Objectifs globaux : Identify multiple factors of social différenciation.
Objectifs travaillés : The life-cycle theory, analyzing social groups.
Resources :
PDF: Social Group Individuals.
PDF: Unemployment rate by place of residence, sex, and origin.
PDF: The Life-Cycle Theory.
PDF: Composition of households and poverty.
PDF: How is current French society structured? – Session 1
Contents
Activité 1
Understanding social groups.
Copy the following information.
« A social group is, in the broad sense, a set of individuals sharing common characteristics (social situation identical, values, common activities).
We talk about inequality when a social characteristic shared by several individuals gives them an advantage or disadvantage compared to other individuals. »
You can group the individuals into several groups:
Age – (for example, 13-21, 22-35, 36-50, 50-64, 64+)
Sex – (Male / Female)
Revenue – (For example, €0-€1,200, 1,201-€2,000, €2,001-€5,000, €5,001+)
Profession – (Unemployed,/Retired, Agriculture, Finance, Management, Sales, etc.)
Qualifications – (BAC, BTS, Masters, CAP, etc.)
By identifying different social groups, the sociologist gives themselves the means to better analyze social stratification. It marks groups that are characterized by a certain social homogeneity (= close social characteristics). These individuals are supposed to have close behaviours and values.
Activité 2
A socially differentiated unemployment rate.
PDF: Unemployment rate by place of residence, sex, and origin.
In 2017, 9.3% of men from “other” neighborhoods were unemployed. The same year, 24.7% of individuals aged 15 to 46 and living in priority neighbourhoods were unemployed.
It can be seen that the place of residence has an impact on the likelihood of being unemployed: individuals from priority neighbourhoods are more affected by unemployment than people living in other neighbourhoods.
Sex is a social differentiation criterion to analyze unemployment: it is clear that men are slightly more affected by unemployment than women, whether in popular neighbourhoods or in other neighbourhoods. The origin is another criterion of social differentiation to analyze unemployment: immigrants are significantly more affected by unemployment than people who are neither immigrants or descending immigrants (whether in the priority neighbourhoods or in Other neighbourhoods).
The inequalities found can be explained by multiple phenomena: differences in qualification between certain social groups or the phenomena of stigmatization of certain populations that maintain them far from employment.
Activité 3
The life-cycle theory.
For sociologists, the life cycle refers to the fact that individuals, over their lives, gradually open up new activities in the same order. Not everyone goes through the stages of the life cycle at the same biological age.
- Associate these situations with the numbers on the graph:
- Why can we say that the position in the life cycle is a factor of social differentiation?
The position in the life cycle appears as a social differentiation, as individuals in different stages do not have the same behaviour when it comes to savings. « Young people » tend to go into debt; “Active” enrich themselves and gradually constitute a heritage; “Retirees » draw in their heritage to maintain their level of consumption.
Activité 4
Households and poverty
In 2016, 24.2% of single-parent families encountered consumer restrictions.
The more couples have children, the more likely they have to be poor: only 4.5% of childless couples are poor, compared with 17.8% of couples with 3 or more children. The highest poverty rate is encountered in single-parent families (27.3%).
Having an additional dependent child represents an additional cost for couples because this causes food, clothing, leisure, etc. expenses. Couples must then draw in their income to ensure the needs of their children, which reduces the living conditions of other family members. With regards to single-parent families, the difficulty is all the greater because only one parent must deal with children’s daily lives, which may lead to even greater degradation of the living conditions of the family.
Activité 5
Complete the text with the words below.
There are multiple __________ of social __________. Indeed, after having retained a specific __________ (such as sex, place of __________, the position in the __________ or the composition of the household), sociologists can identify __________ characterized by __________ and situations. different. These groups are hierarchical when it is possible to __________ them from each other. Depending on the criteria selected, the groups formed will not be the same: an __________ can therefore affect __________ groups simultaneously.
A: life cycle
B: multiple
C: criterion
D: living conditions
E: individual
F: factors
G: residence
H: social groups
I: differentiation
J: classify
There are multiple factors of social differentiation. Indeed, after having retained a specific criterion (such as sex, place of residence, the position in the life cycle or the composition of the household), sociologists can identify social groups characterized by living conditions and situations. different. These groups are hierarchical when it is possible to classify them from each other. Depending on the criteria selected, the groups formed will not be the same: an individual can therefore affect multiple groups simultaneously.
Evaluation
Answer questions about this lesson.
How is current French society structured? – Séance 1