Exam 2: Class

"Poverty in the United States: An Overview" by Cliff Brown Brown presents key facts about the nature, extent, and causes of poverty in the U.S. He makes two main points: 1) Aggregate rates of poverty do not capture variation in its rate across sub-groups in the U.S., and 2) Americans tend to explain the causes of poverty in terms of personal and individual causal factors, such as the ability, efforts, and morals of people rather than their circumstances such as discrimination and blocked socioeconomic opportunities. -What does Brown mean when he says poverty has "intergenerational consequences"?

"Poverty in the United States: An Overview" by Cliff Brown Brown presents key facts about the nature, extent, and causes of poverty in the U.S. He makes two main points: 1) Aggregate rates of poverty do not capture variation in its rate across sub-groups in the U.S., and 2) Americans tend to explain the causes of poverty in terms of personal and individual causal factors, such as the ability, efforts, and morals of people rather than their circumstances such as discrimination and blocked socioeconomic opportunities. -Describe the full range of the damaging consequences of poverty.

From The Declining Significance of Race by William J. Wilson In The Declining Significance of Race William Wilson assesses the causal importance of race and social class in structuring economic opportunities for blacks across American history. This relationship has varied across time and is demarcated by three distinct historical phases: During the caste oppression phase in the rural South between 1870-1920, blacks were born into poverty and lived their lives out in poverty because of pronounced discrimination based solely on race. During the competitive period from 1920-1950, race still predominated as blacks asserted a presence in the industrializing centers of the Northeast and Midwest; at this time they competed with whites for jobs and residences, but were rebuffed, resulting in segregation that limited opportunities, primarily because of race. Finally, during the class subordination phase after World War II, blacks became distributed across the United States and across the class structure in such a manner that their economic status superseded race as a determinant of economic prospects. -According to Wilson, racial discrimination has been eradicated during the class subordination period.

From "Digital Inequality: From Unequal Access to Differentiated Use" by Paul DiMaggio, Eszter Harittai, Coral Celeste, and Steven Shafer This chapter reviews what we know about inequality in access to, and use of, new digital technologies with a special reference to the Internet. The focus is unique in terms of reviewing the literature because it is unusually broad: couching Internet dynamics within the context of new technologies allows the authors to draw reasoned conclusions about the dimensions of inequality associated with its use and the impact of these forms of informational technology and informational goods on inequality. -How has the advent of new technologies--such as the Internet--been thought to produce greater inequality in the workplace?

From "Digital Inequality: From Unequal Access to Differentiated Use" by Paul DiMaggio, Eszter Harittai, Coral Celeste, and Steven Shafer This chapter reviews what we know about inequality in access to, and use of, new digital technologies with a special reference to the Internet. The focus is unique in terms of reviewing the literature because it is unusually broad: couching Internet dynamics within the context of new technologies allows the authors to draw reasoned conclusions about the dimensions of inequality associated with its use and the impact of these forms of informational technology and informational goods on inequality. -Identify the sociodemographic profile of high Internet users.

From The Declining Significance of Race by William J. Wilson In The Declining Significance of Race William Wilson assesses the causal importance of race and social class in structuring economic opportunities for blacks across American history. This relationship has varied across time and is demarcated by three distinct historical phases: During the caste oppression phase in the rural South between 1870-1920, blacks were born into poverty and lived their lives out in poverty because of pronounced discrimination based solely on race. During the competitive period from 1920-1950, race still predominated as blacks asserted a presence in the industrializing centers of the Northeast and Midwest; at this time they competed with whites for jobs and residences, but were rebuffed, resulting in segregation that limited opportunities, primarily because of race. Finally, during the class subordination phase after World War II, blacks became distributed across the United States and across the class structure in such a manner that their economic status superseded race as a determinant of economic prospects. -What are the two African American social-class groupings created in the class subordination period?

From Unequal Childhoods by Annette Lareau Lareau explores the largely invisible but powerful ways that parents' social class impacts children's life experiences. Using in-depth interviews she documents that inequality permeates the fabric of culture across class lines. Differences in child-rearing practices across class lines is systematic, with middle-class children internalizing values that are more likely to produce a socioeconomic advantage as they move into adulthood and the labor force. -Characterize the class-based "concerted development" child-rearing pattern.

From Unequal Childhoods by Annette Lareau Lareau explores the largely invisible but powerful ways that parents' social class impacts children's life experiences. Using in-depth interviews she documents that inequality permeates the fabric of culture across class lines. Differences in child-rearing practices across class lines is systematic, with middle-class children internalizing values that are more likely to produce a socioeconomic advantage as they move into adulthood and the labor force. -Characterize the "natural development" child-rearing pattern.