Help on Tele2, tariffs, questions

FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

……………………………………

Department UP-1

Sociology homework

“SOCIAL INEQUALITY, ITS CAUSES AND TYPES”

Student: …………………………

080504 - State and municipal administration

1st year, gr. UP-1

Checked:

……………………….

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..….. 3

1. The essence of social inequality……………………………..………..4

2. Causes of social inequality……………………………………………………...5

3. Modern types of inequality……………………………………..……….8

Conclusion……………………………………………………………...………..11

References……………………………………………………………..12

INTRODUCTION

The formation of “New Russia” noticeably changed social relations, social institutions, and gave rise to new forms of social differentiation and inequality.

Discussions about social inequality, its content and criteria for its occurrence have a long history. The problem of social inequality, taking into account the values ​​of traditional society, appears in the works of Aristotle, Plato, Tacitus.

In my opinion, in modern world Indicators characterizing social inequality must be continuously monitored and assessed. This is necessary for one reason - the degree of social inequality may exceed certain acceptable limits. Exceeding the permissible degree of inequality leads to a large difference in the standard of living of individual status groups in society, which can be regarded as discrimination and infringement of certain groups of the population. This fact often leads to social tension in society and aggravates social conflicts.

The object of my research is society, and the subject is the study of inequality.

Since my essay is devoted to the problem of inequality in society, my task is to determine the essence and causes of social inequality, as well as to consider the types of social inequality.

1. THE ESSENCE OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY

To begin with, I would like to define what the term “inequality” means? In general terms, inequality means that people live in conditions in which they have unequal access to resources for material and spiritual consumption. And inequality between groups of people is characterized by the concept of “social stratification.”

When considering the problem of social inequality, it is fair to proceed from the theory of socio-economic heterogeneity of labor. It is the socio-economic heterogeneity of labor that is the consequence and cause of the appropriation of power, property, prestige by some people and the absence of all these signs of “advancement” in the social hierarchy by others. Each of the groups develops and relies on its own values ​​and norms, and if they are placed according to a hierarchical principle, then they are social layers.

In social stratification there is a tendency to inherit positions. The principle of inheritance of positions leads to the fact that not all capable and educated individuals have equal chances to occupy positions of power, high principles and well-paid positions. There are two selection mechanisms at work here: unequal access to truly high-quality education; unequal opportunities for equally qualified individuals to obtain positions.

I would like to note that the inequality of position of different groups of people can be traced throughout the history of civilization. Even in primitive societies, age and gender, combined with physical strength, were important criteria for stratification.

2. CAUSES OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY

Some representatives of sociological thought believe that the main reason for the unequal position of people in society is the social division of labor. However, scientists explain in different ways the ensuing consequences and, especially, the reasons for the reproduction of inequality.

Herbert Spencer believes that the source of inequality is conquest. Thus, the ruling class is the winners, and the lower class is the losers. Prisoners of war become slaves, free farmers become serfs. On the other hand, frequent or constant wars lead to the deliberate dominance of those who function in the state and military sphere. Thus the law applies natural selection: the stronger dominate and occupy a privileged position, while the weak are subordinate to them and are on the lower rungs of the social ladder.

The development of the sociology of inequality, the idea of ​​evolution and the law of natural selection had a significant influence. One of the directions of evolutionism is social Darwinism. What all representatives of this trend had in common was the recognition that between human societies The same struggle is going on as between biological organisms.

Ludwig Gumplowicz is convinced that the cause of any social movement is economic motives. The means to realize these interests are violence and coercion. States arise as a result of military clashes between races. The winners become the elite (ruling class), and the vanquished become the masses.

William Sumner is the most influential Social Darwinist. He uniquely interpreted the ideas of Protestant ethics and the principle of natural selection in his works. He most clearly demonstrated the ideology of social Darwinism in his writings of the 70s. Since evolution does not occur at the will of people, it is therefore stupid and absurd to design models of society, Sumner believed. The struggle for existence and survival is a natural law of nature that does not need to be changed. And capitalism is the only healthy system, the rich are a product of natural selection.

