SS - Social Stratification 101 Lesson
Social Stratification 101 Lesson
One of the biggest factors in determining the survival of a passenger on board the Titanic turned out to be social class. Those people traveling with a more expensive ticket were much more likely to find themselves aboard the few lifeboats available as the Titanic sank. Why? A quick answer would be to look at the cultural norms prevalent on board. Because of the way gender, age and wealth were viewed at that time, top priority for the coveted spots on the lifeboats was given to those of a certain gender, age and wealth. The passengers who boarded the Titanic were ranked just as people living in all societies are. What is this ranking and how is it determined?
Social stratification is a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. Some factors used include income, wealth, power, occupational prestige, and schooling. Essentially, social stratification is based on the distribution of these factors. While the factors vary from place to place, there are certain characteristics that are universal. First, social stratification is a feature in all societies. It began as societies became more complex and certain positions were afforded more prestige than others. As such, it is not a reflection of individual qualities and abilities but of the society itself. Second, social stratification carries over from one generation to the next. As an inherent character of all societies, the hierarchy of positions is passed along to each generation in the same way that other cultural norms are. Third, while social stratification is universal it is also variable. This means that while all societies rank people, by what and how varies. (In some societies a person with a higher level of education outranks a person who makes more money and vice versa.) This is also true regarding the number of inequalities present in a society. Some cultures have more while others have less. Lastly, just as the what and how varies in determining social stratification, so does the why. Different societies have different reasons behind their social stratification.
Often when we talk about social stratification, we refer to the hierarchy as one of two types of systems. In a caste system, the social stratification operates as a closed system which means that there is little opportunity to change one's social position within the society. A caste system relies on rigid and strong cultural beliefs that insist upon people remaining at a certain social position by guiding their lives through a form of caste segregation. Members of a caste are expected to limit primary relationships to only those of the same caste that are often determined at birth (an ascribed status). Examples of this type of social stratification can be found in India where caste is determined through religion and birth or in South Africa where caste is determined by race. While both of these countries have taken steps to outlaw the caste system officially, remnants of this type of social stratification still exist due to the powerful cultural beliefs upon which they rely. The other type of system of social stratification is an open system and is referred to as a class system. Class systems rely on both ascribed statuses (those positions determined at birth) and individual achievement. A society that bases its social stratification or class system on individual achievement is a meritocracy. People are ranked within the society according to their knowledge, abilities and efforts and they expect different rewards based on their own performance. Meritocracies emerged with the rise of the Industrial Revolution as a means of improving productivity and efficiency. Despite an increased reliance on personal merit for determining social stratification, class systems still have a component based on ascribed statuses. Consider the United States as an example. While most sociologists agree that the United States rewards productive and efficient people through social mobility and a rise through class rankings, they also acknowledge the existence of "glass ceilings" that prevent too high of a rise based on gender or race. In both caste and class systems, people experience a degree of social mobility in their lifetimes- that degree to which their status can change is known as status consistency. In a system with a high degree of uniformity in a person's status, such as a true caste system, the status consistency is labeled high. In a system with a low degree of uniformity in a person's status (meaning a person experiences more mobility), the status consistency is labeled low.
There is a third type of society with regards to social stratification- the classless society. Existing in those societies that followed Karl Marx's advice and set up an economy that eliminated private ownership, the classless society is supposedly free of social stratification. Do not forget the first characteristic of social stratification listed in this lesson. That it is a trait of society. While the social stratification in these supposedly "classless societies" is not based on the same elements that are found in caste or class systems, there is still social stratification. Often the hierarchy is based on political power instead. Therefore, the classless society is really more of an ideal type than one that can actually be found as real.
Social Stratification
So why is it that even in a supposedly "classless society" social stratification makes an appearance? Why is social stratification a trait of society in general? And how does social stratification lead to social inequality? Watch the below presentation to answer these questions.
Social Stratification Video
Watch the Video on Social Stratification.
Social Stratification Review Activities
Before you take your Social Stratification Quiz, work through the following activities as a review.
Indicate the responses by dragging cards into their correct category placeholder.
In order to prepare for your key terms quiz, work through the crossword puzzle below.
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