What is Social Stratification?
Social stratification is a concept used by social scientists to describe social standing. Social stratification in sociology describes how societies categorize people based on wealth, income, race, education, and power. As a rule, society's layers, made up of people, are unevenly distributed in terms of resources. In the social structure of stratification, society views the people with more resources as being at the top. Keep reading to learn about the detailed explanation of what is social stratification?
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Theories of Social Stratification
One of the social stratification examples can be found in the Indian Caste system. Societies divided according to social class are known as stratified societies. Today's stratification is fundamentally different from stratification in primitive societies. Two phenomena are involved in social stratification:
(i) Classification of individuals or groups based on shared characteristics, wherein some rank higher than others.
(ii) A ranking based on certain criteria.
In different societies, stratification is defined by different factors. In most societies, stratification is a system of economic inequality based on wealth, the net value of assets and income, the income earned from wages or investments. Social standing is frequently determined by how rich, or poor someone is, but there are other important factors to consider as well. A society's cultural beliefs often reinforce inequalities of stratification. Wisdom and charisma, for instance, are valued in some cultures, and those who possess them are revered more than those without these skills. The elderly are respected in some cultures yet disparaged or ignored in others.
Characteristics of Social Stratification
Social: Stratification represents social inequality. It is true that factors such as physique, intelligence, age, and sex often define status. Such differences, however, cannot account for why some statuses enjoy a greater degree of power, property and prestige.
Ancient: Stratification is an ancient system. It was present even when people wandered in small bands. There were main determinants of stratification based on age and gender. Nearly all ancient civilizations had differences between the rich and poor, the powerful and the humble, the free and the slave. Throughout history, social philosophers have been deeply concerned about economic, social, and political inequalities.
Universal: The concept of social stratification is universal. Everywhere there is a gap between the rich and the poor, the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Stratification is rampant even in nonliterate societies.
Consequential: There are consequences to the stratification system. Because of stratification in human life, the most desirable and rarest things are distributed unequally. Two kinds of consequences result from the system:
(i) Life chances: Life chances include factors such as infant mortality, life expectancy, disease, separation, and divorce.
(ii) Lifestyle: The term 'lifestyle' includes a variety of factors, such as housing, residential area, education, recreation, parent-child relations, modes of transport, etc.
Nature of Social Stratification
Inequality has been a problem for centuries due to stratification. As a result of closed stratification systems, these inequalities become institutionalized and rigid. People born into a certain economic and social caste or stratum stay in this caste until they die. Most industrialized nations have open class structures. Despite the possibility of social mobility in open stratification systems, many members of the population cannot realize their full potential. As a result of stratification, individuals and groups find themselves ranked more or less stable in the hierarchy of social status.
Elements of Social Stratification
There are some common elements in all stratification systems. These elements are differentiation, ranking, evaluation, and rewarding.
Status Differentiation: The process of status differentiation is how social positions are differentiated and defined by assigning them a distinct role.
Ranking: Society ranks people so that we can find the right person for the right job. Rankings are based on:
(i) Personal characteristics such as intelligence, aggressiveness, politeness, and accountability are thought to be essential for learning and performing the roles effectively.
(ii) The skills and abilities that are considered necessary for the role to be performed adequately, such as surgical, numerical, or linguistic abilities.
(iii) The general nature of the task, such as difficulty, cleanliness, danger, etc.
Evaluation: In addition to differentiating and ranking, the evaluation process reinforces it. In contrast to the ranking method, which revolves around more and less, the evaluation method centres around better and worse. Evaluation is a personal and societal attribute. Everyone assigns a relative worth, a preference, and a priority to everything in their lives. Evaluation is a learned skill, and a consensus tends to develop within a culture, with people sharing similar values. Understanding this societal dimension is key to the stratification of evaluation.
Rewarding: In terms of good things in life, differentiated, ranked and evaluated statuses are allocated differential rewards. Different rewards are given to socially differentiated units such as families, social classes, and occupations. The benefits of having a prestigious position include health care, education, and income.