Karl Marx believed that initially the division of labor does not lead to the subordination of some people by others, but, being a factor in the mastery of natural resources, causes professional specialization. But the increasing complexity of the production process contributes to the division of labor into physical and mental. This division historically preceded the formation of private property and classes. With their appearance, certain areas, types and functions of activity are assigned to the corresponding classes. From this time on, each class is engaged in its assigned occupation, owns or does not own property, and is located on different rungs of the ladder of social status. The causes of inequality lie in the system of production, in the different attitudes towards the means of production, which allows those who own property not only to exploit those who do not have it, but also to dominate them. To eliminate inequality, it is necessary to expropriate private property and its nationalization.

Subsequently, within the framework of conflict theory, R. Dahrendorf, R. Mikels, C.R. Mills and others began to view inequality as the result of the conditions under which people who control social values ​​such as wealth and power derive benefits and advantages for themselves. In any case, social stratification is seen as a condition of social tension and conflict.

Proponents of structural functionalism, following Emile Durkheim, identify two causes of social inequality

Hierarchy of activities Degree of talent

in a society of individuals

Of decisive importance for the formation of modern ideas about the essence, forms and functions of social inequality, along with Marx, was Max Weber (1864 - 1920), a classic of world sociological theory. The ideological basis of Weber's views is that the individual is the subject of social action.

In contrast to Marx, Weber, in addition to the economic aspect of stratification, took into account such aspects as power and prestige. Weber viewed property, power, and prestige as three separate, interacting factors that underlie hierarchies in any society. Differences in ownership give rise to economic classes; differences related to power give rise to political parties, and differences of prestige give rise to status groupings, or strata. From here he formulated his idea of ​​“three autonomous dimensions of stratification.” He emphasized that “classes”, “status groups” and “parties” are phenomena related to the distribution of power within a community.

Weber's main contradiction with Marx is that, according to Weber, a class cannot be a subject of action, since it is not a community. In contrast to Marx, Weber associated the concept of class only with capitalist society, where the most important regulator of relations is the market. Through it, people satisfy their needs for material goods ah and services.

However, in the market people occupy different positions or are in different “class situations”. Everything is bought and sold here. Some sell goods and services; others - labor. The difference here is that some people own property while others do not. Weber does not have a clear class structure of capitalist society, so different interpreters of his works give different lists of classes.

Considering him methodological principles and summarizing his historical, economic and sociological works, we can reconstruct Weber's typology of classes under capitalism as follows:

Working class deprived of property.

He offers on the market

its services and is differentiated by skill level. petty bourgeoisie

- a class of small businessmen and traders. Dispossessed white collar workers

: technical specialists and intellectuals..

Administrators and managers Owners

5.1 , who also strive through education for the advantages that intellectuals possess. Owner class

, i.e. those who receive rent from land ownership,

5.2 mines, etc.“Commercial class”

, i.e. entrepreneurs.

3. MODERN TYPES OF INEQUALITY

3.1. Poverty as a type of inequality (let’s consider the period when changes in this area were especially noticeable)

The phenomenon of poverty became the subject of research in modern Russian sociology in the early 1990s. During the Soviet period, the concept of poverty in relation to Soviet people was not used in domestic science. In the socio-economic literature, the category of poverty, which was revealed within the framework of the theory of welfare and socialist distribution, received official recognition. Today, an important characteristic of society is its social polarization, stratification into the poor and the rich. In 1994 per capita cash ratio

The income of the richest 10% and the poorest 10% of Russians was 1:9, and already in the first quarter of 1995 it was almost 1:15. However, these figures do not take into account the 5% of the super-rich population, about which statistics do not have data. According to official statistics , for 1993-1996. number of unemployed

increased from 3.6 million to 6.5 million (including those officially registered with the state employment service - from 577.7 thousand people to 2506 thousand). Working-age population

amounted to 83,767 thousand in 1994, 84,059 thousand in 1995, 84,209 thousand in 1996, 84,337 thousand in 1997, 84,781 thousand in 1998. Human. Economically active population

in 1994 amounted to 73,962.4 thousand, in 1995 - 72,871.9 thousand, in 1996 - 73,230.0 thousand, in 1997 - 72,819 thousand people. Population from cash income below the subsistence level

is 30.7 million or 20.8% of the population of the Russian Federation. IN

1997, the 10% of the richest population accounted for 31.7% of cash income, while the 10% of the least affluent population accounted for only 2.4%, i.e. 13.2 times less.

3.2.Deprivation as a type of inequality.

Deprivation should be understood as any condition that gives rise or may give rise to an individual or group feeling of their own deprivation in comparison with other individuals (or groups). Five types of deprivation can be distinguished.

