Egalitarian Society, Social

Inequality and Social

Stratification

Elbernezer Andrew
SOC143 (9:30 – 10:30)
 Learning Outcomes
• To Highlight the difference between
egalitarian society, social inequality and
social stratification.
Egalitarian Society
 Egalitarian Society
• A society where all members of a society is equal.
• Everyone is on the same level. There is no
such thing as rich or poor, working class,
middle class and upper class. Wealth, prestige
and power are shared equally.
 Egalitarian Society
Does Such Society exist ?
• No! It is not in existence. It is just a figment of
most people’s imagination. It does not exist
because human societies – traditional or modern-
are characterised by some from of inequality.
 Egalitarian Society

• Nevertheless there are societies that are very close

to or can be consider egalitarian.
• Hunting and gathering societies are the most
egalitarian. Hunters and gatherers tend to be egalitarian
because there are hardly any opportunities in small
scale environment for any accumulate wealth.
• However, they are not totally free of inequalities. Adult
men enjoy higher status than women and children. For
instance, better hunters are held in higher esteem
than others.
 Egalitarian Society
• Large Scale societies without wealth
accumulating opportunities; for example,
communities tend to be more egalitarian than
capitalist societies. They are so because they
are deprived of these opportunities, segments
of the population within a large scale society.
• Peasants, industrial workers , or pastoral
labourers are most likely than other to have
equality among themselves ( Howard, 1993)
Social Inequality
 Social Inequality
• It is a form of unequal distribution of wealth,
power, prestige, opportunities and influence
among individuals and groups.
• Simply put as the existence of socially created
inequalities.
In every societies, there is inequality throughout.
 The Three Basis for social
equality
• Power: The degree to which individuals or groups can
impose their will on others, with or without their consent.
• Prestige: relates to the amount of esteem or honour
associated with social positions , qualities of individuals and
styles of life.
• Wealth: material possessions defined as valuable in
particular societies. For example, land, livestock,
buildings, money and many other forms of property owned
by individuals or social groups
Social Stratification
 Social Stratification
It is one form of social inequality
• The presence of distinct social groups which are
ranked one above the other in terms of factors
such as prestige and power.
• A system whereby society ranks categories of
people in a hierarch of classes.
 Social Stratification
• Based on the first definition of social
stratification, one can say that social stratification
is a form of social inequality that was created
whereby the patterns of inequality are intimately
related to the social structure and continues over a
long period of time.
 Social Stratification
How social Stratification may occur.
• The basis of access to scare resources, assets or
property.
• For example, Tim’s family have access to a lot of lands ( 30
acres) compared to Tiffany. Trish may have more access to gold,
money or property than Jaime because she was born to
privileged
• The basis of age, gender, race, caste and religion.
• Women are considered to ranked lower in the stratification
system compared to men because of gender. Also, they like
young children are dependent on others financially and in some
cases physically.
 Social Stratification
• Social stratification is said to exist where everyone is born
equal but some are more privileged as they have greater
access to socioeconomic and political resources, status and
power.
• People are placed in specific class because they share
common interest and identity.
• Share similar lifestyle, which will differentiate them from
the other members of different strata
 Social Stratification
How they are ranked
• They are rank based on the criteria that are deemed
important to members of society. Criteria such as: Age,
gender, sex, race, ethnicity, etc.
• Social stratification is not solely based on economic
differences between groups but also on factors such as
prestige and status.
• For example, the ruling class in any society possess more wealth
than lower class. As a result, they have more economic power
resulting them making mostly all the decision about the economy.
• During slavery the whites had more wealth and as a result they
controlled all the institutions as well as the enslaved and they made
all the decisions, laws, and rules to suite their interest.
 Reference
• Chinapoo, C., James, N.,& Lee-Paisley. ( 2014) Cape
Sociology: Unit 1&2. Pearson
• Haralambos, M., & Holborn, M. (2009). Sociology: Themes
and perspectives. London: Collins.
• Mohammed, J. ( 2013) Sociology for CAPE examinations.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
• Mustapha, N. ( 2013) Sociology for Caribbean Students
( 2nd ed) Carlong Publishers.