SOCIAL

STRATIFICATI
ON
Another characteristic feature of Caribbean societies,

indeed of almost all societies, is Social Stratification.

WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION?

This refers to a system operating in a particular society which

ranks the population into social classes or groups arranged in

a hierarchy.
 The ranking involved in social stratification indicates that some groups have
more and some have less of what the society values. For example: money,
power and/prestige. Thus, they are unequal.

 Wealthy groups occupy the highest position in the social hierarchy. The
different levels of the hierarchy are called social hierarchy.

 The lowest strata, generally occupied by the poorest groups, have low status.
 India's caste system is the oldest form of surviving social stratification.

 A good example of a country that promotes social stratification in the

essence that groups in society are unequal and ensures that this pattern of

inequality continues from one generation to the next is the Caste System that

was brought to the Caribbean by the Indentured labourers and is still

considered a feature of some societies today.

 WHAT IS THE CASTE SYSTEM?

 The Caste System was a system that was based on ascriptive status,

which depends on birth rather than achievements.

 A person born into a caste (a position in society based on family

lineage) was expected to marry another member of that caste (a

practice referred to as endogamy).

 Family lineage defined one’s status in terms of ethnic purity, which

involved keeping oneself separate from those of other caste.

 Family lineage was also associated with inheritance of wealth, power

and prestige.
THE CASTE SYSTEM
 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION UNDER
SLAVERY
 In the plantocracy, skin colour provided a clear indication of social rank.
 The white planter class dominated society. Though small in number, they
controlled the economy.
 The free coloured ranked second, due to their skin colour and the fact
that one parent was from the planter class. They had some economic, but
lacked political power
 There were also hierarchy among the enslaved, with domestic slaves

considered more privilege than the field workers.

 They would be able to cook the master’s food, care for his children,

and be given more tolerable living conditions.

STRATIFICATION IN
CONTEMPORARY

CARIBBEAN
 Society still has an upper, middle and lower class, but these are perceived

as being based on achieved criteria, this is relating to wealth, power and

prestige.

 The middle class consists of professional who have experienced upward

social mobility but may not own land or possess large amounts of capital.
 SOCIAL MOBILITY
 SOCIAL MOBILITY allowing a person to move from one social position to
another, exists in a stratification system that is considered to be open.

 Individual, particularly women, may acquire skills or education and find a

job that enables upward social mobility.

 In an open stratification system, position is based on meritocracy, that is on

what the person achieves, rather than the class into which they were born.