7-6i4":iw+[-'

1.{

'

.,-rr

..I

Course Name: Introduction

Contents
This Presentation contains What do we understand by stratification .r Systems of stratification .:. PersPectives on stratification

to SocloEogY
Topic: Soclal $tratification
{E

By
Ms. Farzana Mahbub

.:. Feminization of PovertY

.i

Underclass

.r Life chances .r Social MobilitY

Meaning of stratification
r The term social inequality describes a condition in wfrictr members of society have different
societY. Some u*ouniu of wealth, prestige, or power' d*gr.u of social inequality characterizes every

r These unequal regards are evident not ' oniii"in-'ini-?ittti6ution of wgalth and'
Stratification wavs in which one generation passes on in.qrjtitius to- tne next, producing iioiipt or"p.opt. arranged in rank order' irom low to high. all : Stratification is universal in of social fo-rm io.i"iiut maintain some

,.6*., but even in the distressing. ;;dlit/ rates of imPoverished involves the
.o*ruiiti.t.

i*.r

on a r When a system of social inequality is-based it as to f,i.iut.f,v'of groups, sociologists..refer entire of stratification: a structured ranking

Btt

;;;fi;";i

peopte

that

perpetuates unequal
u

".on'o*i.

rewards and power

tot'"*'rrr,

'n

on inequality among members' Depending contd.

knowledge, skill in hunting, beauty, tradirig expeftise, oi' abiiity tO provide

healtir care.

its values, a society may assign people to distinr:tive ranks based on their religious

s Stra;ification is a crucial subject of soc ological investigation because of its per',rasive influence on human interactions anrj institutions. It results inevitably in sor:ial inequality, because certain groups of pecple stand higher in social rankings, cc ntrol scarce resources/ wield power, and

receive treatment. The consequences of stratification are evident in the unequal distribution of both wealth and income in industrial societies. The term income refers to salaries and wages. In contrast, wealth is an inclusive term encompassing all person's material assets, including land, stocks, and other types of propefi.

Sgrsten,

s of Sts'a,tification
purposes

r th.a! is

r The four general syster-ns of stratification examined here are slavery, castes, estates, and social classes -as ideal types
u.sefy]

stratification system may include elementi of more than one type. To understand these systems better, it may br: helpful to review the distinction between achieved status and ascribed sta.tus Ascribed stafus is a social position contd.

for

cf

analysis. Any

.
.

person attains largely through his or her own efforts. The two are closely linked. S/avery The most extreme form of legalized social inequality for individuals and groups is s/avery. What distinguishes this oSoressive 'enslaved

without regard for the person,s uniqui talents or characteristics. In contrast, achieved status is a social position that a

assigned

to a

person by society

system

individuals are owned by other people, who treat these human beings as propefi, just as if they were household pets or appliances
contd.

of

stratification

ts that

practiced. In ancient Greece, the main source of slaves was piracy and captives of war. r Although succeeding generations could inherit slave status, it was not necessarily permanent. In contrast, in the United States and Latin America, where slavery was an ascribed status, racial and legal barriers prevented the freeing of slaves.

Slavery has varied in the way

it has

been

; Today, the Universal Declaration Human Rights, which is binding on

of
all

members of the United Nations, prohibits slavery in all its forms. yet around the world, millions of people still live as slaves. Slavery also exists in Europe and the United States, where guest workers and illegal immigrants have been forced to labor for years under terrible conditions, either to pay off debts or to avoid being turned over to immigration authorities.

india there are foulr major castes, ciil"O varnas. A fifth category of outcastes, referred to as untoucnatbs or the Aijit,,ii considered to be so.lowly ald unclean"ai. t9 l.?yu..no pFce witnin ttiis system- of stratification. There are also mahv minor castes. Caste membership is an dscribed

Castes Qstes are hereditary'.ranks that are usually religiously dictated, and that tencl to be fixed and immobile.'The caste :ystgT is generally associated with Hinduism in India and other countries. in

marry within that caste. s In. recent decades, industrialization and urbanization have weakened lndia,s rigid caste system,

assume the same position as their parents). Each caste' is quite sharply defined, and members uru 'erp.&ed to

status (at

automatically

birfli,

children

z Estates A third type of stratification system, called estates, was associated with feudal societies during the Miildle Ages. The estate system, -or feudalism, required peasants to work land leased to '
contd.

categorizes about 1 the

to

in this model are the lower-middle cl

class,

usive clubs and

lhe lower

20 to 25 Percent
class, 35

such as doctors, They pafticiPate

and take leadershiP roles

work or must make paying 6ork. This class lacks both wt inion,e and is too weak politically to

affluent
school

ofessionals (such \.5:lem-entar hers and nurses), owners of sma and a sizable number of clerical

le not all members of this varied hold deqrees from a college/ the qciaf:of sending their childr
about 40 to as people who blue-collar jobs.
than security, they tend to identify with