Economic deprivation.

It arises from the uneven distribution of income in society and the limited satisfaction of the needs of some individuals and groups. The degree of economic deprivation is assessed using objective and subjective criteria. An individual who, according to objective criteria, is economically quite prosperous and even enjoys privileges, may nevertheless experience a subjective feeling of deprivation. For the emergence of religious movements, the subjective feeling of deprivation is the most important factor.

Social deprivation.

It is explained by the tendency of society to value the qualities and abilities of some individuals and groups higher than others, expressing this assessment in the distribution of such social rewards as prestige, power, high status in society and corresponding opportunities for participation in social life.

Ethical deprivation.

It is associated with a value conflict that arises when the ideals of individuals or groups do not coincide with the ideals of society. Often a value conflict arises due to the presence of contradictions in social organization. Such conflicts between society and intellectuals are known.

Mental deprivation.

It arises as a result of the formation of a value vacuum in an individual or group - the absence of a significant value system in accordance with which they could build their life. A common reaction to mental deprivation is the search for new values, new faith, meaning and purpose of existence. Mental deprivation manifests itself, first of all, in a feeling of despair, alienation, and a state of anomie, resulting from objective states of deprivation (social, economic or organismic). It often results in actions aimed at eliminating objective forms of deprivation.

Conclusion

In the very general view inequality means that people live in conditions in which they have unequal access to limited resources of material and spiritual consumption. To describe the system of inequality between groups of people in sociology, the concept “ social stratification”.

When considering the problem of social inequality, it is quite justified to proceed from the theory of socio-economic heterogeneity of labor. Performing qualitatively unequal types of labor, satisfying social needs to varying degrees, people sometimes find themselves engaged in economically heterogeneous labor, because such types of labor have different assessments of their social usefulness.

It is the socio-economic heterogeneity of labor that is not only a consequence, but also the reason for the appropriation of power, property, prestige by some people and the absence of all these signs of “advancement” in the social hierarchy by others.

In social stratification there is a tendency to inherit positions. The principle of inheritance of positions leads to the fact that not all capable and educated individuals have equal chances to occupy positions of power, high principles and well-paid positions.

Social stratification has a traditional character, since despite the historical mobility of its form, its essence, that is, the inequality of position of different groups of people, is preserved throughout the history of civilization. Even in primitive societies, age and sex, combined with physical strength, were important criteria for stratification.

Considering the dissatisfaction of members of society with the existing system of distribution of power, property and conditions for individual development, it is still necessary to keep in mind the universality of human inequality.

Bibliography

Goffman A. B. Seven lectures on the history of sociology. M., 1995.

Zborovsky G. E. Orlov G. P. Sociology. M., 1995.

Komarov M. S. Introduction to sociology. M., 1995.

Komarova.

M.S. Social stratification and social structure. Sociol. research 1992, no. 7.

A brief dictionary of sociology. - M.: Politizdat, 1988 Losev A. F. History antique aesthetics

T II Sophists Socrates. Plato. M., 1969

Fundamentals of political science: Course of lectures. Textbook for universities / N. Sazonov, B. Reshetnyak and others - M., 1993.

Subject and structure of sociological science, sociological research, 1981.№-1.p.90.

Sociology. Textbook for higher educational institutions.

G.V. Osipov, A.V. Kabyshcha, M.R. Tulchinsky and others - M.: Nauka, 1995.

Sociology: General course: Textbook for universities.-M.: PER SE; Logos, 2000.

Sociology: Workshop. Comp. and resp. ed. A. V. Mironov, R. I. Rudenko. M., 1993.

Sociology: tutorial/ Ed. N.D. Kazakova.

– M.: MGUPI, 2008. – 120 p. And the development of our planet in the global sense of the word? Interesting thoughts on this matter were expressed by the well-known physicist from Great Britain, Mr. Stephen Hawking. In his opinion, now the most dangerous time period has come for our entire planet. In his publication, which was recently published in the popular The Guardian, the scientist drew public attention to the ever-growing gap between social elites, including prominent politicians, financiers and ordinary people. This generalized term refers to the working and so-called middle class. Widespread robotization reinforces the lack of practical need for human resources . To increase their profits, the elites are no longer so important simple people . This leads to internal contradiction and potentially possible conflict between different social groups in our society. Internet and technological tools that speed up processes social inequality

, allow a small group of people to extract super-profits, creating a minimum of real jobs. On the one hand, this is natural progress, which has always been considered positive. However, the fact that it is also socially destructive in its essence is undeniable.

