Social Inequality Analysis

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In the study of Social Inequality, Sociologists focus on the existence of disproportionate opportunities and rewards among people from different groups and social status. Along with Globalization, some nations can be seen as relatively advanced and successful than others. Inequality, thus, exists due to these privileges (people and nations) have more power in hand; while, the underprivileged groups (people and nations) are situated in the bottom-end and without ability to access and share rewards as a part of the industrial society. In this essay, I intend to analysis the matter of inequality with regards to the article about the exploitation of Chinese workers, who make Apple products, in the Pegatron factories. In order to better understand …show more content…

In referring to Durkheim (article), he points out his ‘U-shaped theory” which refers “when the economy expands or contracts sharply, both social integration and social regulation may weaken and increase the rate of suicidal behavior”. This simply explains the suicide case of the 14 workers in Foxconn. Due to the rapid growth in demand of Apple’s products, bourgeois (Apple and Factory Owners) will certainly maximize their instruments of using labors (means of production) to create the highest level of outputs. Meanwhile, another notion from Durkheim helps clarifying the reason of labor exploitation. “Organic solidarity”(textbookp.45) means all persons in the society have their own specialized tasks, and each individuals needs all the others for survival. Under his functionalism explanation, inequality is explicitly demonstrated through the idea of class conflict and the nature of job types. As a result, it is certainly necessary to have some people to fill in the lower-deck jobs (Apple’s production line workers - occupation that requires long working hours, indecent working condition, and low pay) within the social hierarchy as to maintain organic

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