Discussion: Social stratification in the society

We, as a society had figured out the need to have a somewhat hierarchical structure in our society. From an authoritative parental figure and obedient children in a nuclear family, to members of the parliament and common citizens in a nation. Everyone plays their role in the society to make things in our everyday life work.

Now, why did that happen?

For that, we need to understand what is social stratification and its importance.

There are differences in how we act towards the elderly and with the children.

1.0 The Importance of Social Stratification to the Society

Social stratification performs several functions which are useful and essential for the society. Moreover, it is not a classification of individuals based on their attributes but an established system of classifying groups. Functionalists are primarily concerned with the function of social stratification and its contribution to the maintenance and well-being of the society.

According to Davis Moore, a major function of the stratification is to match the most able people with the most important position in the society.

Next, social stratification encourages hard work. The main function of social stratification is to make the people of upper strata to work hard and to live up to their positions and status. Pearson argues that American society values the achievements and efficiency of individual and puts emphasis on hard work and productive activity within the economy. Thus, a successful business executive who has achieved the position through his own hard work ability gets encouraged to keep up the hard work and maintain his position in society. His example encourages others to work hard. Social Stratification provides motivation for different positions, particularly those which carry higher statuses and rewards.

Besides that, social stratification helps the process of pursuit of different profession. Society needs both manual and non-manual workers. Some professions and jobs are not attractive to the trained or ‘refined’ people because they are socialized to aspire for certain jobs. The socialization, values, and attitudes of the people act as reasons behind the pursuit of different professions and jobs. The people belonging to various classes and groups of people come forward to join different professions and jobs.

Other than that, social stratification provides motivation to acquire a position. Different social positions offer different opportunities and emolument. Those positions which are higher also offer better conditions and positions. People always try to get higher position in society. In the absence of stratification, individuals cannot be expected to get motivated for occupying certain positions.

Lastly, Social stratification is also justified on the ground that all positions do not involve same responsibilities. Those positions which have higher and more responsibilities should be given higher statuses and only then they can attract suitable individuals to occupy them.

We cannot justify an equal status to the prime minister and a secretary. Each position, therefore, has its own importance for society and according to this importance; it requires certain type of recognition.

1.1 Principles of Stratification

According to some researchers, there are four principles are posited to underlie social stratification. First, social stratification is socially defined as a property of a society rather than individuals in that society. Second, social stratification is reproduced from generation to generation. Third, social stratification is universal (found in every society) but variable (differs across time and place). Fourth, social stratification involves not just quantitative inequality but qualitative beliefs and attitudes about social status (Ritzer & Ryan, 2011, pg. 622–624).

1.2 System of Stratification

There are five categories of stratification system mentioned in the presentation; the caste system, the class system, the estate system, the slavery system, and finally, meritocracy.

Firstly, caste systems are closed stratification systems in which people can do little or nothing to change their social standing. A caste system is one in which people are born into their social standing and will remain in it their whole lives. People are assigned occupations regardless of their talents, interests, or potential. There are virtually no opportunities to improve a person's social position. Although the caste system in India has been officially dismantled, its residual presence in Indian society is deeply embedded. In rural areas, aspects of the tradition are more likely to remain, while urban centers show less evidence of this past. In India’s larger cities, people now have more opportunities to choose their own career paths and marriage partners. As a global center of employment, corporations have introduced merit-based hiring and employment to the nation.

Secondly, class system is based on both social factors and individual achievement. A class consists of a set of people who share similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation. Unlike caste systems, class systems are open. People are free to gain a different level of education or employment than their parents. They can also socialize with and marry members of other classes, which allows people to move from one class to another. In a class system, occupation is not fixed at birth. Though family and other societal models help guide a person toward a career, personal choice plays a role. In class systems, people have the option to form exogamous marriages, unions of spouses from different social categories. Marriage in these circumstances is based on values such as love and compatibility rather than on social standing or economics. Though social conformities still exist that encourage people to choose partners within their own class, people are not as pressured to choose marriage partners based solely on those elements.

Thirdly, slavery system is any system in which principles of property law are applied to people, allowing individuals to own, buy and sell other individuals, as a product form of property. A slave is unable to withdraw unilaterally from such an arrangement and works without remuneration. Slavery existed in many cultures, dating back to early human civilizations. A person could become enslaved from the time of their birth, capture, or purchase. Slavery was legal in most societies at some time in the past, but is now outlawed in all recognized countries.