Hopefully, this well-written article has comprehensively covered all about social stratification in sociology along with its characteristics and theories.
FAQs on Social Stratification
1. What is social stratification in simple terms?
Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people into a hierarchy based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and power. It is not about individual inequalities but a system that structures unequal access to resources and opportunities for entire groups. This system is a characteristic of society as a whole and tends to persist over generations.
2. What are the four major types of social stratification?
Sociologists generally identify four main types of social stratification, each differing in the level of social mobility they permit:
Slavery: An extreme form of inequality where some individuals are owned by others as property. It is a closed system with no mobility.
Caste System: A closed system where social standing is determined by birth and is lifelong. This system is common in parts of India and is based on heredity, with strict rules about occupation and social interaction.
Estate System: A system prevalent in feudal Europe, where the hierarchy was divided into three main 'estates': the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners. It allowed for limited social mobility.
Class System: An open system based on both birth and individual achievement (meritocracy). Social standing is influenced by economic position, and social mobility is more possible than in other systems.
3. What are the main characteristics of social stratification?
Social stratification has several key characteristics:
It is a trait of society: Stratification is a societal feature, not a reflection of individual differences. For example, children from wealthy families have structural advantages over those from poorer backgrounds.
It is universal but variable: While all societies have some form of stratification, the criteria for ranking (e.g., honour, wealth, power) and the level of inequality vary significantly across cultures and time.
It persists over generations: A person's social position is often passed down from one generation to the next, a concept known as social reproduction.
It involves beliefs and justification: Every system of inequality is supported by an ideology or a set of cultural beliefs that justifies its existence as fair or natural.
4. How do Karl Marx's and Max Weber's theories on social stratification differ?
The primary difference lies in the dimensions they used to analyse stratification. Karl Marx proposed a one-dimensional view, arguing that social class was the single most important factor. He saw society divided into two main classes based on their relationship to the means of production: the bourgeoisie (owners) and the proletariat (workers). In contrast, Max Weber offered a three-dimensional perspective. He argued that social stratification is a result of the interplay between three distinct factors: Class (economic position), Status (social prestige or honour), and Party (political power). For Weber, a person could rank high on one dimension but low on another.
5. Can you provide some real-world examples of social stratification in Indian society?
In India, examples of social stratification can be seen in both traditional and modern forms. The caste system is a historical and deeply entrenched example of a rigid stratification system based on birth (ascribed status). Although legally abolished, its social and cultural influence persists, particularly in rural areas. A more modern example is the class system, which is prominent in urban India. Here, society is stratified based on achieved factors like income, level of education, and type of occupation, leading to distinct upper, middle, and lower classes with vastly different lifestyles and opportunities.
6. Why do sociologists consider social stratification a fundamental aspect of society?
Sociologists consider stratification fundamental because it influences nearly every aspect of social life, from life chances to daily interactions. There are two main perspectives on why it exists:
- The Functionalist Perspective: This view suggests that stratification is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented and qualified people. By offering greater rewards (like money and prestige) for these roles, society motivates individuals to strive for them.
- The Conflict Perspective: This view argues that stratification is not functional but a system of oppression. It is a result of conflict between groups, where the powerful exploit the less powerful to maintain their advantage and hoard resources, leading to social inequality and instability.
7. How does the concept of social mobility relate to social stratification?
Social mobility is the movement of individuals or groups between different positions within a society's system of social stratification. The concept is crucial for understanding how rigid or fluid a society's hierarchy is. Stratification systems are often categorised based on their degree of mobility:
- Closed Systems: These systems, like the caste system, allow for very little or no social mobility. A person's social position is fixed by their ascribed status (birth).
- Open Systems: These systems, like the class system, theoretically allow for significant mobility. A person can change their social position through their own efforts and achievements (achieved status).
Therefore, social mobility is the dynamic aspect of a stratification system, indicating the opportunity for individuals to change their life chances.
