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A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy
“All animals are equal, but some are just more equal than
others.”
-- George Orwell, Animal Farm
Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.
On the Titanic social class meant more than the type of accommodations; it was the difference between life and death
Social stratification persists over generations.
Most children grow to be in the same social position as their parents
Social mobility – change in one’s position in a social hierarchy
Horizontal movement – exchange one occupation for another that is comparable
Social stratification is universal but variable.
What is unequal and how unequal it is varies from society to society
Prestige Wealth Power
Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs.
Society’s explanation for why inequality exists.
What is that explanation in US society?
Meritocracy– stratification based on personal merit; one gets what one earns.
Caste – A closed system; allows for very little change in social position
Class – An open system; permit social mobility
Stratification based on ascription or birth
traditional caste groups are linked to occupation, so that generations of families perform the same type of work.
endogamy – marriage to those of the same social rank; often mandatory and necessary for the caste system to continue
guides everyday life so that people remain in the company of “their own kind”
rests on powerful cultural beliefs
Caste systems are most often found in agrarian cultures
The Example of India Brahman (religion) Kshatriya (protection) Vaishya (business) Sudra
(untouchables)
These divisions are most evident in the rural areas of the country; but, past stratification has led to continued inequality.
Social stratification based on individual achievement
more open so that people who gain schooling or skills may experience some social mobility
people seen as entitled to “rights” rather than one particular social standing
people remain unequal, but stratification based on talent and effort
classes much less well defined than castes
Status Consistency – degree to which a person’s social standing matches across various dimensions of social inequality (wealth, power, prestige)
Status inconsistency – dimensions of social inequality do not quite match up
Meritocracy
United States
United Kingdom
Japan
Former Soviet Union (USSR & Russian Federation)
China
The Davis-Moore Thesis Social stratification has beneficial
consequences for the operation of society.
The greater the importance of a job, the greater the rewards
Unequal rewards benefit society because those who perform the most important jobs will then work longer, harder, and better
Karl Marx Social Stratification benefits some people and
disadvantages others.
Capitalist societies reproduce the class structure in each generation
Eventually, the working class will rise up and overthrow the capitalist class creating a socialist society.
Max Weber Social stratification involves three dimensions
of inequality:
Class Status (social prestige) Power
Stratification is a factor that guides peoples interactions in everyday life.
Conspicuous consumption – buying and using products because of the “statement” they make about our social position
Dimensions of social inequality
Income – earnings from work or investments Wealth – the total value of money and other
assets, minus outstanding debts Power Occupational prestige Schooling
www.dopejam.com/bop/STATS/prestige.html