Other than that, the estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the medieval period to early modern Europe (Bernhard, 2001). Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed and evolved over time. The best known system is the French Ancien Régime (Old Regime), a three-estate system used until the French Revolution (1789–1799). Monarchy was for the king and the queen and this system was made up of clergy (the First Estate), nobles (the Second Estate), and peasants and bourgeoisie (the Third Estate). Furthermore, the non-landowning poor could be left outside the estates, leaving them without political rights.

Finally, meritocracy is an ideal system based on the belief that social stratification is the result of personal effort—or merit—that determines social standing. High levels of effort will lead to a high social position, and vice versa. The concept of meritocracy is an ideal—because a society has never existed where social rank was based purely on merit. Because of the complex structure of societies, processes like socialization, and the realities of economic systems, social standing is influenced by multiple factors—not merit alone. Inheritance and pressure to conform to norms, for instance, disrupt the notion of a pure meritocracy. While a meritocracy has never existed, sociologists see aspects of meritocracies in modern societies when they study the role of academic and job performance and the systems in place for evaluating and rewarding achievement in these areas.

2.3 Theories of Stratification

There are four theories that are mentioned in the presentation. They are the Weberian Stratification by Max Weber, Social Class by Karl Marx, David-Moore Hypotheses by Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, and Three Branches of the Power Elite by C. Wright Mills.

Firstly, Weberian stratification or the three class system, was developed by German sociologist Max Weber with class, status and power as distinct ideal types. Weber developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige and power. He claims that wealth includes property such as buildings, lands, farms, houses, factories and as well as other assets (economic situation), prestige is the respect with which a person or status position is regarded by others (status situation), and power is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others (parties).

Secondly, Marxian social class theory asserts that an individual’s position within a class hierarchy is determined by their role in the production process, and argues that political and ideological consciousness is determined by class position (Parkin, 1979). A class is those who share common economic interests, are conscious of those interests, and engage in collective action which advances those interests (Edward, 1983). To Marx, a class is a group with intrinsic tendencies and interests that differ from those of other groups within society, the basis of a fundamental antagonism between such groups.

Thirdly, the Davis–Moore hypothesis, sometimes referred to as the Davis–Moore theory, is a central claim within the structural functionalist paradigm of sociological theory. The hypothesis is an attempted explanation of social stratification, based on the idea of "functional necessity". Davis and Moore argue that the most difficult jobs in any society are the most necessary and require the highest rewards and compensation to sufficiently motivate individuals to fill them. Once the roles are filled, the division of labour functions properly, based on the notion of organic solidarity advanced by Emile Durkheim. However, this argument has been criticized as fallacious from a number of different angles (De Maio, 2010).

Finally, through the three branches of the power elite in which Mills calls attention to the interwoven interests of the leaders of the military, corporate, and political elements of society and suggests that the ordinary citizen is a relatively powerless subject of manipulation by those entities. According to Mills, the eponymous "power elite" are those that occupy the dominant positions, in the dominant institutions (military, economic and political) of a dominant country, and their decisions (or lack of decisions) have enormous consequences, not only for the U.S. population but, "the underlying populations of the world.”

2.4 Global Stratification

Stratification results in inequality when resources, opportunities, and privileges are distributed based on position in social hierarchy. Global stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in societies around the world. Global social stratification is people in countries around the world experience different access to resources and opportunities and different standards of living, based on their position in the global hierarchy.

In order to discuss about the theories behind the disparities among the countries in the world, they come out with two main theory.

Firstly, some sociologists use a theory of development and modernization to argue that poor nations remain poor because they hold onto traditional attitudes and beliefs, technologies and institutions, such as traditional economic systems and forms of government. Modernists believe large economic growth is the key to reducing poverty in poor countries.

Secondly, dependency theory blames colonialism and neo-colonialism (continuing economic dependence on former colonial countries) for global poverty. 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, wealthy countries would not be as rich as they are today if they did not have these materials, and the key to reversing inequality is to relieve former colonies of their debts so that they can benefit from their own industry and resources.

3.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, in order to explain about the phenomenon of stratification, there are a lot of sub-categories that need to be explained. However, we have chosen the most commonly discussed topics among scholars and general people alike. Thus, foci such as the importance of stratification, principles of stratification, system of stratification, theories of stratification, and global stratification are being highlighted to explain further about the whole concept of stratification and social class. We hope we have achieved our goal which is to educate the mass with this simple rendition of Chapter 5: Stratification and Social Class.