Social Class Structure Research Articles

Opening or Solidifying? The Trend of the Intergenerational Mobility in China since the Implementation of the Reform and Opening-up Policy

Based on the findings of the China General Social Survey, this study aims to analyze the trend of the intergenerational mobility in China since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy by evaluating the absolute and relative mobility rates through the mobility table. The intergenerational mobility level in China is relatively high from the perspective of the absolute mobility rates. Besides, the overall trend is upward and social openness is quite high. However, the intergenerational mobility level is relatively low and gradually declining from the perspective of the relative mobility rates that reflect the equality of mobility opportunities. In addition, the social class structure shows a tendency of solidifying. While the absolute mobility rates reflect the efficiency of the intergenerational mobility, the relative mobility rates reflect its fairness. However, since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, Chinese society appears to be in a state of inadequate equality but with high efficiency. In this study, we generally regarded education as a critical factor of the intergenerational mobility. Lately, China has implemented a series of education policies, including the resumption of university entrance examination policy, compulsory education policy, and college enrollment expansion policy. The Chinese government endeavors to enhance national education attainment and sustain absolute mobility at a higher level. Nevertheless, the differences in education attainment of offspring from different social classes have increased gradually, making education inequality a significant factor of lower relative mobility. Thus, the government should increase the intergenerational mobility level by creating a healthy and stable economic development environment and improving education inequality.​

Teachers’ Interpretation of the Cultural Relevancy of MoneySKILL®

A comprehensive approach to financial literacy education necessitates an understanding of the degree to which curriculum is relevant for students from various cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the cultural relevancy of MoneySKILL®, an online financial literacy program designed for high school students. A convenience sample of teachers enrolled in a graduate course on student diversity completed 12 MoneySKILL modules and participated in online group discussions. Using a consensual qualitative research (CQR) method, the authors identified themes related to cultural relevancy in participants’ discussions. The results indicated that participants questioned the relevance of module content to marginalized social groups, noting exclusions based on social class, language, and family structure. They also reported a lack of consideration for geographical differences that affect financial practices, stereotypes in module examples, and assumptions in module content regarding America as a meritocracy. These findings indicate the need for more representative curricular materials and greater consideration of the social processes and sociopolitical contexts affecting financial practices. Findings also demonstrate the value of including teachers in the development of financial education curricular materials, as teachers have insights regarding pedagogy and relevancy to current and former students to make informed recommendations about possible curricular modifications.

Patriarchs, Pipers and Presidents: Gaelic Immigrant Funerary Customs and Music in North America

One of the most moving tributes to the dead is the playing of the Highland bagpipes during funeral services, whether in the church or at the graveside. This custom has a long history both in Scotland and in areas of North America settled by Scottish immigrants over the past 300 years, and for lovers of bagpipe music it is an essential part of the funeral ritual. Throughout its history the piper’s lament has transcended social class structure and has been performed for paupers and presidents alike. Despite being deeply rooted in tradition, the music and function of this musical practice have changed over time. Drawing from printed texts of the 19th and 20th centuries, recent scholarship and local folklore surrounding funeral customs and music, this paper examines the origins of the funeral piping tradition in Gaelic Scotland and its evolution in North American society.

Patterns of African and Asian admixture in the Afrikaner population of South Africa

BackgroundThe Afrikaner population of South Africa is the descendants of European colonists who started to colonize the Cape of Good Hope in the 1600s. In the early days of the colony, mixed unions between European males and non-European females gave rise to admixed children who later became incorporated into either the Afrikaner or the Coloured populations of South Africa. Differences in ancestry, social class, culture, sex ratio and geographic structure led to distinct and characteristic admixture patterns in the Afrikaner and Coloured populations. The Afrikaner population has a predominant European composition, whereas the Coloured population has more diverse ancestries. Genealogical records previously estimated the contribution of non-Europeans into the Afrikaners to be between 5.5 and 7.2%.ResultsTo investigate the genetic ancestry of the Afrikaner population today (11–13 generations after initial colonization), we genotyped approximately five million genome-wide markers in 77 Afrikaner individuals and compared their genotypes to populations across the world to determine parental source populations and admixture proportions. We found that the majority of Afrikaner ancestry (average 95.3%) came from European populations (specifically northwestern European populations), but that almost all Afrikaners had admixture from non-Europeans. The non-European admixture originated mostly from people who were brought to South Africa as slaves and, to a lesser extent, from local Khoe-San groups. Furthermore, despite a potentially small founding population, there is no sign of a recent bottleneck in the Afrikaner compared to other European populations. Admixture amongst diverse groups from Europe and elsewhere during early colonial times might have counterbalanced the effects of a small founding population.ConclusionsWhile Afrikaners have an ancestry predominantly from northwestern Europe, non-European admixture signals are ubiquitous in the Afrikaner population. Interesting patterns and similarities could be observed between genealogical predictions and our genetic inferences. Afrikaners today have comparable inbreeding levels to current-day European populations.