The number of poor citizens is increasing Let's try to make sense of this together. Let's analyze practical examples how the common people’s rejection of trends is already clearly evident modern device world society. Take the results as a basis last elections President of the United States of America. This country can be considered a good example , because Western “democrats” popularize this model and often aggressively impose it on other nations. But is everything so safe there? Discussed results presidential elections in fact, the American elites were also surprised. They really have something to think about. Why did Trump win? Let’s leave aside the explanations of the “democrats” that he got away with jokes and racism. As statistics show, his victory was ensured precisely by those regions in which the working and middle class predominate, and which, accordingly, feel the effects more than others inequality in society . If you look at American financial statistics, over the past five decades the average level grew by only $1. It went from $19 to $20 an hour. In other words, taking into account inflationary processes, the general increase in labor productivity and widespread technology did not contribute in any way to increasing the wealth of the middle class. Moreover, starting from the 21st century, another trend has become more pronounced: the number of poor US citizens has increased significantly and the middle class has decreased in size. There are also much fewer people who have an income of more than $100 thousand per year and were previously considered a class slightly above the middle. Against this background, there was a decline in American jobs. They "emigrated" to Southeast Asia, Mexico, South America. At the same time, for example, immigration from Mexico still increased. This only intensified real competition in the domestic American job market for blue-collar workers.

America is one of the most corrupt countries

Further more. The financial crisis of 2008 exacerbated the negative picture in society. But it was not the banks and financial tycoons who suffered, first of all, but ordinary people. Some of them were left without homes, because... were unable to make mortgage payments. American elites bailed out multinational corporations and banks, but did so at the expense of taxpayers. However, few people thought about the latter. It is noteworthy that in 2010 the American Supreme Court made a little-known decision called Citizens United. Briefly speaking, it established updated rules of the political game in the American “democratic” state. What did this mean? Banks and large corporations were given the opportunity to participate in an unlimited number of banknotes in election campaigns USA at all levels. American elites love to criticize third countries for corruption. However, in America itself, real corruption has been completely legalized for more than 5 years. Long gone are the days when politicians who raised funds for their honest campaign through voter donations ended up defending their interests. Today they are forced to serve wealthy “donors”, without whose money there would be no victories. A roughly similar picture is observed in insular Great Britain. There exist specific features the British, but in general Brexit can also be considered clear evidence of social inequality and the fact that the masses are not satisfied with the current state of affairs.

Discontent in society will grow

Considering that the socio-economic and political problems briefly analyzed in the example of the USA and Britain can automatically extend to most other countries in the world, it becomes clear that the alienation between politicians, financial and industrial magnates and the people is growing more and more every year, which means that discontent in society will also grow. Thus, the thoughts of the British physicist are absolutely logical and more relevant than ever for our time. The eternal question remains: what to do. There is no clear answer. So far there is only an understanding that the world is on the verge of change. Both within countries and at the interstate level, barriers need to be removed and not created. And remember eternal values, understanding that capital and resources should serve everyone, not a select few.

Social inequality would seem to be a relic of the past and should go into oblivion, but modern reality is that in one form or another, stratification in society is still present today, and this gives rise to a feeling of injustice among those people who are affected by social inequality.

Social inequality - what is it?

Social class inequality has existed since ancient times of human evolution. Story different countries serves as clear evidence of what oppression and enslavement of people leads to - riots, food riots, wars and revolutions. But this experience, written in blood, teaches nothing. Yes, now it has taken on softer, veiled forms. How is social inequality expressed and what does it look like today?

Social inequality is the division or differentiation of people into classes, societies or groups, according to their position in society, which implies unequal access to opportunities, benefits and rights. If we imagine social inequality schematically in the form of a ladder, then at its lowest steps there will be the oppressed, the poor, and at the top the oppressors and those who have power and money in their hands. This is the main sign of the stratification of society into poor and rich. There are other indicators of social inequality.

Causes of social inequality

What are the causes of social inequality? Economists see the root cause in unequal treatment of property and the distribution of material wealth in general. R. Michels (German sociologist) saw the reason in the endowment of great privileges and powers to the apparatus of power, which was chosen by the people themselves. The reasons for the emergence of social inequality according to the French sociologist E. Durkheim:

1. Encouraging people who bring the greatest benefit to society, the best in their field.
2. Unique personal qualities and talents of a person that distinguish him from the general society.

