Social Stratification: Class, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sex

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

CLASS

RACE

ETHNICITY

GENDER

SEX

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN EDUCATION

GROUP 3MEMBERS:

VIEANNA KHADAN

VASHTI SANCHEZ

CHRISTINA SOOKDEO

SHERRY-ANN SARRAN

ROSEMARIE WILSON-MANSINGH

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

R. W. Murray defines social stratification as, “arrangement of any social group or society into hierarchy of positions that are unequal with regard to power, property, social evaluation and psychic gratification ”.

The division of society into classes, categories or ranks.

Division in society, leads to social inequality

Most common divisions are:

CLASSRACE

ETHNICITYGENDER

SEX

Unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards

Closed system: movement = impossible-

Caste System:

Scarce resources and social rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed statuses

Slavery: Has economic basis

Class system:

Distribution of scarce resources and

Rewards is determined on the basis of achieved statuses.

Open system: movement =possible

SOCIAL INEQUALITY

SOCIAL CLASS

(Newman, 2013, p.319)

A social class is a group of people who share a similar economic position in society based on their wealth and income.

Class is essentially, therefore, an economic stratification system.

CLASSClass can change throughout your

lifetime. It is based on achievement (social

mobility)Exogamy Ownership in means of

production(WHO)Conflict theories-Capitalist

(Bourgeoisie) and Labourer (Proletariat)

Three aspects to determine social class:

WEALTH

POWERPRESTIGE

Wealth -Depending of the strata you belong to access to materials and resources will be limited or enhanced.

Power – teachers have power over their students, they help shapes the lives of children.

Prestige- children with parents with high income levels are viewed highly than the (labour workers)

Social Mobility Social mobility refers to the movement

within the social structure, from one social

position to another. (Changing social status)

Types of mobility Vertical Horizontal

IMPACT ON EDUCATION

Exploitation- lack of equal resources in schools, means children do not all have enriched experience.

Family settings are different also. Lack of skill and effort in children education will determine the job level they will have.

Conflict theory Power –taking control of society (taking

advantage of the working class) Proletariat

Functionalist theory Every jobs in society needs to filled. Your

efforts determine your job level.

RACE

RACE DEFINED: There are no biologically “pure” races.

RACE- Is a category of people who share inherited physical characteristics and whom others see as being a distinctive group

Racial social stratification is built upon idea that social differences are linked with hereditary characteristics which differ between races.

A Brief History of race

Race did not exist until the European expansion and exploration beginning around 1500 until then.

People were divided on the basis of religion, class, language or status.

A Brief History of race

Historically scholars have placed people into three groups:1. Caucasians-fair skin and straight or wavy hair

(whites)

2. Mongoloids-yellowish or brownish skin with distinctive folds on the eyelids (Asians)

3. Negroids-dark skin and tightly curled hair (blacks)

However, this well known classification system has difficulty describing the complexity of race.

WHO AM I?

Social Status and Effects of “Race”

Life chances

Where you live

How you are treated

Access to wealth, power and prestige

Access to education, housing, and other valued resources

Life expectancy

The Social Construction of Race

Race is important because of the social meaning people have attached to it.

Race is a social construct based on how people define themselves and others on physical and social characteristics.

Racial classifications are a function of how people define, label and categorize themselves and others into groups.

A majority group – is one that is culturally, economically and politically dominant.

A minority group – is one that is culturally, economically and politically subordinate.

CHALLENGES FACED

equal access to health care, educational opportunities, treatment in the criminal-justice system, environmental racism.

assimilating into a foreign society, learning English, open discrimination, hate crimes.

Strategies for Ending Inequality

Antidiscrimination laws: outlaw discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Affirmative action laws: require employers, schools and others to increase the representation of groups that historically have experienced discrimination.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS A TEACHER!

ETHNICITY

ETHNICITY The word “ethnicity” is of modern origin. In

America, it appears to have been used for the first time in 1941 in W. Lloyd Warner and Paul S. Lunt’s “The Social Life of a Modern Community”.

Warner used ethnicity in the sense of a trait that “separates” the individual from some classes and identifies him with others.

DEFINING ETHNICITY Ethnicity - belonging to a group that shares the same

characteristics, such as country of origin, language, religion, ancestry and culture.

Ethnicity: refers to membership of in a culturally- and geographically defined group that may share language, cultural practices, religion, or other aspects.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT… People of the same race can be of different ethnicities. For

example, Asians can be Japanese, Korean, Thai, or many other ethnicities. 

IDENTIFYING ETHNICITY GROUPSAn ethnic group is a socially distinct population that shares a

common language, culture, and a way of life. These groups are committed to the ideas, norms, and material things that constitute that way of life.