ASS

invol United

Of the five classes, the

of the United States,

classhe populationlar manual or members of this

working size. In involved in the

.A{cial

aiiievd some degree of

'

class is one of the independent or e(olanatorv variables most frequently Oy s6cial scientists to shed light on
'usbO

Perspectives on Stratification : Sociologists have hotly debated stratification

Karl Marx's View of Class Differentiation

r Mary was concerned with
stratification in all types of human societies. But his main focus was on the effects of economic inequality on all aspects of 19h-century .Europe. The plight of the working class made him feel that it was imperative to strive for changes in the class structure of
society.

and social inequality and have reached

varying conclusions. On theorist stressed the significance of class for society-and for social change-rnore strongly than Karl Manx. Marx viewed class differentiation as the crucial determinant of social, economic, and political inequality. In contrast, Max Weber questioned Marx's emphasis on the

overriding importance of the economic sector/ and argued that stratification should
be viewed as having many dimensions.

r In Max's view, social relations duri;rg any

period of history depend on who controls the primary mode of economic production, such as land or factories, Differential access to scarce resources shapes the relationship between groups.

Using this type of analysis, Marx examined social relations within capitalisman economic system in which the means of production are held largely in private hands and the main

incentive

for economic activity is

contd.

the

of profits. Max focused on the two classes that began to emerge as the feudal estate systEm declined, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie, or capitalist class, owns the means of 'production, such as factories and machinery; the proletarr'at is the working class. In capitalist societies, the * members of the bouroeoisie maximize profit in competition witlr other firms. In the process, they exploit workers, who must exchange their labor for subsistence wages. In M6rr's view, members of each
accumulation
class share a distinctive culture.

/,

r According

Marx, exploitation of the proletariat will inevitably lead to the destruction of the capitalist system, because the workers will revolt. But first, the working class must develop class consciousnessa subjective awareness of common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about social change. In contrast, the classconscious worker realizes that all workers are being exploited by the bourgeoisie,
and have a common stake in revolution.

to

For Marx, class consciousness was paft of d collective process in which the proletariat comes to identify the bourgeoisie as the source of its oppression. Revolutionary leaders will guide the working class in its struggle. Ultimately, the proletariat with over throw the rule of both the bourgeoisie and the government and will eliminate private ownership of the means of production. In Marx's rather utopian view, classes and oppression with gease to exist in the post
revot utionary

worIdGES .tT-v

v
r Manx failed to anticipate
the emergence of labor unions, whose power in collective bargaining weakens the stranglehold that capitalists maintain over workers. Many workers have come to view themselves as individuals striving for improvement within free societies that offer substantial mobility, rather than as downtrodden members of a social class who face a collective fate. Finally, Marx did not predict that Communist Party rule
established and later overthrown in the former Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe. Still, the Marxist approach to the study of class is useful in stressing

the

importance

determination of social behavior and the fundamental separation in many societies between Wvo distinct groups, the rich and the poor.

of

stratification

as

would

be

contd.

('

Social Mobitity
r The term social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups flom one position in u ,oli.ry,, ^ stratification system to another. For

..

Kinds of Sociat Mobility

Social mobility is of two types: YSfiggt Social Mobitty, unO Horizontat Sociat Mobitity. pitirim Sorokin'-td 1ii1

(i)

become a big industrialist and so on.

example, the poor peopie may become rich, farmers rnay become ministers, a petty businessman may

to distinguish berween horizontafind(0 Vertical Mobility refers to the movement people ".,ti..i of of groups from one status to anotner. ti cnange ,!^gtltt,

nr#'-slciiogisr

#o'iil.

the opposition to that ofthe,uting-ciJss*' Jo's"ition or """

contd.

froh.r the poor iiuri" to the middle- class, frbm 'the o.fupation that of the bank crerrs-, rioln-i[; of the laborers to

,occlpation o! porygr. For example, the rnovement of

oeoole

iiiilr[i

;il;

y:*,,:.l.Bbitity can atso invotve movins oown warcl in a society,s stratificatioi

system.

ranse

(ii) Horizontal Mobility is a chanqe in position without the cha'nge i, rt indicates a change in positii,' witiin me

iiii.i.

engineer working in.a faCory mairZsign "Ia,iirjr.. from his job and join ancth6r factory an engineer and rnay work in rnore as or less

of the itatus.' rJi

un

may, teave l:1*l as a teacher. anotner

the same capbcity. Simifiify, 'one'scriooi

to' join