Types of social inequality

The forms of social inequality are different, so there are several classifications. Types of social inequality based on physiological characteristics:

• age - applies to all people at certain age intervals, this can be seen when hiring, young people are not hired due to lack of experience, older people, despite their vast experience, are replaced by young people who are more promising from the point of view of management;
• social sexual inequality - here we can consider such a phenomenon as, expressed in the fact that there are few women holding responsible positions participating in the economic life of the country, a woman is assigned a role “behind her husband”;
• social ethnic inequality - small ethnic groups, those that are not included in the concept of “white race,” are largely oppressed due to such phenomena as xenophobia and racism.

Social inequality in connection with statuses in society:

• absence/presence of wealth;
• proximity to power.

Manifestation of social inequality

The main signs of social inequality are observed in such a phenomenon as the division of labor. Human activities are diverse and each person is endowed with some talents and skills, abilities for growth. Social inequality manifests itself as the giving of privileges to those who are more talented and promising for society. Stratification of society or stratification (from the word “strata” - geological layer) is the building of a hierarchical ladder, division into classes, and if earlier it was slaves and slave owners, feudal lords and servants, then into modern stage- this is a division into:

• top class;
• middle class;
• low-income (socially vulnerable);
• below the poverty line.

Consequences of social inequality

Social inequality and poverty, generated by the fact that only a select few can use the planet's main resources, gives rise to conflicts and wars among the population. The consequences are developing gradually and are expressed in the slow development of many countries, this leads to the fact that progress in the economy is also slowing down, democracy as a system is losing its position, tension and discontent are growing in society, psychological pressure social disharmony. According to the UN, half of the world's resources are owned by 1% of the so-called top elite (world domination).

Pros of social inequality

Social inequality in society as a phenomenon is not only negative properties, if we look at social inequality from a positive side, then we can note important things, looking closely at which the thought arises that everything “has its place under the Sun.” The advantages of social inequality for humans:

• an incentive to become the best in your field, to demonstrate your abilities and talents to the maximum;
• motivation for those who want;
• ordering in the economic sphere, those who have capital produce resources, in contrast to those who do not have capital and are only able to feed themselves and their families.

Examples of social inequality in history

Examples of social inequality or stratification systems:

1. Slavery- an extreme degree of enslavement, the original type of social inequality known since ancient times.
2. Castes. A type of social stratification that has developed since ancient times, when social inequality was determined by caste, a child being born belonged to a certain caste from birth. In India, it was believed that a person's birth into a particular caste depended on his actions in past life. There are only 4 castes: the highest - brahmins, kshatriyas - warriors, vaishyas - merchants, traders, shudras - peasants (lower caste).
3. Estates. The upper classes - the nobility and clergy had the legal right to transfer property by inheritance. The unprivileged class - artisans, peasants.

Modern forms of social inequality

Social inequality in modern society is an integral feature, therefore social theory functionalism views stratification in a positive way. American sociologist B. Barber divided modern views social stratification based on 6 criteria:

1. Prestige of the profession.
2. Having power.
3. Wealth and income.
4. Religious affiliation.
5. Availability of education, possession of knowledge.
6. Belonging to one or another ethnic group or nation.

Social inequality in the world

The problem of social inequality is that it gives rise to racism, xenophobia, and discrimination based on gender. The most revealing criterion of social inequality around the world is the difference in income of the population. The factors influencing stratification in society throughout the world remain the same as many years ago:

• way of life– urban or rural, known fact that in villages wages are lower than in cities, and conditions are often worse and there is more work;
• social roles(mother, father, teacher, official) - determine status, prestige, presence of power, property;
• division of labor– physical and intellectual work are paid differently.

Theory of social stratification and social mobility P. Sorokin (1889-1968)

P. Sorokin’s theory of stratification was first outlined in his work “ Social mobility(1927), which is considered a classic work in this field.

Social stratification, according to Sorokin’s definition, is the differentiation of a certain given set of people (population) into classes in a hierarchical rank. Its basis and essence lies in the uneven distribution of rights and privileges, responsibilities and duties, the presence or absence of social values, power and influence among members of a particular community.

