Social Stratification
▪ Social Differences
▪ The differences between have and have-
notes are central preoccupations of
sociologists
▪ The differences are studied in terms of
three variables:
- Inequality
- Stratification
- Class
- Social Status
Social Differences (con.)
▪ Inequality: The condition(s) in which people
don’t have equal access to social rewards
such as money, power and prestige
▪ Stratification: The ways in which these
inequalities are likely to be passed from one
generation to the next producing layers of
strata of people in the society
Social Differences (con.)
▪ Social Class: existence of social groups with
unequal access to wealth, power, and
prestige, these sometimes become significant
political groups on the basis of their position in
the society
▪ Two features of social class:
▪ A. Class in itself
▪ B. Class for itself
▪ Social Status:
▪ a. Ascribed Status
▪ b. Achieved Status
Chapter Objectives
▪ The nature of relationships bw / among
different classes
▪ Explain different social class and social
relationship
▪ Identify the social process through which
the stratification systems are followed by
us as a member of a society
Systems of Social
Stratification
1. Slavery
2. Castes
3. Estate
4. Social Class
Slavery
▪ Extreme in nature but legalized system
▪ In this system human being are treated as
domestic pet
▪ Owner of the slave (Patrician) have the right
to do anything by the slave (Plebian)
▪ Mostly inherited in social practices
▪ Slave master gets the highest social position
in this stratification system comparing slave
gets the lowest
Slavery
▪ Ascribed social status practiced
▪ Social mobility: few in practiced
▪ Name, work, property rights, social status
are determined by your group identity.
▪ Examples: Ancient Greek and Roman
civilization
▪ What about modern society and slavery
system?
Castes
▪ Social stratification based on Religion or by
birth
▪ Different nature of stratification system is
practicing in South Asian society
▪ Individual name, occupation, property
inheritance, marital status are determined by
one’s caste identity
▪ There is no or little scope for changing caste
identity (Social mobility)
Estates
▪ Stratification system based on agriculture
mode of production
▪ Stratification system has great linked with
Feudalism
▪ Land is the main source of classifying
individual social identity and prestige
position
▪ No or little mobility observed
Social class
▪ Modern and different in form and nature
comparing with other stratification system
▪ Industrial society practices this type of
stratification system
▪ Hierarchical position based on individual’s
income and job status
▪ Blue collar and white collar job
▪ One has the access to change his social
position and identity by his own attainment
or achievement
Social Class
▪ Social mobility is high and society is open
for accepting one’s change
▪ Daniel Rossides class model of industrial
society
▪ Upper class 1-2 percent
▪ Upper middle class 10-15 percent
▪ Lower middle class 30-35 percent
▪ Working class, and 40-45 percent
▪ Lower class 20-25 percent
Theory of Stratification: Karl Marx
▪ Why [Link] is evaluated as not only a social
scientist but also a revolutionary thinker?
▪ Evaluated human history into diff. phases
determined by mode of production
▪ Investigated the nature of relationship between two
classes: Exploitation
▪ Feudal society
▪ Capitalist society
▪ Capitalist society and its special nature of
exploitation
▪ Development of dominant ideology and its
relation with Proletariat culture
Karl Marx
▪ Class consciousness: Awareness of common
vested interest
▪ Two types:
▪ False class consciousness: I am being exploited
by my boss
▪ True class consciousness: All workers are being
exploited by the bourgeoisie
▪ The history of all hitherto existing society is the
history of class struggles….the proletarians have
nothing to lose but their chains.
Karl Marx
▪ Different phases of human society:
- Primitive communism
- Slavery
- Feudalism
- Capitalism
- Socialism
- Communism
▪
Max Weber’s view
▪ Main focus: Class, status, power
▪ Class: refer to people who have similar
level of wealth and income
▪ Status: refer to group of people who rank
the same in prestige or lifestyle
▪ Power: ability to exercise one’s will over
others
▪ Our position reflected some combination
of class, status and power
Social mobility
▪ Refers to movement of individuals or group
from one position to another within a
society’s stratification system
▪ Related to social ranking or prestige ranking
▪ Open society and closed society
▪ Types:
▪ Horizontal mobility: change the social
position but remain the same rank
▪ Vertical mobility: one position to another of a
different rank
Vertical Social mobility
▪ Types of vertical mobility
▪ A. intragenerational mobility
▪ B. intergenerational mobility
▪ C. Stratum or structural mobility