES OF MINORITY PEOPLE =======è

STIGMATIZATION: REFERS TO A MARK OF DISGRACE IMPOSED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS OR A SOCIAL GROUP. IN POPULAR USAGE IT OFTEN REFERS TO ANY NEGATIVE SANCTION OR DISAPPROVAL FOR NONCONFORMITY. AN UNDESIRABLE DIFFERENTNESS OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DISQUALIFIES HIM OR HER FROM FULL SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. SOCIOLOGISTS ORIGINALLY USED THE TERM TO SHOW HOW HUMANS NOT ONLY SEEK TO CONTROL THE PHYSICAL WORLD BUT THE SOCIAL WORLD.

[[[SOCIAL ANALYSIS: THE PROCESS OF MARGINALIZATION-RACIALIZATION-STIGMATIZATION {EX: “RACIAL PROFILING”} IS A FORM OF “OTHERING” THAT ESTABLISHES WHITENESS AS NORMAL NATURAL AND NEUTRAL AND {POSITIVE POLE} è THE UNSPOKEN AND INVISIBLE STANDARD BY WHICH ALL ELSE IS JUDGED == “OTHERING" PEOPLE - MAKING PEOPLE INTO THE "NOT-US" {NEGATIVE POLE} è WHEN THEY ARE NOT-US THEY LACK SOMETHING -- WHEN THEY LACK SOMETHING THEN THEY ARE "LESS THAN US".]]]