All the diversity of social stratification can be reduced to three main forms - economic, political and professional, which are closely intertwined. This means that those who belong to the highest stratum in one respect usually belong to the same stratum in another respect; and vice versa. This happens in most cases, but not always. According to Sorokin, the interdependence of the three forms of social stratification is far from complete, because the different layers of each form do not completely coincide with each other, or rather, they coincide only partially. Sorokin was the first to call this phenomenon status discrepancy. It lies in the fact that a person can occupy a high position in one stratification and a low position in another. Such a discrepancy is painfully experienced by people and can serve as an incentive for some to change their social status, lead to the social mobility of the individual.

Considering professional stratification, Sorokin distinguished between interprofessional and intraprofessional stratification.

In interprofessional stratification, two universal bases are distinguished:

• the importance of an occupation (profession) for the survival and functioning of the group as a whole;
• the level of intelligence required to successfully perform professional duties.

Sorokin concludes that in any given society there are more professional work is to carry out the functions of organization and control and requires more high level intelligence for its implementation and, accordingly, presupposes the privilege of the group and its higher rank, which it occupies in the interprofessional hierarchy.

Sorokin presented intraprofessional stratification as follows:

• entrepreneurs;
• employees of the highest category (directors, managers, etc.);
• hired workers.

To characterize the professional hierarchy, he introduced the following indicators:

• height;
• number of floors (number of ranks in the hierarchy);
• professional stratification profile (the ratio of the number of people in each professional subgroup to all members of the professional group).

Social stratification.

The concept of “stratum” served as the basis for the development of the theory of stratification of society. The author of this theory was an American sociologist of Russian origin, Pitirim Sorokin.

• Social stratification is a hierarchically organized structure of social inequality.
  Social stratification is the division of society into social layers (strata). The basis of social stratification is the inequality of people in society. P. Sorokin identifies four groups of reasons for human inequality:
• rights and privileges;
• duties and responsibilities;
• social wealth and need;
• power and influence.

Social stratification has its own characteristics: firstly, rank stratification - the upper strata of society are in a more privileged position than the lower ones. They have great rights, power, and wealth. Secondly, the upper layers are significantly smaller in the number of members they include. However, in modern societies this order may be disrupted. The poor layers may be numerically inferior to the layer that makes up the so-called “middle class.” This is due to the fact that an increase in the size of the middle class acts as a guarantor of political stability and development of society. therefore, the state is in every possible way interested in its creation, in increasing the number of people standing in the middle of the social ladder. Pitirim Sorokin identified three types of stratification in society:

1. Economic stratification is the division of society according to income and wealth criteria.
2. Political stratification is the stratification of people according to the degree of influence on the behavior of other members of society, according to the amount of power they have.
3. Professional stratification is the division of society into different layers based on the successful fulfillment of social roles, the presence of knowledge and skills, education, etc.

So, the social structure of society, according to Pitirim Sorokin’s theory of stratification, looks like this:
Type of stratification Economic Political Professional
Social stratum Rich Managers Masters
poor subordinate apprentices
Each person occupies a certain position in society, that is, has a social status. The social status of a person depends on his origin, gender, age, marital status, professions. There is a distinction between innate status (social origin, nationality), which does not depend on a person’s actions and desires, and achieved status (education, marital status, etc.), that is, what a person can achieve in life.
Status determines a person’s behavior in society, his purpose - in this case they talk about a social role. If a person’s behavior corresponds to moral standards, the value system accepted in society, then they say that the person copes with his social role and his status increases. Status also predetermines an individual’s lifestyle, social circle, interests and needs - here we are talking about a certain image (image) that most people have about representatives of a particular social group. To assess a person's status in society, the concepts of authority and prestige are also used.

• Social prestige can be defined as a correlative assessment by society of a person’s actions and behavior, his physical dignity and moral and psychological qualities on the basis of a certain value system accepted in a given society. The bearer of prestige is a person. A prestigious phenomenon acts as a stimulator of human desires, feelings, intentions, actions, the desire to imitate the bearer of prestige, to occupy an appropriate position, to master prestigious profession. Prestige assessments as regulators of behavior determine such processes in society as migration, professional employment, consumption patterns, etc.
• Authority is one of the forms of exercising power, expressed in informal influence certain person or social group on a person’s actions and thoughts.

