SOCIAL STARTIFICATON

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
The word 'stratification' is taken from the root ‘stratum’—meaning ‘a layer’. To stratify
means form or arrange in layers, so stratification means to classify according to a graded
scale
The people in every society have different ranks as high and low, the distribution of people of
a society on the basis of occupation, caste, education, sources of income, prestige and
political power. In this way, the whole society is divided into few classes high, middle and
low, called stratification. Size of landholding in rural areas and the type of occupations in
urban areas are major criteria of stratification in Pakistan, thus Stratification differs from
society to society.
OPEN AND CLOSED STRATIFICATION SYSTEMS
An open class system is an economic system that
– Has upward and downward mobility
– Is achievement-based
– Allows social relations between the classes
– Industrialized nations tend to have open class systems
By contrast, people in a closed class system
– Has been confined to their ancestral occupations
– Their social status has mostly been prescribed by birth
– Mostly closed class systems are found in less industrialized countries
In short, in an open class system people are ranked by achieved status, whereas in a closed
class system people are ranked by ascribed status.
TYPES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
 Ethnic Stratification
 Religious Stratification
 Political Stratification
 Cultural Stratification
 Economic Stratification
 Gender Stratification
 Regional Stratification
 Racial Stratification

BASIS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Social stratification is based upon a variety of principles. So we find different types of
stratification. The major determinants of stratification are:
1. Caste
2. Class
3. Estate
4. Slavery
 5. Wealth
6. Power
1. CASTE
 The term caste is derived from the Spanish word caste meaning breed or lineage
 Caste is a hereditary endogamous social group, it is permanent group having its status
ascribed by birth, it means that in some societies, if your parents are poor, you’re
going to be poor, too.
 Its membership is unchanging. In India and Pakistan, the caste system is found. Every
person attaches himself with some caste or sub-caste, now in Pakistan there are lacs of
castes and their sub-castes. In rural areas of Punjab, one is recognized by one’s caste
only.
 Caste is closely connected with the Hindu philosophy and religion, customs and
traditions, it is believed to have had a divine origin and sanction. For example-
Brahmins, Kshyatryas, Vaishyas, Sudra Caste and untouchable.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CASTE
 The members of caste having intermarriage make a biradi, this belonging to one caste
creates social solidarity among the people.
 Caste has its own informal method of social control.
 Castes are mostly endogamous, marriage within the people of the same caste is easy
and more adjusting than between the two different castes.
 Caste is a close group and members can’t change their castes
2. CLASS
Class is a principle type of social stratification in modern civilized countries. Generally there
are three classes in a society, Upper, Middle and Lower class. For detailed study, we
sometimes classify each class in to three categories in the following ways.
UPPER CLASS: Upper Upper Class, Upper Middle Class, Upper Lower Class
MIDDLE CLASS: Middle Upper Class, Middle Milled Class, Middle Lower Class
LOWER CLASS: Lower Upper Class, Lower Middle Class, Lower Lower Class

CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASS
 A social class is essentially a status group.
 It is a universal phenomenon and present in all societies of the world.
 Basis of social classes is mostly economic. Wealth, income, property, education and
occupation play important role in determining social class.
 It contains open social system in which vertical social mobility is possible.
 In social class, members are aware and shared feeling of belonging from same class.
3. ESTATE
 Estate systems are also closed systems based largely on inheritance
 A system of stratification characterized by control of land that was common during
feudalism.
  In feudal societies the estate decides a social position. A state man who have biggest
estate is of high status and the one who possess nothing have no status.
 An ancient stratification system that no longer exists today was the estate system, a
three-tiered system composed of the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners, the
nobility was ordained to defend all, the clergy to pray for all and the commons to
provide food for all.
 During the Middle Ages, much of Europe was organized under this system.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ESTATE
 The feudal estates had three important characteristics.
 In the first place they were legally defined; each estate had a status with legal rights
and duties, privileges and obligations.
 Secondly the estates represented a broad division of labor and were regarded as
having definite functions.
 Thirdly the feudal estates were political groups.

4. SLAVERY
 Slavery had economic basis. In slavery, every slave had his master to whom he was
subjected. He became the property of his master who exploit him
 The master’s power over the slave was unlimited. It makes class of freeman and slave
 Slavery is thought to have begun 10,000 years ago, after agricultural societies
developed, as people in these societies made prisoners of war to work on their farms.
 Slavery especially flourished in ancient Greece and Rome, which used thousands of
slaves for their trade economies.
 Most slaves in ancient times were prisoners of war or debtors. As trade died down
during the Middle Ages, so did slavery.
 Slaves are one of the lowest categories in any stratification system, as they possess
virtually no power or wealth of their own.
5. WEALTH
According to Weber, status groups normally are communities. Status is determined by social
honor, or, prestige. Status groups are linked by a common style of life and the social
restrictions.
Wealth is not necessarily the primary cause of status, though it is generally associated with it.
Some forms of property ownership are connected with prestige, others are not. "Old money"
typically confers greater status than "new money." Renters usually hold greater status than
entrepreneurs, because their wealth is less visibly connected to labor.
Wealth is a key determinant of the lifestyle’ differences, upon which status depends. Weber
notes that "material monopolies are the most effective motives for the exclusiveness of a
status group." Social restrictions, such as marriage patterns, residence etc. reflect differences
in wealth and prestige.
The dignity of high status groups is always worldly. It involves their distinctive life style, as
manifest in patterns of association and consumption. Low status groups, on the other hand,
project their sense of worth on salvation hopes. Their believe is guaranteed in the life to
come. It is common for low status groups to believe that they enjoy a special relationship
with their god or gods.
Status divisions tend to codified on the basis of the distribution of economic power. When
economic stratification is relatively invariant (never changing), status differences tend to
increase.
6. POWER
Weber defines power as the ability of an actor (or actors) to realize his or her will in a social
action, even against the will of other actors. Power relates to the ability to command
resources in a particular domain. Economic power is the ability to control material resources,
to direct production, to monopolize accumulation, to dictate consumption.
Societal power includes economic power, social power, legal or political power, and so forth.
Although the control of these domains of resources usually go together, they represent
different mechanisms of power, and are conceptually distinct.

Weber argued that power can take a variety of forms. A person's power can be shown in the
social order through their status, in the economic order through their class, and in the political
order through their party. Thus, class, status and party are each aspects of the distribution of
power within a community.
Class, status and power have not only a great deal of effect within their individual areas but
also a great deal of influence over the other areas.
Wealth: includes property such as buildings, lands, farms, houses, factories and as well as
other assets.
Prestige: the respect with which a person or status position is regarded by others.
Power: the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.
According to Weber, there are two basic dimensions of power: the possession of power and
the exercising of power.
According to Max Weber, a society can be divided into three classes:
 Upper class
 Middle class
Upper middle class
Middle-middle class
Lower middle class.
 Working class
Skilled manual workers
Semi-skilled workers
Unskilled manual workers