SabrinaYip

StratificationDefinitions
Socialstratificationisessentiallyasystematicrankingofgroupsofpeoplethat
establishesimbalancedpowersandeconomicgainsinsociety.Thus,socialclassisreflectiveof
whereindividualsfitinthehierarchicalstructure.Therearefoursystemsofstratification:
slavery,caste,estate,andclass.Slaveryisthemostintenseformofinequality,andallows
ownerstodoanythingtheywantwiththethoseenslaved.Forinstance,AfricanAmerican
slavesintheUnitedStatesweretreatedpoorlyjustbecauseofthecoloroftheirskin,andtheir
darkskinplacedtheminalowersocialclass.Castesareranksthatarepredeterminedbybirth
andvirtuallyimpossibletoescape.InIndia,therearefourpossiblecastesthatanindividualis
borninto:priests,warriors,merchants,andartisans.Thereisafifthcastefortheoutcastswhoare
consideredsolowlythattheydonotfitintothecastesofsociety.Theestatesystemis
fundamentallyfeudalism,withthenoblesowningthelandsandthepeasantsworkingit.Forthe
priceoftheirworkandlabor,noblesofferpeasantsprotectionfrombanditsandenemies.This
typeofsystemwascommonduringthemedievaltimes.Finally,classsystemsaremobilesocial
rankingsthataredeterminedbyeconomicaccomplishments.Thebeliefinthissystemisthatan
individualcanacquirehigherrankingsduringhisorherlifetime.Beinginahighersocialclassin
thissystemwillprovidebetteraccesstoresourcesandmaterialsneededforfurthersuccess.Open
systems,suchastheestateandclasssystems,allowpeopletoberankedupontheirachieved
statusesinsociety.Ontheotherhand,closedsystems,suchasthecastesystemandslavery,are
virtuallyimmobileaspeopleareunabletoascendfromtheranksthattheywereborninto.Thus,
theestateandclasssystemreflectachievedstatuses,whilethecastesystemandslaveryreflect
ascribedstatuses.
AccordingtoKarlMarx,themeansofproductionincludeland,factories,machines,and
tools.Controlisviewedtobemoreimportantthanproductionaspeoplearelimitedbytheir
accesstoresources.Thesemeansofproductionareownedbythewealthyandthosewhoare
higherup.Becausetheyownthesematerials,thehigherclassesareabletocontrolthe
distributionofpowerinsociety.Forexample,inthemedievalsystemoffeudalism,thenobles
controlledthepowerastheywerethelandownersthepeasantshadnochoicebuttofollowtheir
commands.Thisunevendistributionofpowercreatestwoclasses:thebourgeoisieandthe
proletariat.Thebourgeoisieistheclassthatcontrolsthemeansofproduction,whilethe
proletariatistheworkingclass.Therefore,thebourgeoisietakeontheroleofthenobleswhile
theproletariatfilltheshoesofthepeasants.Sincethebourgeoisiearesofewthatownsomuch,
theproletariatclasswilleventuallydevelopclassconsciousness,whichistheperceptionof
commoninterestsandtheneedtobringaboutpoliticalchange.Thedisgruntledoppressedwill
eventuallycometooverthrowthesuffocatingoppressors.However,manyquestionastowhya
revolutionhasnotyethappened.Theanswerliesinthedominantideologythatthebourgeoisie
hadshapedsocietywith.Dominantideologyisthesetofculturalvaluesandbeliefsthatasociety
possessestomaintaintheeconomicpowerofthoseontop.Withwealthcomesinfluence,andthe
resourcefulbourgeoisieareabletostructuresocietyinawaythatmostbenefitsthemselves.Asa

SabrinaYip

resultofthismanipulation,manyworkershavetoovercomefalseconsciousness,ortheattitude
heldbypeopleofacertainclassthatdonotaccuratelyindicatetheirstatusorposition.
MaxWeberagreeswithMarxonsomedegree,butdisagreeswithhimonhis
interpretationofpower.InWebersperspective,classreferstopeoplewhohavesimilarlevelsof
accesstoeconomicresources.Therearetwocriticalcomponentsofclass:materialresourcesand
skillknowledge.Weberbelievesthatclassisessentiallyhowmuchyouown.SimilartoMarxs
idea,thisdefinitionidentifiedownershipasameansofproduction.However,Weberarguesthat
thisownershipalsodefinesanindividualsclasspositioninsociety.WhileMarxbelievesthat
unequaleconomicdistributionwilldiminishthevalueoflabor,Weberpointsoutthatgiven
todayscomplexsociety,technicalknowledgeintheworkplacewillbevaluedandrewardedby
employers.Weberusesthetermstatusgrouptoindicatethepeoplewhosharethesame
recognizedlevelofaccomplishment.Membersofhighlyperceivedgroupsareexpectedtolivea
certainlifestyle,suchasdoctorsandlawyers.Ontheotherhand,ifanindividualisalowly
perceivedgroup,thenheorshemayfacelimitedopportunitiesanddiscrimination.Webers
definitionofpartyistheabilitytoorganizeandachieveaparticulargoal.Thisisseenin
bureaucraciesastheyorganizethemselvesinawaythattheyareabletoattaintheirgoalsinthe
mostefficientmanner.
Culturalcapitalencompassesourtastes,knowledge,attitudes,language,andwaysof
thinking.Thisisoftenassociatedwithculturalpreferences,assomeareviewedtobeclassier
thanothers.Thisconceptofculturalcapitalreinforcespowerdifferencesandsocialstratification
assomeculturesaremorehighlyviewedthanothers.Therefore,ifanindividualexpresses
preferencesforhighercultures,itisassumedthatheorsheresidesintheupperclasses.This
skewedperceptionofcultureisaweaponofpowerashigherculturesareonlyaccessibletothe
economicallypowerful.Intermsofmaterialresources,culturalcapitalplacessignificanceonthe
tastesoftheupperclassversusthelowerclass.Mozartisseentobemorehighclass,whilerap
musicisseentobemorecommonly.Likewise,fashionbrandnamessuchasRalphLaurenor
Guccidenotesanauraofwealth,whileGapandOldNavyaremoreofthemiddleclass/lower
classstandings.Culturalcapitalcanaltersocialresourcesaswell.Forinstance,apotential
candidatemaynotpasshisorherinterviewsimplybecausetheydidnotusepropergrammaror
dressappropriately.Whattheinterviewerdoesnottakeintoconsideration,however,iswhether
ornotthisintervieweehadtheaccesstothisknowledge.Manypeoplearenotinformedofhow
oneissupposedtodressforaninterviewasthisknowledgeisusuallyreservedfortheupper
class.Culturalcapitalaffectsculturalresourcesaswell.Forexample,whendining,noteveryone
knowswhichforktousewhen.Itistheseculturalnormsthatdistinguishesclassesfromeach
other.