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Module 5: Physical Activity and Income/Social Class

Module 5, Part 1

Objectives
● To explain differences between income and social class.
● To understand social mobility.
● To understand physical activity disparities by income and
social class in Canada.
● To understand types of physical activity participation by social
class.
● To identify barriers to physical activity among low
income/social class populations.
● To explain strategies that aim to provide equitable
opportunities to be active.

Income and Social Class

• Income = Amount of money received through paid labour
and/or investments.
• Social class =
ing incomea
grouping
based on social factone,
set
in
a

• Implies a shared standard of living based on these social

factors.

• Social class impacts how much power and prestige individuals

have.
the same class share similar chances
• people in life
~opportunites
• Share opportunities to succeed and gain economic power,
 health, physical activity (or not).

• Social classes exist in all industrial countries.

whole
->
society
• Systemic social inequalities in life chances/ opportunities
always exist.
• success is not
always a direct
result
of how hand
we work
3 What idea
does this of offcut-outcome reflect?
What are the social classes in Canada? umeratonacy rugged
individuals
• Upper, middle, lower à social gradient in health.
• consistantassociation between social class position
status
and health

Upper Class more healthy live

->
longer than lower class
• Wealthiest and most powerful class.
• Powerful: corporate leaders whose decisions affect job status
of millions.
• Have control over their lives and their economic positions
gives them power to control others’ lives.
• Examples
o Own media companies that shape our identity.
o Start charitable organizations that influence the social
causes we support.
o Contribute to political parties who protect their economic
interests.

• Upper class can be further subdivided into:

o Old money: Inherited wealth, passed along to the next
generation.
o New money: Wealth earned by oneself.
o Less social connections than old money circles.
Middle Class
• Most tend to have a minimum of a bachelors or two-year
college degree.
• corrportis a descriptor
key
• Work hard and have fairly comfortable lives.
• White collar jobs, including being lower-level managers, and
highly skilled blue collar workers.
• White collar workers:
o Performs non-manual labor/tasks (not physically
demanding).
o salaried

• **Name comes from traditional white, button-down shirts

worn by professionals. The white shirts are easily soiled and
therefore distinguish the workers who "do not get their hands
dirty."

• Blue collar workers:

• Performs manual labor.
• hourly wage

• Can be further subdivided into:

Upper middle class
o Bachelors or postgraduate degrees.

comesallowingholidaysee
compilable
o

o Children receive quality education.

Lower middle class

o Bachelors or associates degrees (community or technical
 colleges).
o Hold jobs supervised by upper middle class.
o Decent lifestyle but struggle to maintain it.
o More likely to lose their jobs and thus their grip on being
middle class.
o also threatened in recent
years by higher
taxes, education costs, shelter
costs
a called 'middle class
squeeze'
Lower Class
• Have less education and usually earn smaller incomes than the
middle class.
Working class
o Perform blue collar jobs requiring little skill or experience
with benefits (e.g., holidays, sick days).
o Perform routine tasks under close supervision.
o Blue collar work; hourly wage.
o Physically demanding (blue overalls).

o Perform pirstair collar low

occupations payingre
o E.g., ??? held
by women
o Arose: i
receptionists, waitresses, nannies
o Women in industrialized countries entered the
workforce to earn their own income.
o Kept out of blue and white collar jobs by physical
requirements and discrimination, many women found
ways to take their domestic skills into the world of paid
work.

Working poor
o Perform blue collar jobs requiring little skill or experience
without benefits.
o Free planters, construction workers, misses
seasonal temporary
nusually a
 o many have not graduated from high school
o Even if they work full time, they earn less than a living
wage. afford adequate good, shelter, other necess
o = amount needed to meet basic needs (food, shelter,
-
cues

clothing) and participate in community life.

by location and number of family
2 varies
members
Underclass
o Live mainly in inner cities.
o Unemployed or underemployed (low pay for basic tasks).
o Homeless.
o Rely on government assistance (food, medical care,
housing).

Social Mobility
• Ability to change social class positions.
• a high degree of social mobility, upwards on
downwards
exist
-
suggests thatequal opportunities
for all pple
• Intergenerational mobility: differences in social classes
between
family generat
• Intragenerational mobility: differences in social classes
between different members of the same generation.
• Structural mobility: societal changes enable a whole group of
people to move within the social ladder.

How does social mobility happen?

• If equality of opportunities exist,
exthersaccessreadswouldsee
to

• Social class standing does not impact the relationship between and merit
to achieve
efforts/merit and rewards. that rewards
• Alternative viewpoint: equality of opportunities is a myth,
aimed to keep people motivated to work hard…
• …and gets them to not see social inequality; instead as a lack
of personal efforts or merit.
• Ideology of equality of opportunities is a mirage that masks
inequality in society.

• In Canada, a little bit of both exists – are

social mobilities
and some of opport
inequality
• Action: Does social class matter to being physically active?

____________________________________________________
_______________________

Module 5, Part 2

Objectives
● To explain differences between income and social class.
● To understand social mobility.
● To understand physical activity disparities by income and
social class in Canada.
● To understand types of physical activity participation by
social class.
● To identify barriers to physical activity among low
income/social class populations.
● To explain strategies that aim to provide equitable
opportunities to be active.

Social Mobility
• Action: Does social class matter to being physically active?
• yes. Social classes do nothave equal opport.
unde"differentparticipation
rates
activities
I have distincttypes of physical
that
they participate
in
Participation in Physical Activity and the Upper Class
1) Social exclusivity: