Present at least two different sociological approaches to social inequality and discuss these approaches with reference to a concrete problem area of contemporary relevance.
Social inequality can be found in various aspects of society, the question is if inequality is only caused by the lack of economical estate or if other reasons are underlining it. This essay argues how Max Weber distinguishes between social class and strata and how one often leads to the other. Furthermore, it presents Pierre Bourdieu’s notions of habitus, capital and fields as an explanation of how people can achieve different social statuses within different fields because of their capitals. At last, the two different sociological approaches to social inequality is used to analyze the case of non-traditional students at Australian universities and how they are socially disadvantaged compared to traditional students because of their lack economical support, language skills, educational skills and social relations.
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Social class is in his definition mainly based on economical assets, where strata goes beyond economic wealth: it can be possession the religious insight, intellectuality or political engagement (Weber 1958). Political dedication is one of his main themes; Weber distinguishes between people living for politics or off politics. A person who is passionate about politics, lives for politics as a vocation, in Weber’s (1958, 5) terms: ‘Either he enjoys the naked possession of the power he exerts, or he nourishes his inner balance and self-feeling by the consciousness that his life has meaning in the service of a 'cause '’. The opposite of living for politics is living off politics. By this, Weber means a person, a person who seeks economical wealth of political engagement. This person’s political decisions will necessarily be influenced of his pursuit of