S&C- Chapter 6: SOCIAL CLASS & GLOBAL STRATIFICATION

What is Social Stratification?

Social stratification: - the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control over
basic resources. This usually has direct connection to a person’s life chances.

Life chances: - refers to the extent to which individuals have access to important societal resources such
as food, clothing, shelter, education, & health care. This affects a person’s chances at social mobility.

Systems of Stratification
Social mobility: - movement of individuals/ groups from one level in a stratification system to another.
> Intergenerational mobility: - the social movement experienced by family members from one
generation to the next.
> Intragenerational mobility: - the social movement individuals within their own lifetime.

> Slavery: - an extreme form of stratification in which some people are owned/ controlled by others for
the purpose of economic/ sexual exploitation.
> Caste system: - a system of social inequality in which people’s status is permanently determined at
birth based on their parents’ ascribed characteristics.
> Class system: - a type of stratification based on the ownership & control of resources & on the type of
work that people do.

Social Class
-> Social Classes are usually divided into 5 categories:
(i) The Upper Class – The millionaires/ billionaires
(ii) The Upper-Middle Class – The professionals
(iii) The Middle Class – The working class
(iv) The Lower-Middle Class – The poor laborers
(v) The Lower Class – The poorest of the poor

Inequality & Poverty

Income: - the economic gain derived from wages, salaries, income transfers (governmental aid), &
ownership of property.
Wealth: - the value of all of a person's/ family’s economic assets, including income, personal property, &
incoming-producing property.

Consequences of Inequality:
- Physical health, mental health, & nutrition
- Housing
- Education
The official poverty line is based on what the federal government considers to be the minimum amount
of money required for living at a subsistence level. In 2019, the Malaysian government raised the
poverty line from RM 980 – RM 2,208.
> Absolute poverty exists when people do not have the means to secure the most basic necessities of
life.
> Relative poverty exists when people may be able to afford basic necessities but are still unable to
maintain an average standard of living.

Sociological Explanations of Social Inequality

Functionalist Perspectives
◦ Davis-Moore Thesis: inequality is not only inevitable but also necessary for the smooth functioning of
society.

1. All societies have important tasks that must be accomplished and certain positions that must be filled.
2. Some positions are more important for the survival of society than others.
3. The most important positions must be filled by the most qualified people.
4. The positions that are the most important for society must be the most highly rewarded.
5. The most highly rewarded positions should be those that are functionally unique & on which other
positions rely.

Conflict Perspectives
> People with economic & political power are able to shape & distribute the rewards, resources,
privileges, & opportunities in society for their own benefit.

Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

> The beliefs & actions of people reflect their class location in society.

Theories of Global Stratification

1. Modernization Theory
2. Dependency Theory

1. Modernization Theory
> Assumes that the economic differences among countries are due to technological & cultural
differences.
* Depends on whether country's culture welcomes innovation & makes it possible for technological
advancements to be incorporated into that society.
* Assumes that developed countries play an important role in helping the less developed countries to
modernize.
* Sees strong ties to historic traditions & religion as the greatest barriers to modernization.
* Critics believe that the modernization theory is a defense for capitalism, blaming the poor for their
poverty.
2. Dependency Theory
* Proposes that the economics positions of rich & poor nations are linked & cannot be understood in
insolation from each other.
* Global inequality is due to the exploitation of poor societies by the rich ones.
* Dependency theorists believe that the prosperity of the more-developed countries came because of
the impoverishments of other countries.

-> Critics believe

- That no systematic empirical support exists for many of the dependence theory’s basic claims; that it is
more on an ideology to inspire the poor / developing countries
- Point out that it is simplistic to believe that only one factor—capitalism—is the cause of global
inequality.
- The theory ignores other factors within a country that could produce poverty, such as corruption,
mismanagement, or the suppression of minorities.