Page 225 - Introduction To Sociology P. 225  Chapter 10 | Global Inequality 217
The book Factory Girls: From Village to City in Changing China, by Leslie T. Chang, provides this opportunity. Chang follows two young women (Min and Chunming) employed at a handbag plant. They help manufacture coveted purses and bags for the global market. As part of the growing population of young people who are leaving behind the homesteads and farms of rural China, these female factory workers are ready to enter the urban fray and pursue an ambitious income.
Although Chang’s study is based in a town many have never heard of (Dongguan), this city produces one-third of all shoes on the planet (Nike and Reebok are major manufacturers here) and 30 percent of the world’s computer disk drives, in addition to an abundance of apparel (Chang 2008).
But Chang’s focus is centered less on this global phenomenon on a large scale, than on how it affects these two women. As a symbolic interactionist would do, Chang examines the daily lives and interactions of Min and Chunming—their workplace friendships, family relationships, gadgets and goods—in this evolving global space where young women can leave tradition behind and fashion their own futures. Their story is one that all people, not just scholars, can learn from as we contemplate sociological issues like global economies, cultural traditions and innovations, and opportunities for women in the workforce.
Chapter Review
Key Terms
absolute poverty: the state where one is barely able, or unable, to afford basic necessities
capital flight: the movement (flight) of capital from one nation to another, via jobs and resources
chattel slavery: a form of slavery in which one person owns another
core nations: dominant capitalist countries
debt accumulation: the buildup of external debt, wherein countries borrow money from other nations to fund their expansion or growth goals
debt bondage: the act of people pledging themselves as servants in exchange for money for passage, and are subsequently paid too little to regain their freedom
deindustrialization: the loss of industrial production, usually to peripheral and semi-peripheral nations where the costs are lower
dependency theory: a theory which states that global inequity is due to the exploitation of peripheral and semi- peripheral nations by core nations
first world: a term from the Cold War era that is used to describe industrialized capitalist democracies
fourth world: a term that describes stigmatized minority groups who have no voice or representation on the world
stage
GINI coefficient: a measure of income inequality between countries using a 100-point scale, in which 1 represents complete equality and 100 represents the highest possible inequality
global feminization of poverty: a pattern that occurs when women bear a disproportionate percentage of the burden of poverty
global inequality: the concentration of resources in core nations and in the hands of a wealthy minority
global stratification: the unequal distribution of resources between countries
gross national income (GNI): the income of a nation calculated based on goods and services produced, plus income earned by citizens and corporations headquartered in that country
Natay Livas1) Global inequality refers to the
concentration of resources in core nations and in the handsof a wealthy minority.2) A recent Oxfam (2014) report suggested the richest eighty-five people in the world areworth more than the poorest 3.5 billion people combined.3) The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality between countries using
a100-point scale, in which 1 represents complete equality and 100 represents the highestpossible inequality.4) The unequal distribution of resources between countries is global stratification.QUESTION FIVE IS WORTH UP TO SIX POINTS: List the threeCold War-era designations
thatclassified groups of world nations based on their respective economic development andstandards of living:1.The first world2.The second world3.The third
world6) Later, sociologist Manual Castells (1998) added the term fourth world to refer tostigmatized minority groups that were denied a political voice all over the globe (indigenousminority populations, prisoners, the homeless for example).7) Inmanuel Wallerstein’s (1979) world systems approach uses an economic basis
tounderstand global inequality, with some powerful nations with abundant resources andother nations in a state of economic subordination.
What is the concentration of resources in core nations and in the hands of a wealthy minority?
Key Terms Chapter 10: Global Inequality. Which term is defined as nations on the fringes of the global economy dominated by core nations with very little industrialization?
modernization theory. a theory that low-income countries can improve their global economic standing by industrialization of infrastructure and a shift in cultural attitudes towards work. peripheral nations. nations on the fringes of the global economy, dominated by core nations, with very little industrialization.
What is the meaning of global stratification?
While stratification in the United States refers to the unequal distribution of resources among individuals, global stratification refers to this unequal distribution among nations. There are two dimensions to this stratification: gaps between nations and gaps within nations.
What do you mean by global inequality?
The world is not an equal place. Each person's experience is different with regards to human rights, opportunities, and quality of life. Some countries have more resources and wealth than other countries. Some countries have a peaceful, stable government, and others don't.
| 
