Social Stratification

Social Stratification
A system by which a society ranks

categories of people in a hierarchy
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Basic Principles
A trait of society
Doesnt reflect individual differences, but
societys 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

Social stratification based on ascription, or birth
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 worlds societies are caste
systems.
Caste system is illegal, but elements survive.
Class Systems
Social stratification based on both birth and
individual achievement
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

Class Systems
Status consistencyThe 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.
Ideology
Cultural beliefs that justify particular social

arrangements, including patterns of inequality
Plato
Every culture considers some type of
inequality just.
Marx
Capitalist societies keep wealth and power for
a few.
Spencer
Survival of the fittest
The Davis-Moore Thesis
Social stratification has beneficial consequences

for the operation of a society
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
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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Social Stratification

A system by which a society ranks

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Persists over generations

Universal but variable

Involves not just inequality, but beliefs

The Caste System

Birth determines social position in four ways:

Social mobility for people with education

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Cultural beliefs that justify particular social

The Davis-Moore Thesis