Physical activity parenting practices in Ireland: a qualitative analysis

ABSTRACT Worldwide, children do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity (PA) and a unified approach is required to increase children’s engagement in PA. Parents, are increasingly regarded as playing a key role in children’s PA behaviours. Physical activity parenting (PAP) is growing as a research field and refers to parental behaviours intended to influence children’s investment in PA. Using the perspectives of both parent and child, this research aims to identify PAP practices (positive and negative) engaged by Irish parents and to examine how PAP is embedded within a socioecological context. A purposive sample of 116 families in Ireland were included in the study. Families were stratified by social class, location, and family structure. Parents and children were interviewed and a secondary analysis of the interview data was completed. A theoretical model and conceptual framework relating to PAP guided data analysis to identify and understand parenting practices that influence children’s PA behaviour. Data was deductively analysed and key findings indicated that PAP practices of encouragement, involvement, and facilitation were positively associated with children’s engagement in structured sport activities. Co-participation was positively associated with children’s participation in unstructured PA. Mothers and fathers differed in their PA roles, with fathers engaged to a greater extent in involvement parental practices. Children from middle and higher socio-economic class families participated in a greater repertoire of structured PA and benefited from a greater diversity of PAP practices. Family context (social class, structure, size), community resources and organisational factors mediated the presence of PAP practices. Parents’ PA attributes and parents perceptions of PA attributes were less important influencers. Successful and effective engagement of parents in PA interventions is dependent on consideration of the various social contexts that are embedded in families.

DE QUE SOCIAL SOMOS FEITOS: DISCURSO EDUCATIVO E SEUS EFEITOS DE VERDADE

This article presents some theoretical foundations about the dialectic relationship between individual and society to discuss the truth effects of the school discursive operations on the subjectivity production and the formation of scholar symptoms that has expression in the scholar field. We start by concepts from the sociology field - more specifically from the works of Pierre Bourdieu - establishing a dialogue with the psychoanalytic theory about the constitution of the subject and the bond with the other through the discourse. From our experience, we observed a non-linear relationship between social determinants (namely: social class, socioeconomic conditions and family structure) the child´s place in educator´s discourse and the subjective effects of the school experience for each student. To illustrate this hypothesis, we present two fragments of intervention situations from the psychoanalysis theoretical and technical framework with public school children who live impasses in their schooling process.

Dialogues on nature, class and gender: Revisiting socio-ecological reproduction in past organic advanced agriculture (Sentmenat, Catalonia, 1850)

The concept of socio-ecological reproduction allows linking some fundamental approaches and methods of Ecological, Feminist and Sraffian Economics. By accounting reproductive flows we highlight the material and time efforts required to maintain ecological funds (i.e. soil fertility and livestock) and social funds (i.e. labour force) of farm systems, as well as the role of social appropriation of the surplus that went beyond them in preindustrial class structures. Through the methodology proposed to estimate time, energy, nutrients and cash balances at household level we can infer relevant insights in terms of social organisation of labour and social distribution of produce in past organic advanced agricultures. Results show that the productive capacity of farmland and labour were quite similar across farms, while the farmland hoarding exerted by a wealthier ruling class defined the unequal distribution of produce. The match between subsistence needs and wages shows that nearly the whole potential surplus per labour unit was extracted. Dependence on reproducible funds implied the reinvestment of large amounts of renewable flows that constrained the amount of surplus appropriable. Finally, we deem that technical change and increase of total produce along socio-ecological transitions might have been affected by the social class structure of preindustrial societies.

