My Beef with Social Inequality Studies

Well, actually, I am all for Social Equality.  Seriously.  I believe there's a lot of injustice in the world, much of it institutionalized and systemic, and especially in First World societies, we should be able and willing to tackle these problems.

Look, even little old Canada spends $25 billion a year on defense.  (The US spends over $600 Billion).  A small of portion of that would go a long way.

Anyway, in this sociology of social inequality class I'm taking, I get more and more fed up with the material.  Why did I take it?  Because I want to know more, and I want to know what can be done.

What I didn't want is inconsistent ontologies, settling for correlations, a lack of solutions, and incessant neglect of agency.

What do I mean?

Inconsistent Ontologies:  these folks like to point use statistics depicting this or that social problem.  A lot of that depends on using stats superficially, glossing over why there may be differences and so on.  But nevermind that.  Studies of Social Inequality are typically "critical theories" that reject positivism.  But stats are positivist.  Now you see what I mean?  These morons are using positivist tools to say there's a problem, while at the same time saying positivism is bullshit.  So who's the bullshitter?  

Let me give you another example.  Maybe more concrete.  Let's look at the plight of (legal) immigrants.  Why, they ask, can't migrants just do what they have always done, carry on the way they always have, practise their own language and cultural codes (e.g. dress, social etiquette, and so on), and still have the same economic outcome as "mainstream" Canadians?

Seriously?  Not shitting me?  You don't want to learn the language proficiently, you don't want to act "Canadian," you want to be back in Mars, and yet you expect to have a job and income comparable to those who speak the language, eat donuts and watch hockey, (etc etc)?

I asked my fellow students one day.  How is it that you guys complain about income disparity, and yet buy shit from Walmart which are all made in sweatshops in China?  Why aren't you supporting local, union labour?  Bunch of hypocrites.  Their response?  Well, we should be able to exercise our right to buy cheap stuff too.  Wait a minute, you want there to be lots of jobs locally, jobs that pay well, but you are spending your money on made in China shit?  Assholes.

Correlations:  You know the routine.  Some of you may even remember me screaming in class whenever people use correlations to pretend there's cause and effect.  Does anyone remember what the most toxic substance is on earth?  Water!  Everyone who drinks it, dies!  Fucking idiots.

No Solutions:  These people identify all sorts of problems.  Mostly it's there is something wrong with the system.  Read, capitalism.  Okay, fair enough.  So what do you propose?  Communism?  Hell, no, then we won't get our Starbucks and all the trappings of consumerism.  I mean, seriously, don't just tell me there's a problem.  What can be done about it?  Take an example of First Nations peoples in Canada.

One school of thought is assimilation.  There should be no First Nations.  Everyone should be treated the same.  No special status.  Well, no, they don't like that.  What about my protected rights, some asked?  That's why Pierre Trudeau's (Justin's father) Indian Policy never got off the  ground.  People wanted to keep their protected rights.

OK, what about another school of thought.  Autonomy.  Let the First Nations peoples live the way they did before the 18th Century (or some other ancient times).  Undisturbed, in the garden of eden.  Well, no, because we also want cable.  And I don't really want to have to hunt for food.

Well, how about Accommodation?  Well, it's neither  here nor there.  Not good enough on either count.

Well, fuck!  Propose something then!

Neglect of Agency:  People have agency, no?  I mean, we make choices.  And we live with the consequences.  Take this example in education.  It's so unfair, so they say, that I go to university for four years, incur debts and shit, and now my degree in philosophy doesn't land me a job that pays well.  DUH!!!!

It's not just young people saying that, right?  I remember at a Etown faculty meeting, someone said, "it's unfair that I have a PhD, and so and so has a PhD, but so and so makes double what I make."  Well, the speaker had a PhD in English poetry or something.  While so and so had a PhD in marketing (NOT communications).  So, tough shit.

*****************************

Am I just a grumpy old man?  I don't think so.  I just don't have time or patience for idiots.