SARDAR PATEL UNIVERSITY OF POLICE, SECURITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

PROJECT REPORT
ON
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
SEMESTER II
ASSIGNMENT 1

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

URVASHI BISHNOI DR KANIKA PANWAR
Social Stratification
 (Word limit: 800 words)

Q1. What is the social class of most of your friends? Why do you think you tend to associate
with people from this social class?  

Most of my friends come from different social class. Majority are from upper middle class, and
the rest are from middle- and working-class backgrounds. We share the same interests, values
and ways of thinking. Despite our different income levels, we’re all educated and have
intellectual interests. I feel social class is more than just about wealth or income. Your education
and mannerisms also play a role. The boundaries can be blurred at times. What is important is
that we share the same level of understanding and affinities.

My friends from upper middle class have always been willing to teach what they know and
mentor others who show desire to learn. They also tend to give a lot of money to temples and
charity. Another thing they do is constantly read and learn, at least an hour per day. They also
have great people skills and are able to explain their ideas so that people can understand and like
them. They have a lot of self-discipline, confidence, can admit when they are wrong, are not
afraid to make mistakes, and learn from every mistake they make. For them money is a tool.
Knowing how to use this tool is their primary skillset, it's what they live from. It's a game, and
it's a pleasant one because they've rigged the game so that the rules are in their favor.

My friends from working class backgrounds have a reasonable household-income, and that
spends most of this income to cover their expenses. They may have some savings, and probably
own a house, but they still live primarily from their income. To them, being "good with money"
means primarily spending wisely, that is, getting as much value as possible for their money.
Knowing how to use money is a secondary skillset, the PRIMARY skillset is whatever you do to
earn a income.

But both the middle and upper-middle class put a lot of emphasis and value on achievement and
skill, the truly wealthy "upper class" put much more emphasis on social connection and decorum.
Q2. How can bridging the global digital divide lead to a decrease in inequality across the
world? How does your ready access (or lack of access) to a computer and the Internet
impact your life chances?  

The term global digital divide means global disparities, primarily between developed

and developing countries regarding access to IT resources. The “digital divide” doesn’t
necessarily mean that people don’t have technology; it means that there is simply a difference in
technology. These differences can be high-quality computers, fast Internet, technical assistance,
or telephone services.
Major advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) combined with
the rapid growth of global networks in recent years have transformed production
processes, commerce, education, government, citizen participation and all other aspects
of individual and collective lives.

Major advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) combined with the
rapid growth of global networks in recent years have
 transformed production
 processes,
 commerce,
 education,
 government,
 citizen participation and all other aspects of individual and collective lives.

They create substantial new forms of economic growth and social development. In a knowledge-
based economy, IT is the key element, the distinction between developed and non-developed
countries will be joined by distinctions between fast countries and slow countries, networked
nations and isolated ones in the future.

Digital divide is rather a sociological phenomenon reflecting broader social, economic, cultural
and educational inequality domestically and globally
IMPACT OF INTERNET ON OUR LIFE CHANCES

1. Unlimited Access to Information

Anything we could ever imagined can be found and learned about in detail on the internet. There
are millions upon millions of websites that are dedicated to all different types of topics. This
wealth of information helps people to better understand things that they may have never thought
or cared about before.

2. Bridging the Culture Gap

People can connect to people all over the world with just a few clicks of the mouse. This has
resulted in a much better acceptance and understanding of different cultures around the world.

3. Jobs, Business, And Marketing

Ever since the commercialization of the internet, the business world has never been the same.
The ability to reach wide spanning markets, collect valuable research on potential customers, and
conduct business in other parts of the country or world, has created a virtual business boom that
no one could have for seen. Along with the business sides of things, people now also have the
ability to search and apply for jobs completely through the internet, which has opened up the
world job market to many people with valuable skills to offer.

4. Endless Entertainment
Right along the economical and financial aspects of the internet, entertainment has also been
forever changed. Any movie, music, game, books, or software that you could possibly think of is
available right on the world wide web. It has completely shifted the way that we entertain
ourselves.

5. New Connections
Dating and other social sites are a booming section of the internet, that has altered the process of
finding a partner for life. Whether it be friends or a spouse, people are making new connections
with people that they may have never met otherwise. It broadens the view of access to meet and
mingle with new people.
find a rapid increase of internet
installations and users growth in the
past few
years, however, the network
connectivity worldwide is not equally
distributed. Although
progressive network development can
be seen in those lagging behind
nations, still their
gaps to those developed regions are
significant and persisted
find a rapid increase of internet
installations and users growth in the
past few
years, however, the network
connectivity worldwide is not equally
distributed. Although
progressive network development can
be seen in those lagging behind
nations, still their
gaps to those developed regions are
significant and persisted
Q3 Define Caste? Enumerate the significant features of caste system in India.

According to E. Blunt - "Caste is an endogamous group bearing a common name, membership

of which is hereditary, imposing on its members certain restrictions in the matter of social
intercourse, either following a common traditional occupation, claiming a common origin &
generally regarded as forming a single homogenous community.

The features of a caste system itself consist the degree of superiority and a sense of inferiority
amongst people of different classes.

1. Endogamy:
Endogamy is practicing marriage function in the same caste and it has been followed in
India till now up to maximum extent. It is a vital feature of the caste system.

2. Occupation and association:

Hereditary Status and Hereditary occupation are the basic features which can be called as
an ascribed status of a person. It clearly means that caste is not something which is
achieved by a man on the basis of merit. Indeed, it is clearly a place which cannot be
altered or switched. For example, a person born in Shudra category will do chores like
cleaning toilets till his/her death. Likewise, a Brahmin’s son was bound to follow the
priest culture; he was not allowed to go to his career choices.

3. Based on birth:
 Based is the determinant factor of caste system. Once born in a caste he has to remain the
same. Status, position prestige is fixed according to his caste. i.e. A scribed. The castes
are divided into sub-caste.

4. Dominant caste ideology:

The most negative influences of the Caste system is also counted in its feature that is
Food and Drinks indifference attitude by upper-class people. For example, if a Shudra
prepared food and a Brahmin arrived at a temple where he is hungry. He will die of
hunger but will not touch the food prepared by the lower-class people. They were
considered some garbage of society whose presence can be infectious to other people of
society.

5. Segmentation:
It differentiated people on the basis of their economic status. For example, poor people
were obliged to stay away from some of the richest people. For example, there was a
different path for lower caste people; it was a general practice to not even have a tinge of
a shadow of lower caste people.

6. Hierarchy system
There has been the degree of highness and lowness amongst people. Occupational
restriction is fixed by your caste.

7. Economic disparity
The higher caste people are generally economically better off & the lower caste people
work harder & yet they get little benefit i.e. they are poorer.