Working apart together: The impact of immigration on Spanish class structure

In this article, we explore how the massive incorporation of the foreign-born population into the labour market during the economic expansion in Spain and the subsequent destruction of employment in the period of the economic downturn have contributed to changes in Spanish class structure. Drawing on data from the Labour Force Survey we estimate an entropy-based segregation index in order to assess the extent to which the unevenness of the distribution of natives and immigrants within social classes has contributed to the overall demographic composition of social class structure. Our results reveal that in the period of economic expansion the segregation of the class structure increased as a result of the concentration of immigrant population in specific classes. In contrast, during the economic crisis this process has been reversed: the uneven class distribution between natives and immigrants has levelled out and segregation among natives has decreased.

Social Class and Educational Attainment: Do Blacks Benefit Less from Increases in Parents’ Social Class Status?

Classic and contemporary studies show that greater social class status is associated with higher levels of education for youth. However, racialized processes might constrain the benefits blacks receive from increases in parents’ social class. In this study the authors use the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 to estimate whether race moderates the relationship among three common measures of youths’ social class during high school (parents’ occupations, family income, and parents’ level of education) and their college enrollment two years after high school and educational attainment eight years after high school. The results suggest that black youth receive lower benefits from social class than whites for both outcomes, and parents’ gender plays a role in the racial differences in the link between social class and both outcomes. The authors also find a three-way interaction with family structure for mothers (among race, social class, and family structure); among youth not in two-parent households, blacks benefit less than whites from mothers’ occupational prestige on enrollment. This study extends the literature on social class and racial inequality in education by explicitly testing whether black youth receive lower benefits from social class in their attainment. Doing so separately for mothers’ and fathers’ social class characteristics uncovers a nuanced pattern useful for understanding race as a moderator to social class.

ПРАКТИКА РЕШЕНИЯ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОГО ПРОЦЕССА В 20-Е ГОДЫ XX ВЕКА

Article is devoted to synthesis of practice of the solution of an ethnic question in Kazakhstan in the twenties. In article the history and a historiography of a problem of interethnic processes in Kazakhstan in the 20th years of the XX century are considered. Giving a retrospective assessment to the published literature on a historiography of the Soviet society, including on an historiography of the international relations, it should be noted negative impact of the party and state documents for the concept of national policy that undoubtedly led to wrong concepts and ideological dogmas. Therefore everything listed led to inadequate reflection of historical reality, tendentiousness of judgments, practice of concealing and distortions In article the main problems of a historiography of establishment of the Soviet power in the region and Sovietization of the Kazakh aul, formation of the Kazakh Autonomous SSR and the Kazakh SSR are also considered. The analysis of publications of this period showed strengthening of attention of researchers to an ethnic perspective. Changes in social-class structure of the population of Kazakhstan, social and economic transformations in the Kazakh aul and in the Russian village, the national peasantry, demographic characteristics of the population were mainly studied.

'She knew he would murder her’

The media play a central role in the social construction of intimate femicide, and therefore the news coverage of femicide can contribute to social awareness and the response policies of institutions which deal with this crime. The current study analyses the differences in Israeli newspapers’ framing of femicide committed by members of ethnic groups between the years 2005-2014. The analysis shows that the social construction of intimate femicide reflects the intersection between gender, social class and ethnic origin. The findings suggest that news coverage fills a key role in the perpetuation of the structure of dominance, gender and social class, and that the overall coverage of femicide is mainly episodic and described in personalized terms, rather than within a thematic frame. This study provides new insight into the media’s role in shaping the social denial of this crime, and sheds light on how the prevalent discourse inhibits participants from taking responsibility.

