Sociological Analysis

'Making and remaking' refers to the way in which people consume, communicate and experience, and the way these actions reflect on society as a whole. Small groups such as the ones discussed in this work can be microcosmic indications of groups and communities at large, and can provide a reasonably accurate representation of how societies interact at large. Because society is diverse and ever-changing, connections and disconnections are made within groups and with society at large, and differences (which (Blakely and Staples, 2014, p.25) describes as “contrasts between groupings of people, such as those based on gender, class, age...and race or ethnicity”) and inequalities, (which (Blakely and Staples, 2014, p.13) describes as “The unequal

distribution of valued social resources within...or between societies”) are formed based on these habits and experiences. This essay will attempt to explore a number of the ways inequalities and differences are formed, with examples such as migration, segregation and consumer habits. This work will draw from two strands within “Making Lives (Allen and Blakely, 2014, p.113)” and “Connecting Lives” (Clarke and Woodward, 2014, p.1)

Society is made and remade in the form of connections and disconnections. Disconnections can be found in the segregation of cultures. A community becomes segregated when a smaller group of people is separated from the larger community or area in which they reside. (Schmid et al (2008) cited in Dixon and Hinchliffe (2014, p.108) conducted a study which refers to the “contact hypothesis”- The contact hypothesis is the idea that larger levels of prejudice occur within communities that are separated from one another. This prejudice can then provide a notion of the “other” which, if one community has increased resources or power, can lead to inequalities in the form of access to resources such as food or jobs for the segregated community. In turn, this inequality can determine that those who are members of the larger community have greater affluence, and those who are not may find themselves in a lower class due to unemployment or lack of access to goods. Thus, society is made and remade with some being in a higher class than others. This is an example of a disconnection socially produced based on the community that a person is
belongs to.

Another example of an inequality based on power, and inequality based on access to resources, is that of Lina in Dhaka, who is discussed in (Allen, J (2014, p.174) . Supermarkets have a great deal of power in the factory industry, whereby work is outsourced to other countries due to cheaper labour. Because costs of products are driven down in the UK in an attempt to outsell competitors, workers such as Lina are forced to work in substandard conditions and often cannot afford to feed their families on the wage that they earn. However, there is little alternative for these workers, therefore supermarkets continue to underpay and therefore continue to produce inequality in places that provide their goods. They do not pay a wage that is sufficient, in order to keep their costs down, and in turn gain greater amounts of money because they can afford to keep prices low. Because of this, that the factory workers will continue to live in poverty while supermarkets prosper. Thus, the cycle continues and the inequality is made and remade.

A cultural example of difference is the notion of “home”.

A migrant may have a different idea of home than somebody who has lived in the same place for their lifetime. This is demonstrated in the concept of translocalism, which is a word used to describe the connections a person may feel to numerous localities (Raghuran and Erel (2014, p.157). This could refer to the connections a migrant has to the area they have migrated to, and their connections with cultural practices and members of the public, friends and family, and simultaneously the connections they feel they have to the place they have migrated from. Translocalism can be seen in the conversations had by Umut Erell with migrant mothers. (The Open University, 2015a) In this conversation, the mothers converse about the ways in which they attempt to continue to keep the cultures and practices from home relevant and practiced in their lives in the country they have migrated to. This can include practices including cooking the same food they ate in their home countries and speaking the language of their home town with their children. When making new friends, partners and colleagues, new connections are made. The mothers are connecting with new cultures but continue to have strong connections to their previous cultures. Translocalism is an example of a difference between those who have two “homes” and those who may feel as if they only have one. This difference is one which is produced based on the community someone comes from and comes to, and the movements between the two places. Therefore, society is made and remade when people travel from one place to

another.

An example of inequalities arising from habits is that of consumption habits. Consumer society bases focuses on worth being determined by someone's' ability to consume. This is a contrast with the previous industrial society, which placed worth on the jobs that a person does or the goods they produced. Consumer society is one that produces goods for people to consume because of trends and desires rather than goods that are necessary for survival. Bauman (1998) cited in Hetherington and Havard (2014, p.125) argues that the consumer society promises “choice and freedom for those...in a position to consume”. Therefore, someone who has constraints placed on the such as unemployment or disability will be viewed as having a lesser place in society than someone who is able to consume greater amounts, and most effectively. Consumer societies are more affluent societies than previous industrial societies, which is made possible by higher employment, wages and living standards. (The Open University, 2015b) However, this could generate a larger and increasingly obvious divide between those who are able to consume and those who are not. This is an example of a socially produced inequality, whereby those who are able to buy are seen as active members of a community and those who cannot are made unequal. Society is made and remade based on a person, and the community at large, and their position at that time to consume effectively.

The idea of consumption and inequality is further demonstrated in Veblen's (1899) cited in Hetherington and Havard (2014) p. 134 concept of “conspicuous consumption”. Veblen discusses the way in which people in the 19th century would buy the most updated products and products that they felt communicated status and wealth. This notion is relevant in society today, where having the latest version of a mobile phone or high end clothing can show others' that a person is able to provide themselves with items that denote affluence. In turn, those who cannot afford these items may be viewed as “lesser”, thus a difference, whereby those who have money and those who do not are seen differently, is produced. An inequality is also evident here insofar as those who cannot afford high end items may be ostracised.

To conclude, this essay has reviewed some of the ways in which inequalities and differences are socially produced, drawing on examples from Hinchcliffe and the contact hypotheses, focusing on prejudice and the effect it has on affluence, and in turn how this creates inequality. It has gone on to discus segregation, and the differences in the notion of home, and how migrant mothers attempt to include home practices in their new countries. It has also explored the role supermarkets play in continuing to perpetuate inequalities, and the ways in which consumer habits play a role in determining who is different or unequal. Drawing on strands from Making Lives (Allen and Blakely, 2014, p.113) and Connecting Lives (Clarke and Woodward, 2014, p.1). This work has sought to provide understanding in some of the ways that society influences and produces differences and inequalities, and how society continues to be made and remade.