What are the causes of social inequality
             The 1984 Report on British Social Attitudes highlighted that the widespread public believe that Britain is not an equal opportunity society. "Race and class prejudice and discrimination are seen to exist in large measures and are regarded as important obstacles to advancement" (Jowell, R. Airey, C. 1984, p.121). Whilst the survey did not target thoughts on gender discrimination, it was apparent from responses to questions on the roles within the home, that a very 'traditional' viewpoint was still present in our society, ie, mothers primary responsibility being childcare and the fathers primary responsibility being that of the provider.
             Our perceptions of what we consider 'unequal' in society comes largely from our socialisation, and therefore, will always be subject to variation. Socialisation is a continuing process through life, and our social identity is governed by influences from many groups, ie, family, religion, teachers and friends. In the example above, a mother in one society may perceive her 'traditional role' as a social inequality, and feel oppressed by it. Yet a mother from a different culture, would be living in a group where her role is held in high regard, and as such perceive it very differently. It is possible to look at any dimension of our society, ie, education, occupation, power and wealth, and perceive unequal distribution.
             Inequality can exist in any aspect of our society, and therefore must be part of our society, our social structure. "The term social stratification refers to the division of society into layers (or strata) whose occupants have unequal access to social opportunities and rewards" (Bassis,M. Gelles, J & Levine, A. 1991, p.216). With the intervention of mass media in the last century, our perceptions of such divisions has been broadened to a global level, as we are now able to wi...