DINAMIKA IDEOLOGI KARMAN DALAM NOVEL KUBAH KARYA AHMAD TOHARI BERDASARKAN PERSPEKTIF SOSIOLOGI SASTRA MARXISME

This study aims to analyze the dynamics of ideology that occurred on the main character named Karman in a novel ‘Kubah’ by Ahmad Tohari. The analysis uses Marx's literary sociology theory which focuses on the grouping of society classes based on their infrastructure and superstructure in literary works. The exposure analysis includes; (1) discussion of ideological conceptualization, (2) discussion of Marx's sociology of novel ‘Kubah’ paradigm of social class structure relation in society which include: (a) the analysis of the social class structure of literature, i.e. identification of social background into the context of the occurrence, identification of social classes, the analysis of social activities that occur among social classes represented in interrelated relations, and (b) the literary social class structure relation with the social class structure of society. Based on the analysis, we would discover the form, cause, and impact of Karman's ideological dynamics on Pegaten society.

The Strength of Steel: Nationality and Power within Trinidad Carnival Music

This paper discusses how steelband music within Trinidad carnival simultaneously enhances and confuses feelings of national identity. In my current research exploring politics and power in Caribbean carnival music, steel pan has proven to be a strong case study, providing compelling illustrations of the issues surrounding ethnicity, social and economic class structures, politics, and nationalism. The music of steel pan began as a lower-class, ‘grass-roots’, “vulgar, underclass pastime” (Dudley 2007: 3). To the elite citizens, steelband music threatened the social hierarchy and because the laws that society attempted to regulate banning the steel music dissolved, they believed the music would break down the class structures they tried hard to solidify. As it evolved, however, steelband music became gentrified, cleaned up by the elite classes of Trinidad. Through this evolution it can be interpreted that since the upper-class 
 citizens could not rid Trinidad of steel pan, they therefore attempted to ‘improve’ the image of steel so it could be accepted into society. Steelband has progressed since then to become a national and political instrument, used now to both affirm a political agenda and compete with it. By exploring an art form defined as a national instrument by Trinidad I show that a comprehensive study of how the development of the music can give insight into the problems and benefits of nationalism, identity, and tradition.
 Works Cited
 Dudley, Shannon. 2007. Music from behind the Bridge: Steelband Aesthetics and Politics in Trinidad and Tobago. USA: Oxford University Press.

Social class and wealth inequality in Italy over 20 years, 1993–2014

Italy is facing its worst economic crisis since the Second World War. As many studies have already shown, the crisis is affecting the country’s social class structure, thus accentuating several inequality tendencies. In this connection, the empirical purposes of this article are twofold: (1) to analyze whether accumulation and inequality in wealth are growing or declining in absolute terms; and (2) to investigate the relationship between social class and wealth inequality. To this end, we adopt a longitudinal approach – that is, we take the 1993–2014 period into account – by using data from the Italian Survey of Household Income and Wealth. Our findings suggest that overall net worth has trended down in the years following the beginning of the crisis, and that inequality in wealth has basically been increasing during the 20-year period, with a decline from 2012. However, there has been no persistent social splitting process in wealth distribution by social class. Rather, there is a high (and increasing) level of domestic differentiation in terms of household wealth by class, mainly within the lower class and self-employed middle class, which could put further stress on social cohesion standards and allow new forms of social vulnerability to emerge.

The formation of the social fault lines in the ukrainian society

The article deals with social processes that contributed to the formation of the social fault lines in the Ukrainian society and weakened its integrity. The subject of philosophical research is social integrity. The goal of research is to comprehend the way social fault lines are formed thus endangering the integrity of Ukraine’s social organism. Methods of research are systematic, logical, historical, statistical, and dialectical. They reveal contradictory social processes which endanger the integrity of Ukraine’s social organism. The first social fault line is the new social class structure in which the poor are the overwhelming majority, while the middle class, who ensures economic, social and political stability, is of no importance. The second social fault line is determined by the economic interests of manufacturers from different regions in market outlets as reference points of external integration. The third social fault line was formed during the struggle of regional political elites, who, being in the opposition, actively supported schismogenetic process in socio-cultural space of Ukraine. The fourth social fault line is formed according to spheres of influence among oligarchic groups in different regions of Ukraine. The fifth social fault line exists between Ukrainian people and ruling circles, the latter used the state power as a means to satisfy group interests thus ignoring national interests. The scientific novelty of the article is to substantiate a contradictory role of certain social processes causing social fault lines and threatening the integrity of Ukraine’s social organism. A number of these social fault lines in Ukrainian society shows that changing the system of state power in Ukraine is not a simple borrowing of certain European models. It is better to identify dangers ruining the integrity of Ukraine’s social organism and implement certain structural and functional changes into organs of state administration that are capable of adequate response to destructive trends and protection of social integrity

Evolución de la estructura de clases sociales en Colombia, 1938-2010. ¿Han crecido las clases medias?

