Social Stratification

Sociology, 12th Edition by John MacionisCopyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Social Stratification

A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy


Basic Principles

• A trait of society– Doesn’t reflect individual differences, but

society’s structure

• Persists over generations– Social mobility happens slowly.

• Universal but variable– While universal, it varies in type.

• Involves not just inequality, but beliefs– Ideologies justify existence of social

stratification.


The Caste System

• Birth determines social position in four ways:– Occupation– Marriage within caste– Social life is restricted to “own kind.”– Belief systems are often tied to religious

dogma.• Many of the world’s societies are caste

systems.• Caste system is illegal, but elements

survive.

Social stratification based on ascription, or birth


Class Systems

• Social mobility for people with education and skills

• All people gain equal standing before the law.

• Work involves some personal choice.• Meritocracy: Based on personal merit

Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement


Class Systems

• Status consistency–The degree of uniformity in a person's social standing across various dimensions of social inequality.

• A caste system has limited social mobility and high status consistency.

• The greater mobility of class systems produces less status consistency.


Caste and Class Systems• Aristocratic England: Castelike system of

aristocracy.– First estate: Church leaders– Second estate: Aristocracy– Third estate: Commoners

• The United Kingdom Today– Caste elements still evident.– Commoners control the government.– Mixed caste elements and meritocracy.


• Japan • Nobility, samurai, commoners, burakumin

(outcasts)

• Former Soviet Union– Feudal estate system– Russian revolution “classless society”– Perestroika “restructuring”

• China– Economic change– A new class system

Caste and Class Systems


Ideology

• Plato– Every culture considers some type of

inequality just.

• Marx– Capitalist societies keep wealth and power

for a few.

• Spencer– “Survival of the fittest”

Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality


The Davis-Moore Thesis

• The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it.

• Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best.

• Positions a society considers more important must reward enough to draw talented people

Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society


Karl Marx: Class and Conflict

• Most people have one of two relationships with the means of production.– Bourgeoisie own productive property.– The proletariat works for the bourgeoisie.

• Capitalism creates great inequality in power and wealth.

• This oppression would drive the working majority to organize and overthrow the capitalism.


Why No Marxist Revolution?

• Fragmentation of the capitalist class

• Higher standard of living

• More worker organizations

• More extensive legal protections


Was Marx Right?

• Wealth still remains highly concentrated.

– One percent of the population owns 40% of the property

• White-collar jobs offer no more income, security, or satisfaction than factory work did a century ago.


Was Marx Right?

• Current workers’ benefits came from struggle.

– Workers have lost benefits recently.

• Ordinary people still face disadvantages that the law cannot overcome.


Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power

• Socioeconomic status (SES)– Composite ranking based on various

dimensions of social inequality

• Class position– Viewed classes as a continuum from high to

low

• Status• Power• Inequality in history


Stratification and Interaction

• Differences in social class position can affect interaction.

• People interact primarily with others of similar social standing.

• Conspicuous consumption refers to buying and using products because of the "statement" they make about social position.


Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective

• Hunting and gathering societies

• Horticultural, pastoral, and agrarian societies

• Industrial societies

• The Kuznets curve

– Greater technological sophistication generally is accompanied by more pronounced social stratification.


Social Stratification

• Vonnegut: An egalitarian society can exist only if everyone is reduced to the lowest common denominator.

• Davis-Moore thesis: Class differences reflect variation in human abilities and the relative importance of different jobs.

• Marx: Inequality causes human suffering and conflict; social stratification springs from injustice and greed.

Social Stratification

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