CH 5 SOCIETY AND INEQUALITY

CHAPTER 5: Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North America

China

• more shaped by star actions than other societies 
• Elite of Officials
• Had to take a series of exams to get you place in society
• if one failed to pass then they were shamed and brought on dishonor 
• favored wealthy 
• they were able to educate their sons
• this means their sons had a higher chance to pass the exam and become an Elite
• landlords
• prestige based on wealth and prestige of membership in bureaucracy 
• Peasants
• most of population
• rebellions
• Merchants
• disliked by elite
• able to purchase estates and educate sons
• worked with officials and landlords 

India

• Caste system
• only way to go up was to die and be reborn
• depends on karma
• made it easy for wealthy to exploit the poor

Roman Empire

• slavery=social death
• how one became a slave
• PoW
• Piracy
• trade
• natural reproduction
• abandoned/exposed children
• not associated with specific ethnic group
• did all sorts of work besides military 
• no legal rights

Patriarchies 

• gender systems change over time
• less restrictive in beginning but grew as time went on
• upperclass woman had greases restrictions 
• China
• elite was very patriarchal 
• got more rights after collapse of Han Dynasty by the Tang Dynasty 
• Empress Wu
• Daoism
• Athens & Sparta
• Athens
• women had a lot of limitations 
• restricted to home
• married old men 
• was ok with homosexuality 
• Sparta
• had a good amount of freedom
• not restricted to just homes but played a huge part in home life
• married men their age
• discouraged homosexuality 

Society still has many inequalities. Some of us fight for equality while other are stuck at this standstill. I would one day like to see a society with no inequalities but that is very unlikely in my lifetime. We as a society have made some progress but I feel like when we take a step in the right direction, we also take two steps back. People are afraid of change. Some people are afraid that if others have more rights, that means they have less. Society is fragile and can break at any moment. I just hope we keep moving forward and insight positive change.