Week 4

8.1 What Is Social Stratification

Social stratification: a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy.

1. Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.

The human often thinks of social standing in terms of personal talent and effort, because of this
humans often exaggerate the extent to which we control our own fate.

2. Social stratification carries over from generation to generation.

We can look at our parents to see that stratification is a trait of societies rather than individuals.
Some people experience social mobility. (a change in position within the social hierarchy.) it can be
upward or downward.

3. Social stratification is universal but variable.

Social stratification is found everywhere. In some societies, inequality is mostly a matter of prestige.

4. Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well.

Any system of inequality not only gives some people more than others but also defines these
arrangements as fair.

8.2 Caste and Class Systems

Closed systems are called caste systems and open systems are called class systems.

The Caste System

Caste System: a social stratification based on ascription, or birth.

A pure Caste System is closed because birth alone determines a person’s entire future.

It has little or no social mobility. The Caste position determines chances in life. Socialization and
marriage in same group. Typical for agrarian societies: it stimulates people to stay in their caste and
do the work needed.

Caste and Class systems:

Caste system Class system Meritocracy

A social Social stratification Social stratification

stratification based based on both birth based on a personal
upon ascription or and individual merit
birth. achievement
The Class system

 Typical for modern economies where people are stimulated to develop different talents
 Schooling and specialization offer possibility for social mobility
 Different social groups have equal chances
 Sometimes different social standing within one family.

The process of schooling and specialization gives rise to a class system. They are more open than
caste systems.

Categorizing is wrong. Greater individuals also translates into more freedom in selecting a marriage
partner

Meritocracy

The concept of meritocracy refers to social stratification based on personal merit. Merit means in
Latin ‘earned’. A pure meritocracy has never existed., but in such a social position would depend
entirely on a person’s performance.

Typical for industrial societies where people expect unequal rewards for individual performance.

Caste societies define merit in different terms, emphasizing loyalty to the system- that is performing
whatever job comes with the social position a person has at birth.

Status Consistency

Status Consistency: the degree of uniformity In a person’s social standing across various dimensions
of social inequality.