They can be identified through ‘ethnic traits’ such as: Diet Burial

customs Dance, music Pottery forms, and

styles of decoration Shared common history Architecture Language Clothing, hairstyles Religion, rituals

ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS

Race and ethnicity are often incorrectly used interchangeably due to the notion of them being “minority groups”.

Minority group is a sociological term for a group that experiences discrimination, social disadvantages and strong self-consciousness as a result of discriminations.

Not all minority groups are racial and ethnic groups, and not all racial and ethnic groups are minority groups.

IMPACT ON EDUCATION Ethnic minorities experience racism, they are stereotyped,

and often left alone in school and classroom activities.

Ethnic minorities have a different culture that advantages or disadvantages them (eg. Different language, cultural practices and belief systems)

Most ethnic minority groups have higher parental and pupil educational aspirations,

more positive attitudes to school,

do more homework

but do teachers notice this and guide and support them accordingly?

IMPACT ON EDUCATION

Ethnicity is a variable affecting educational attainment.

Without a doubt, prior knowledge (i.e. ethnicity & culture) may effect one’s learning style.

Instructors should be sensitive to the different learning styles and vary their teaching styles accordingly.

IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

Teaching styles should attempt to match learning styles

Material should be culturally relevant to the learners

Group activities Cultural recognition/appreciation Parent-teacher communication

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

According to Banks (1988),

“Every child comes to school with an ethnic identity whether

these identifications are conscious or unconscious. This

identification must be recognized and respected by the

teacher. The point here is to acknowledge differences rather

than ignore them. It is equally critical that the children

recognize and appreciate their own ethnicity and learn to

appreciate those of the other children in the class.” (p. 43)

Something to remember…DIFFERENTIATING RACE AND

ETHNICITY People COULD adopt any culture (ethnicity)

regardless of ancestry (race), but they do not.

People of common ancestry (race) tend to have similar culture (ethnicity)

• Thus, it is important not to blur the lines between “race” and “ethnicity” since they are logically different.

SEXSEX = MALE AND FEMALES

DEFINING SEX

Refers: To the biological and physiological

characteristics that define men and women.

Biological and anatomical differences between men and women. Including the primary sex and the secondary sex.

TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY

Male and females are sex categories, while masculine and feminine are gender categories.

Some examples of sex characteristics:Women menstruate while men do not. men have testicles while women do not. Men generally have more massive

bones than women.

Generally speaking, men have had, and continue to have, more physical and social power and status than women, especially in the public arena. 

Sexism has also caused women to feel inferior to men, or to rate themselves negatively.

EDUCATION

2/3 of all the illiterate people in the world are women.

In many countries women are not allowed to be educated.

In the US however, there has been a trend towards more women in higher education.

EMPLOYMENT

Women are generally found in all the lowest and jobs while men are often paid higher.

In comparable positions in the workplace, for example, women generally receive lower wages than men.

QUESTION

How to you think societies viewed men and women?

Answer – society view men/women in terms of:Differences Unequal – (place, work, personalities, traits, ideas and virtues).

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM MEN AND WOMEN?

GENDER

GENDERWhat is Gender? According to Mustapha (2009),gender refers to the social,

cultural, emotional and psychological construction of masculinity and femininity.

What is Gender about? Social roles and relations between men and women in the

society It affects all parts of our lives (social, economic and

political) It changes over time and vary according to geographic

location and social content

GENDER It is what we expect men and women to do and

behave It is about how power is used and shared

As a result there are: Acceptable gender roles Gender stereotyping for masculinity and

femininity Gender stratification (division of labour) Gender bias Gender inequality

True or Stereotyped? Girls- socially aggressive, gossiping, cooperative Boys- problems solvers, competitive, athletes

Girls- afraid of failure, better at Language and Literature

Boys- risk takers, better in Math and Physics

Girls- friendships conventional, intimate and personal Boys- friendship is a common activity

IMPACT OF GENDER ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Feminization of Teaching

Having equitable access to society’s resources, including socially-valued goods, rewards and opportunities

Boys or girls may adopt gender-stereotyped beliefs which can decrease academic engagement and achievement

The perception that certain subject areas, such as math, science and computer science, are male domains has an effect on career choices

IMPACT OF GENDER ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Students are channeled into gender appropriate subject areas by parents, teachers, or the community.

The introduction of the National Curriculum made boys and girls study mostly the same subjects which aids to remove gender inequality.

Equal participation in influencing what is valued, shaping development directions and distribution opportunities.

QUOTE

“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” 

― Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume