Ezewu (1983) defined social stratification as “the categorization of individuals in different

strata as well as the way in which members of each stratum relate to one another”. Social
stratification is a hierarchy of positions with regard to economic production which influences
the social rewards to those in the positions. In nutshell, social stratification refers to
differential access to resources, power, autonomy, and status across social groups. He further
postulated that, social stratification exists in societies because of natural differences in
peoples abilities. Due to social stratification societies tend to be stable and are held together
through consensus. This academic essay therefore, will endeavor to explain how the Zambian
education system reinforces social stratification in society.

On the other hand, Kelley (1967) sees social stratification as “the relative location, horizontal
and vertical of persons towards each other in terms of the relative ranking of power, wealth
and honor within the social structure known as the society”. He further state that, a stratified
society is one marked by inequality by differences among people that are evaluated by them
as being lower and higher.

Davis and Moore (1945:242) argue that, all societies need some mechanism for insuring
effective role allocation and performance. This mechanism is social stratification which they
see as a system which attaches unequal rewards and privileges to the positions in society.
Therefore, they concluded that social stratification is a device by which societies insure that
the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified persons.

As stated above, Furze, et al (1997) adds that, there exists some social differentiation in all
human societies. Thus, societies are divided into ranks corresponding to the social positions
they have for their individual members. Thus, this ranking of people according to their
wealth, prestige or party position is known as Social Stratification.

However, social stratification separates the rich from the poor, the powerful from the
powerless. Those who possess scarce resources have a high rank and those who do not
possess them have a low rank. Our place in the social stratification system influences every
part of our lives; where we live, go to school and work; what we eat how we vote and whom
we marry. Our sexual behaviour, sports, hobbies and health are all affected by the rank
society gives us.

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Despite of the ranks people have according to their wealth, power, status etc. in societies,
however, the Zambian education system has reinforced these ranks (social stratification) in
society in the following ways;

One of the ways in which the Zambian education system has reinforced social stratification is
through enhancing equal educational opportunities for both lower and higher class. This is
because social stratification is regarded as a source of gender inequality in every society.
Thus, children are not open to equal educational opportunity even with the compulsory and
free education provided for them. Some children from low socio-economic class with natural
endowment do not have equal access to qualitative education but rural and ill equipped
schools (Coleman et al, 1966).

However, Bourdon (1976) argues that there are two ways of removing the secondary effects
of stratification. The first involves the educational system. If it provides a single compulsory
curriculum for all students the element of choice in the selection of course and duration of
stay in the system would be removed. The individual would no longer be influenced by his
courses and remain in full time education for the same period of time. He said that more the
branching points there are in the educational system point at which the student can leave or
choose between alternative courses the more likely working class students are to leave or
choose lower level courses.

In addition, the public schools which are free are not properly funded to reflect the right
standard to deliver the right tutelage to the students. If society had an equal need for all types
of education, then all its members would be equal. Therefore, the Zambian education system
has reinforced social stratification in society such that, there is equality education in both
classes of societies.

Furthermore, the Zambian Education system creates the conditions for the reproduction of
inequality, that is, education helps to justify in people’s minds a system of inequality and to
reconcile them to their own position within it.

Due to the natural differences in people’s abilities, social stratification is naturally inevitable.
This is because social stratification is influenced by social inequality. According to
(Crossman, 2014), social inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities

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and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society. Thus, the
Zambian education exists and removes unequal distribution of opportunities which therefore
greatly reinforces social stratification in the society.

As long as most people believe that education gives everyone a fair chance to prove their
worth and as long as privilege and disadvantage are widely believed to stem from fair
competition in the educational arena, then inequality may appear to be justified by different
levels of educational attainment. Thus, social stratification is reinforced within the society.

The Zambian Education system has helped to determine life chances of individuals within the
society. This implies that, people are found in different social classes which determine the
probabilities concerning the fate people expect in life. From before one is born until one is
dead, opportunities and rewards are affected by class position. In addition, Durkheim (1976)
asserts that, education helps to maintain social roles or order of individual in society. This
therefore, will help to reinforce social stratification in the society.

Furthermore, Bowles et al, (1976) postulate that, education is one of the agents of social
mobility and thus influences a person’s future economic status in society. The higher the
level of education of an individual, the higher his chances of occupational opportunities. This
means that education has the ability to influence a person’s future status in society.
Consequently, a person who has attained higher level of education is likely to have higher
chances of getting good jobs, which in return, determines an individual’s social class.

According to Durkheim (1976), moral values are the foundations of the social order and
society is perpetuated through its educational institutions. This therefore, implies that
students learn these values because their behaviour at school is regulated until they gradually
internalize and accept them. In this way, social stratification has been reinforced.

In addition, those with high achievement will be trained for the most important jobs and in
reward, be given the highest incomes. Those who achieve the least, will be given the least
demanding (intellectually at any rate, if not physically) jobs, and hence the least income.
Therefore, education achieves its purpose by maintaining the status quo, where lower-class
children become lower class adults, and middle and upper class children become middle and
upper-class adults.

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Furthermore, the Zambian education system believes that inequality is inevitable and
desirable and plays an important function in society. This is because social stratification is
based on individual success. Important positions in society require more training and thus
should receive more rewards. Social inequality and social stratification, lead to a meritocracy
based on ability (Crossman, 2014).

This meritocracy is based on personal merit, meaning individual’s place in society is earned
rather than given. This is true to a certain extent in Zambia since we live in a capitalistic
society which means that it is dominated by an individualistic mentality. Therefore, through
education inculcated to individuals, people strive to be the best by having a profit motive and
that itself causes some of them to be successful. When people are successful in the capitalistic
society, they place themselves further up in the hierarchy. Therefore, successful people have
an upward movement in the hierarchy (upward mobility). Successful people often become
wealthy and therefore, they are placed in the middle high or upper class of society.

In addition to the above, education is a sound investment that is expected to enhance the
economic growth of individuals. It is a known fact that education is a strong factor of social
mobility. This means that education has the ability to influence a person’s future economic
status in society. Consequently, a person who has attained higher level of education is likely
to have higher chances of getting good jobs, which in return, determines an individual’s
social class. It is very clear that children of higher socio-economic class are better opportune
to attend the best schools and colleges and have better chances of going to tertiary institutions
and Universities. This situation tends to create the socio-economic problems in the society,
thereby, widening the gap between the rich, elites on one hand, and the poor, as well as the
illiterates on the other hand.

In conclusion, social stratification as stated earlier is the system of which society ranks
categories of people in a hierarchy. This ranking is based on individual’s socioeconomic
position in society. Therefore, it conjures different levels of inequality in society and the
education system in modern capitalist societies legitimizes and perpetuates this inequality.
Nevertheless, the Zambian education system has the ultimate role in placing its individuals in
their respective categories. Consequently, Educators cannot expect this to change unless they
employ multicultural pedagogy and curriculum taking into consideration all the inherent lack
of opportunities that the different economic and status groups face and work consciously to
bridge those gaps.

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 REFERENCES

Bourdon, P. (1976). “Systems of Education and Systems of Thought” in School and

Capitalism: A sociological reader. London: Open University Faculty
of Education Studies.

Bowles, S. and Gintis, H. (1976). Higher Education in the U.S.S.R. Moscow: Novosti Press
Agency Publishing House.

Coleman, J. S., and Campbell, E. Q. (1966). Equity of Educational Opportunity. Washington,

D.C.: National Center for Educational Statistics.

Crossman, A. (2014). Education Sociology: Disciplines of Sociology Of Social Inequality.

New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Davis, K., and Moore, W. E. (1945). Some principles of stratification. London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul Limited.

Durkheim, E. (1976). Education and Sociology (4th Ed). New York: Free Press.

Ezewu, E. (1983). Sociology of Education. Lagos, Longman.

Furze, B. and Healy, P. (1997). Understanding society and change (2nd Ed). Melbourne:
Macmillan Education Australia.

Kelley, R. (1967). Schooling in Capitalist America. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

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