Chapter 4: Theories of Global Stratification

Stratification - refers to the arrangement or classification of something into different groups.

Global Stratification - the categories of a different hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in
the societies around the globe. This hierarchical structure often results in unequal access to resources,
opportunities, and privileges.

Social stratification - refers to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals or groups in a society based
on various social, economic, and cultural factors.
- Hierarchical arrangement and organization of social categories that develop into a social group
together with status and their equivalent roles.

KEY FEATURES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION INCLUDE:

Hierarchy: Social stratification involves the ranking of individuals and groups in a society. Some people
or groups have higher status, power, and resources, while others have lower status and fewer
resources.

Inequality: Stratified societies exhibit unequal distribution of resources, such as wealth, income,
education, and healthcare. This inequality can lead to disparities in living standards, life chances, and
overall well-being.

Social Mobility: Social mobility refers to the ability of individuals or groups to move up or down the
social hierarchy. In a socially mobile society, people can change their social status based on factors such
as education, career success, or other achievements. In less socially mobile societies, one's position may
be more rigidly determined by factors like birth or inherited characteristics.

Occupational Differentiation: Occupations often play a crucial role in social stratification. Certain
professions or trades may be associated with higher prestige, income, and social status, contributing to
the overall hierarchy.

Power and Authority: Social stratification is closely linked to power and authority. Those at the top of
the social hierarchy often have more influence and control over decision-making processes, whether in
politics, economics, or other spheres of life.

Cultural and Social Capital: Besides economic factors, social stratification can be influenced by cultural
and social capital. Cultural capital includes non-economic resources such as education, knowledge, and
cultural skills, while social capital involves social networks and relationships that can provide
advantages.
Max Weber formed a three-component theory of stratification in which social difference is determined
by class, status, and power.

 Class is a person’s economic position, based on birth and individual achievement. Weber's
concept of class incorporates wealth, property, income, and economic opportunities
 Status is one’s social prestige or honor, which may or may not be influenced by class. Status
refers to the social honor or prestige that individuals or groups enjoy in society. It is often
associated with lifestyle, education, family background, and other non-economic factors.
 Power is one’s ability to get one’s way despite the resistance of others. This dimension includes
political power, but also extends to other forms of influence within social structures. Power can
be derived from various sources, including political office, social connections, expertise, and
organizational leadership.

THREE REASONS WHY RICH COUNTRIES CONTINUE TO BE ON TOP

1. Higher rates of saving among the wealthy
2. Accumulation of assets
3. Invested a large amount of equity in businesses, stocks and other financial assets, which have
handed them disproportionate benefits.

PERSPECTIVES ON STRATIFICATION
Stratification is generally analyzed from three different perspectives: micro-level, meso-level, and
macro-level.

1. Micro-level analysis focuses on how prestige and personal influence create inequality through face-
to-face and small group interactions. For example, the more physically attractive a person is, the more
likely they are to achieve status in small groups.

2. Meso-level analysis of stratification focuses on how connections that involves looking at institutions,
organizations, communities, or other intermediate social entities produce inequality. For example, in
educational institutions, participation in extracurricular activities, such as sports or clubs, can
contribute to a student's social and personal development. However, students from families with
limited resources may face barriers to participation due to costs associated with uniforms, equipment,
or transportation.

3. Macro-level analysis of stratification considers the role of international economic systems in shaping
individuals’ resources and opportunities (global level / nations to nation’s inequality). For example, at
the macro level, there is significant global income inequality, where certain regions or countries have
much higher average incomes than others. This is often attributed to historical factors, economic
systems, and global trade dynamics.
THEORIES OF MACRO-LEVEL INEQUALITY
There are three dominant theories that sociologists use to consider why inequality exists on a global
scale.

1. Theory of development and modernization - argue that poor nations remain poor because they
hold onto traditional attitudes and beliefs, technologies and institutions. According to this theory, in
the modern world, the rise of capitalism brought modern attitudes, modern technologies, and
modern institutions which helped countries progress and have a higher standard of living.
Modernists believe economic growth is the key to reducing poverty in poor countries.

2. Dependency theory blames colonialism and neocolonialism (continuing economic dependence on

former colonial countries) for global stratification. Countries have developed at an uneven rate
because wealthy countries have exploited poor countries in the past and today through foreign debt
and transnational corporations (TNCs). According to dependency theory, the key to reversing
inequality is to relieve former colonies of their debts so that they can benefit from their own industry
and resources.

3. World systems theory suggests that all countries are divided into a three-tier hierarchy based on their
relationship to the global economy, and that a country’s position in this hierarchy determines its own
economic development. In this model nations are divided into core, semiperipheral, and peripheral
countries. Core nations (e.g. the United States, France, Germany, and Japan) are dominant capitalist
countries characterized by high levels of industrialization and urbanization. Semiperipheral countries
(e.g. South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, India, Nigeria, and South Africa) are less developed than
core nations but are more developed than peripheral nations. Peripheral countries (e.g. Cape Verde,
Haiti, and Honduras) are dependent on core countries for capital, and have very little industrialization
and urbanization.

SOCIAL CLASSES ACCORDING TO KARL MARX

Karl Marx, an economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, journalist, revolutionary socialist, and
philosopher, was born in Trier to a middle-class family.
The key to understanding Marx is his class definition. A class is defined by the ownership of property. In
Marx’s view, social stratification is created by people’s differing relationship to the means of production:
either they own productive property or they labor for others. He believed that the "class" relationship
to production was more important than the "social status" or "Stand."
Whereas, Max Weber argued that "class" is determined by economic position, in contrast to "social
status" or "Stand” which is determined by social prestige.
The term "class" is derived from Latin classics, used by census takers to categorize citizens by wealth and
military service obligations.
Four classes according to Karl Marx
1. Capitalists, or bourgeoisie - own large capital and use the labor of the poor.
2. Workers, or proletariat - produce more for the capitalist but do not own the production.
3. Petite bourgeoisie, which owns sufficient means of production but does not purchase labor power.
4. The "Dangerous class," or Lumpenproletariat - the social scum that is passively rotting mass thrown
off by the lowest layers of the old society."

THREE SOCIAL CLASSES IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. The Upper class has high personal income, inherited wealth and economic influence;
2. The Middle class are the small businessmen, teachers, merchants, traders with modest income;
3. The Lower class has earning low incomes with a little or no savings; some are unemployed.

Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein - American sociologist born in 1930, is renowned for developing world-
systems theory, a comprehensive framework for studying social change within the global system of
nations.
- . Wallerstein argues that neocolonialism, a new form of Western colonialism, has replaced old forms of
colonial domination with long domination achieved through economic and political means.

THE TRIPARTITE WORLD-SYSTEM

Wallerstein's hierarchy divides the world into three units:
core, peripheral, and semi-peripheral.
- Core nations dominate the economic structure and maintain dominance through their richness
in production and distribution.
- Peripheral nations provide agricultural products, luxury goods, raw materials, and cheap labor,
serving as geographically located posts to protect trade routes between the core and peripheral
regions. Periphery areas cannot stand independently without core nations, and their
domination methods can range from colonialism to anti-colonial imperialism and economic
dependency.
- Semi-peripheral nations act as intermediary trading areas between core and peripheral regions,
with small manufacturing sectors and capital accumulation. These regions are essential for
maintaining global economic stability and stability.

HEGEMONY - refers to the dominance or control that one group or state exercises over others, often in
the context of politics, economics, or culture.
- refers to those situations in which one static combines economic, political, and financial
superiority over other strong states, and therefore has both military and cultural as well as
economic and political power.