Chapter 3: The Haves and the Have Nots

• Maatschappijleer
• Middelbare school
• mavo
• Leerjaar 4

Chapter 3: The have and the have nots

Photo: 

Piret Ilver

https://unsplash.com/photos/98MbUldcDJY

Inequality

Inequality

Learning goals

• I understand social inequality and can link it to social mobility and poverty
• I can explain three solutions of povery and illness during the Industrial Revolution and link them to individual solutions or small/large scale collective actions
• I understand and give examples of the role of the government, civic society and individual in a welfare state and I can expain the relationship between a welfare state and social inequality
• I can explain the differences between different welfare states

3.1: Origins of poverty and inequality

Social inequality

Refers to the fact that some people have more than others in terms of possessions, social power and status. 

Role

 The position you have

in society in terms of what

you do.

Rank the roles from higher to lower

vizier, senior officials, high priest and nobles

peasant farmers and workers

skilled artisans and craftspeople

pharaoh

scribes

servants and slaves

Private property

Something that is yours and yours alone, you’ve made, bought or found something and it’s yours to 

decide what you do with it.

Status

The fact that people

look up to you (high status) or

look down on you (low status), 

it’s whether you’re considered

to be an important person or not.

A king and a servant are socially inequal, because:

A king and a servant are socially inequal, because:

1. A king has a higher status
2. A king has more private property
3. A king has more social power

Social ladder

A figurative

ladder, the higher your

position on the ladder, the

higher your social status.

Social mobility

Is the ability

to move up or down the social ladder.

Moving up or down the social ladder?
A respected celebrity becomes embroiled in a scandal

Moving up or down the social ladder?

A respected celebrity becomes embroiled in a scandal

moving up the social ladder

moving down the social ladder

Moving up or down the social ladder?
You win the lottery

Moving up or down the social ladder?

You win the lottery

moving up the social ladder

moving down the social ladder

Absolute poverty

Is when household income is below a certain level, which makes it impossible for the person or family to meet basic needs of life (the miminum of things we need to survive).

Relative poverty

Is when households receive 50% less than average household incomes, so they do have some money but still not enough money to afford anything above the basics.

Poverty line

The line below which people are not just poor in a relative sense,

but have a hard time meeting

even the most basic needs.

absolute or relative poverty?
A student can't buy the same videogames as her classmates.

Absolute or relative poverty?

A student can't buy the same videogames as 

her classmates. 

1. absolute poverty
2. relative poverty

absolute or relative poverty?
A student can't buy enough food for lunch.

Absolute or relative poverty?

A student can't buy enough food for lunch.

1. absolute poverty
2. relative poverty
3. both absolute poverty and relative poverty

Solidarity

The value that refers to the idea that we should help others, because we could end up in the same situation and then we would like to have help ourselves.

Why are social inequality, absolute poverty and relative
poverty examples of social issues?
Think about the characteristics of a social issue.

Why are social inequality, absolute poverty 

and relative poverty examples of social issues?

 Think about the characteristics of a social issue. 

Globalisation

The process

of growing international bonds

between people, companies

and countries.

examples of globalisation

examples of globalisation

How is social inequality present in the process of globalisation?

How is social inequality present in the process of globalisation?

3.2: Dealing with social inequality

Photo:

Hannah Busing

https://unsplash.com/photos/Zyx1bK9mqmA

solutions for inequality

solutions for inequality

Industrial Revolution

A period in the 19th century

when more and more factories

where built in cities.

Free market

A place with an exchange of goods and services, supply and demand determine the price for these goods and services, a market is completely free if there’s no government intervention.

Industrial Revolution

problems:

• low wages
• illnesses

On a free market with a big apply of labour, the wages will most likely be:

On a free market with a big apply of labour, 

the wages will most likely be: 

1. low
2. high

On a free market with a high demand for labour, the wages will most likely be:

On a free market with a high demand for 

labour the wages will most likely be: 

1. low
2. high

Solution

Private insurance companies: are willing to pay the bill for people that buy their insurance, usually for a monthly fee. 

Individual solution

An individual solution to a

problem doesn’t involve other

people, you solve it yourself.

Are the insurances an individual solution for illness and poverty?

Are the insurances an individual solution for illness and poverty?

yes

no

...

answer: yes

Solution

Unions: groups for workers, often with a specific profession, that a worker can join for protection against employers or for standing a better chance for higher wages or better working conditions.

Civic society

Consists of all

kinds of groups that people

form voluntary in order to

create a better society.

Small scale collective action

Working together in groups

where people more or less

know and trust each other to

try and solve an issue that’s

harder to solve by yourself.

Are unions an individual solution for better wages and working conditions?

Are unions an individual solution for better wages and working conditions?

yes

no

...

answer: no

individual solution

small scale collective solution

church

unions

family

insurances

Solidarity

The value that

refers to the idea that we

should help others.

Solution

• The governement
• Large scale collective action: working together in large groups where people don’t really know or trust each other to try and solve an issue that’s harder to solve by yourself, there needs to be some kind of leadership that can force people to cooperate. 

