In every society, some people have a greater share of valued resources – money, property, education, health, and power – than others. Patterns of unequal access to social resources are commonly called social inequality. Some social inequality reflects innate differences between individuals, for example, their varying abilities and efforts. Someone may be endowed with exceptional intelligence or talent or may have worked very hard to achieve their wealth and status. However, by and large, social inequality is not the outcome of innate or ‘natural’ differences between people but is produced by the society in which they live.
_____________ has identified social resources in three forms of capital- economic capital, social capital and cultural capital.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu argued that people's position in society is shaped not only by economic capital (wealth and income) but also by social capital (social networks and connections) and cultural capital (education, knowledge, language, tastes and skills).
NCERT: "In every society, some people have a greater share of valued resources – money, property, education, health, and power – than others. These social resources can be divided into three forms of capital – economic capital in the form of material assets and income; cultural capital such as educational qualifications and status; and social capital in the form of networks of contacts and social associations (Bourdieu 1986). Often, these three forms of capital overlap and one can be converted into the other. For example, a person from a well-off family (economic capital) can afford expensive higher education, and so can acquire cultural or educational capital. Someone with influential relatives and friends (social capital) may – through access to good advice, recommendations or information – manage to get a well-paid job.