The influence of authority is usually not associated with coercion. It is based on knowledge, moral dignity, experience (for example, the authority of parents, teachers). Authority has weight where a person is faced with a problem that he cannot solve. In this case, there is a need to accept the point of view of the authority figure, rely on his experience and knowledge of life.
Social stratification of Russian society. The working class, the collective farm peasantry and a class-like stratum (class stratum) - the intelligentsia - were identified as the main elements of the social-class structure of a socialist society in the scientific literature. The main focus of the analysis social structure focused on the dynamics of relations between classes. The leading trends in changes in social structure were recognized as reduction specific gravity peasantry, the growth of the working class and intelligentsia. However, it should be recognized that this triad is schematic, simplified and, in fact, does not reflect reality. First of all, if only because it does not take into account the so-called “nomenklatura”, which occupied a dominant position in socialist society. On a positive note in the activities of the nomenklatura as a social class is the industrialization it carries out and the spread of culture associated with it. However, economic management is characterized by extreme wastefulness, and culture has the character of propaganda. The weakness of the nomenklatura is that it has isolated itself from the society it controls.
Currently, the nomenclature as a class does not exist, but the problem of management and the governed in society remains. What was previously called the nomenklatura has now been transformed, “repainted in different colors,” but essentially remains the same - a bureaucracy, which is a rather closed group where they try not to admit outsiders (“people from the street”), which has a certain range of privileges, the boundaries of which are constantly trying to expand. Bureaucracy is a characteristic phenomenon for any developed society. By effectively performing organizational functions in society, it proves its necessity. However, the appropriation of political functions by the bureaucracy leads to destabilization of society and to authoritarianism. Therefore, there is a need for a clear distinction between political functions (these functions must be performed by people holding elected positions) and administrative functions (they are performed by civil servants appointed to the position).
The social structure of modern Russian society is the subject of debate among Russian and foreign sociologists and political scientists. The processes taking place in the country have increased the mobility (mobility and variability) of the social structure of Russia, and the number of social strata has sharply increased. This is due to the fact that there is a tendency in society to increase social inequality, and by various reasons(economic, political, professional, regional, national, etc.). Some researchers highlight Russian society these layers:

• the highest political and cultural elite,
• middle layers ruling apparatus,
• lower level of management bodies;
• leading business executives,
• middle-ranking business managers,
• grassroots bosses, right down to foremen and foremen;
• specialists of various profiles;
• workers of different qualifications and different social status;
• collective farm members and cooperators;
• agricultural farmers;
• pensioners and disabled people;
• seasonal workers, declassed and criminal elements, etc.

Such a representation of the social structure is possible on the basis of the concept of social stratification, which takes into account the multidimensional structure of society based on criteria such as power, property, professional and labor activity and level of education.
Distinctive feature modern society, among other things, is the relative openness of strata - a person can repeatedly change his social status, since the objective criterion for the distribution of people among social strata - origin - no longer plays a decisive role. The movement of an individual from one social stratum to another, a change in his social status is called social mobility. There are two types of social mobility:

• horizontal mobility– movement of an individual within one social stratum. There are territorial mobility (change of place of residence), religious (change of religion), family (change of marital status);
• vertical mobility is the movement of an individual “up and down” along the social ladder, from one social layer to another. There are economic, political and professional mobility. Vertical mobility can be ascending - increasing one’s social status, and descending - decreasing a person’s social status. However, every normal person strives to improve his situation and acquire a higher social status. The ways in which a person changes his social position are called “social elevators.” There are six main “elevators” in total - economics, politics, army, church, science, marriage.

Social differentiation

Social differentiation is an intra-group process that determines the position and status of members of a given community. Social differentiation of society is an attribute inherent in all types of societies. Already in primitive cultures, where there were still no differences between people in terms of wealth, there were differences due to the personal qualities of individuals - physical strength, experience, gender. A person could occupy a higher position due to successful hunting and fruit collection. Individual differences continue to play important role and in modern societies.

According to functionalism theory, in any society some activities are considered more important than others. This leads to differentiation of both individuals and professional groups. Engagement in activities of different importance for society underlies existing inequalities and, therefore, determines unequal access to such social benefits as money, power, and prestige.

Systems of social differentiation differ in the degree of their stability. In relatively stable societies social differentiation more or less clearly defined, transparent, reflecting the known algorithm of its functioning. In a changing society, social differentiation is diffuse, difficult to predict, and the algorithms for its functioning are hidden or not defined.