Common interest

Those things that are important to all of us.

What are examples of things the government does that are in the common interest?

What are examples of things the 

government does that are in the common interest?

Free ride

Trying to let others

do the work, while you do profit form the result.

Personal freedom and choice

The idea that people can choose for themselves and make decisions about their own life and income.

What are things the Dutch government can force upon you?

What are things the Dutch government

can force upon you? 

1. taxes
2. voting
3. the law

individual solution

small scale collective action

large scale collective action

builing a hospital of tax money

insurances

parents that help you pay the rent

church memebers helping the sick

3.3: Welfare states

Photo:

Pexels

https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/gebouwen-skyline-stad-stadsgezicht-1850129/

Welfare states

Welfare states

Welfare state

A state where individuals, the civic society and the government cooperate to create welfare for people in society.

Welfare state

• Education
• Healthcare
• Income 

• Individual solution
• Civic society, forming groups 
• Collective solution

Education

individual/freemarket

civic society

government

home-schooling

the goverment pays for education

private schools

Healthcare

individual/freemarket

civic society

government

you must have an health insurance

chosing a health insurance company

caregiving/

'mantelzorg'

Minimum wage

One of the rules the government came up

with to fight poverty: if you work, you have to earn at least this much per hour.

Income

individual/freemarket

civic society

government

minimum wage

unions

banks investing their client's money 

How to deal with the issues in the society?

• Right-wing people: think individuals should attempt to solve problems first, you have personal responsibility. 
• Left-wing people: say that problems should be solved by working together on a large scale.

right-wing or left wing?
social benefits like a state pension

Right-wing or left wing?

Social benefits like a state pension

right-wing

left-wing

...

answer: left-wing

right-wing or left wing?
'hard work pays off more income'

Right-wing or left wing?

Hard work pays off more income

right-wing

left-wing

...

answer: right-wing

Social mobility

Is the movement

on the social ladder.

American Dream

In the United States, many people believe that if you work hard, you can make it

 to the top of the social ladder.

3.4: The welfare state in the United States

Photo:

PublicDomainPictures

https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/juli-amerika-amerikaans-blauw-land-16674/

Healthcare in the United States

• Free market
• Became a bit more left-wing
• Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Rank the steps in the right order

introduction of the ACA

the insurance market is a free market

costumer were refused if they were seen as a risk for the company

insurance companies are no longer allowed to refuse people

a lot of Americans didn't have a health insurance

insurance companies want to make profit

Education in the United States

• Public education system
• Private institutions
• Home-schooling

What do you think of the American education system?

What do you think of the
American education system?

Social security in the United States

• Right-wing
• Civic society

3.5: The welfare state in different countries

Photo:

Greg Resenke

https://unsplash.com/photos/3ULMRQZ5APA

Cuba

• Exteme left-wing country
• economic equality
• Little economic freedom

United Kingdom

• Big difference rich and poor 
• Better but more expensive private schools and healthcare

01:10

Does the idea of the Amercan Dream fit more with right-wing or left-wing people?

Does the idea of the Amercan Dream fit more with right-wing or left-wing people?

right-wing

left-wing

...

anwser: right-wing

03:20

In the second half of the video, Obama talks about new propositions. Are these propositions more right- or left-wing oriented, and will they increase or decrease the social inequality?

In the second half of the video, Obama talks about new propositions. Are these propositions more right- or left-wing oriented, and will they increase or decrease the social inequality?

1. right-wing, increase
2. right-wing, decrease
3. left-wing, increase
4. left-wing, decrease

Which statement about a welfare state is true?
The government...

Which statement about a welfare state is true?

The government...

1. makes sure that the same welfare is available to everyone.
2. makes sure that everyone is provided with their basic needs.

Social inequality

Unequal distribution of:

• Possessions
• Power
• Prestige 

(Un)equal distribution of possessions, power or prestige?
'All aldults are allowed to vote in elections'

(Un)equal distribution of possessions, power or prestige?

All aldults are allowed to vote in elections

possessions

power

prestige

...

answer: power

(Un)equal distribution of possessions, power or prestige?
'Dutch people are rich compared to people in Bolivia'

(Un)equal distribution of possessions, power or prestige?

Dutch people are rich compared to people in Bolivia

possessions

power

prestige

...

answer: possessions

(Un)equal distribution of possessions, power or prestige?
'Generally, people admire lawyers more than janitors.'

(Un)equal distribution of possessions, power or prestige?

Generally, people admire lawyers more than janitors.

possessions

power

prestige

...

answer: prestige

What have you learnt in this lecture?

What have you learnt in this lecture?

What do you still find difficult?

What do you still find difficult?

Learning goals

• I understand social inequality and can link it to social mobility and poverty
• I can explain three solutions of povery and illness during the Industrial Revolution and link them to individual solutions or small/large scale collective actions
• I understand and give examples of the role of the government, civic society and individual in a welfare state and I can expain the relationship between a welfare state and social inequality
• I can explain the differences between different welfare states

End of chapter 3: The have and the have nots