El artículo describe la forma como ha evolucionado la estructura de clases sociales de los trabajadores en Colombia entre 1938 y 2010 y señala la correspondencia entre ese proceso y los regímenes de acumulación que ha tenido el país en este transcurso. Para ello recurre a una clasificación propia de clases sociales que es aplicada a distintas fuentes estadísticas que cubren este periodo. Se concluye que, en una perspectiva de largo plazo, después de un importante aumento de las clases medias durante el régimen de sustitución de importaciones, no se ha presentado un aumento continuo de esas clases desde la década de 1990.

Artisans in the Social-Class Structure of the Cities of the North Caucasus

Artisans in the Social-Class Structure of the Cities of the North Caucasus

Ideologi dan Kelas Sosial Pengarang dalam Novel Matinya Sang Penguasa Karya Nawal el Sadawi: Kajian Sastra Marxis

This research is based on thought that the novel is an imitation or reflection of society (mimetis). There are motives, purpose, and messages the author wishes to convey through his opus. The object of this research is the novel Matinya Sang Penguasa (MSP) by Nawal el Sadawi. In the MSP, there is a social gap between the rich and the poor, and between the ruler and the people. Class gap and this social class contradiction enter domain sociology of literature, especially Marxist literature. This research aims to answer the problem how social aspects, Like the social class structure, the novel relationship with society, and the author's position or ideology that exists in the novel MSP. The results show that there is a social class contrast in the novel MSP. The upper social class is represented by the ruler (Walidesa), while the lower social class is represented by the people (Zakeya). The author's position and ideology appears in the lower classes, which seeks to fight for its rights and against the arbitrariness of the (authoritarian) authorities. This authoritarian ruler then elicits resistance from the people. The fight between the ruler and the people was won by the people.

Mapping the Social Class Structure: From Occupational Mobility to Social Class Categories Using Network Analysis

This article develops a new explorative method for deriving social class categories from patterns of occupational mobility. In line with Max Weber, our research is based on the notion that, if class boundaries do not inhibit social mobility then the class categories are of little value. Thus, unlike dominant, theoretically defined class schemes, this article derives social class categories from observed patterns in a mobility network covering intra-generational mobility. The network is based on a mobility table of 109 occupational categories tied together by 1,590,834 job shifts on the Danish labour market 2001–2007. The number of categories are reduced from 109 to 34 by applying a new clustering algorithm specifically designed for the study of mobility tables (MONECA). These intra-generational social class categories are related to the central discussions of gender, income, education and political action by providing empirical evidence of strong patterns of intra-generational class divisions along these lines.

The everyday risk work of Dutch child-healthcare professionals: inferring 'safe' and 'good' parenting through trust, as mediated by a lens of gender and class.

Amidst intensifying policy concerns with children's wellbeing and development, healthcare professionals are required not only to assess risk of abuse and neglect, but to manage risk of 'poor parenting' more broadly. Drawing on 15 in-depth interviews and non-participant observations of 61 professional-family interactions, across four preventative public health services for children in the Netherlands, we explored how professionals accomplished such risk work amid intractable uncertainties. Building inferences from brief encounters with families, professionals gauged the extent to which they trusted parents to care 'appropriately'. This trust developed most readily with parents experienced as 'familiar' by the largely middle-class female professionals. Harnessing Schutzian phenomenology, we analyse the related manifestations of social structure within the interactional-dynamics and lifeworlds of risk assessment. We argue that social structures of gender, class and ethnicity can be seen as influential both through the differing potential for 'we-relationships' to be formed and via the generalising and stereotyped knowledge applied in their absence.