Personal behavior is largely determined by the factor of social inequality, which in society is ranked and stratified by different systems, grounds or indicators:

Social origin;

Ethnic background;

Level of education;

Positions;

Professional affiliation;

Income and wealth;

Lifestyle.

Social inequality - This is a type of social division in which individual members of society or groups are at different levels of the social ladder (hierarchy) and have unequal opportunities, rights and responsibilities.

Basic inequality indicators:

• different levels of access to resources, both physical and moral (for example, women in Ancient Greece who were not allowed to Olympic Games);
• various conditions labor.

Causes of social inequality.

French sociologist Emile Durkheim identified two causes of social inequality:

1. The need to reward the best in their field, that is, those who bring great benefit to society.
2. People have different levels of personal qualities and talent.

Robert Michels put forward another reason: protection of the privileges of power. When a community exceeds a certain number of people, they nominate a leader, or an entire group, and give him greater powers than everyone else.

Hello everyone! This article is devoted to the most pressing topic - social inequality in modern Russia. Who among us has not wondered why some people are rich and others are poor; Why do some people subsist from water to compote, while others drive Bentleys and don’t care about anything? I am sure that this topic worried you, dear reader! It doesn't matter how old you are. There is always a peer who is luckier, happier, richer, better dressed…. etc. What is the reason? What is the scale of social inequality in modern Russia? Read on and find out.

Concept of social inequality

Social inequality is unequal access of people to social, economic and other benefits. By good we mean that (things, services, etc.) that a person considers useful for himself (a purely economic definition). You must understand that this concept is closely related to the term that we wrote about earlier.

Society is structured in such a way that people have unequal access to goods. The reasons for this state of affairs are varied. One of them is the limited resources for the production of goods. There are over 6 billion people on Earth today, and everyone wants to eat deliciously and sleep sweetly. And in the end, food and land become increasingly scarce.

It is clear that the geographical factor also plays a role. Russia, despite its entire territory, is home to only 140 million people, and the population is rapidly declining. But for example in Japan - 120 million - that's on four islands. With wildly limited resources, the Japanese live well: they build artificial land. China, with a population of over a billion people, also lives well in principle. Such examples seem to refute the thesis that what more people, the less goods and inequality should be greater.

In fact, it is influenced by many other factors: the culture of a given society, work ethic, social responsibility of the state, industrial development, development of monetary relations and financial institutions, etc.

In addition, social inequality is strongly influenced by natural inequality. For example, a person was born without legs. Or lost legs and arms. For example, like this individual:

Of course, he lives abroad - and, in principle, I think he lives well. But in Russia, I think, he would not have survived. Here, people with arms and legs are dying of hunger, and social services don’t need anyone at all. So the social responsibility of the state is extremely important in smoothing out inequality.

Very often in my classes I heard from people that if they get more or less seriously ill, the company they work for asks them to quit. And they can't do anything. They don’t even know how to protect their rights. And if they knew, then these companies would “get” a decent amount of money and next time they would think a hundred times whether it is worth doing this to their employees. That is, legal illiteracy of the population can be a factor of social inequality.

It is important to understand that when studying this phenomenon, sociologists use so-called multidimensional models: they evaluate people according to several criteria. These include: income, education, power, prestige, etc.

Thus, this concept covers many different aspects. And if you are writing a social studies essay on this topic, then reveal these aspects!

Social inequality in Russia

Our country is one of those in which social inequality is manifested to the highest degree. There is a very big difference between the rich and the poor. For example, when I was still a volunteer, a volunteer from Germany came to us in Perm. For those who don’t know, in Germany, instead of serving in the army, you can volunteer for a year in any country. So, they arranged for him to live with a family for a year. A day later, the German volunteer left there. Because, according to him, even by German standards, this is a luxurious life: a luxurious apartment, etc. He cannot live in such luxurious conditions when he sees homeless people and beggars begging on the streets of the city.

Plus, in our country, social inequality manifests itself in extreme big shape in relation to different professions. School teacher- God forbid, he receives 25,000 rubles for one and a half rates, and some painter can receive all 60,000 rubles, the salary of a crane operator starts from 80,000 rubles, a gas welder - from 50,000 rubles.

Most scientists see the reason for such social inequality in the fact that our country is experiencing a transformation social system. It broke down in 1991, overnight, along with the state. But no new one has been built. That is why we are dealing with such social inequality.

You can find other examples of social inequality. That’s all for today - until new publications! Don't forget to like!

Best regards, Andrey Puchkov