SOCIAL AND

POLITICAL
STRATIFICATION
Presented by: Sittie Ainah L. Nasser
and cherry may Del Monte
Sociologists use the term social stratification to describe the
system of social standing. Karl Marx looked at it in terms wealth
produced in relation to the ownership of means of production.
For example, if you are the owner of the company you get most
of the profits gained by your company's operation compared to
that of your employees. Wealth may refer to money, properties,
and similar tangible resources. Max Weber, on the other hand,
diffrentiates them into three: wealth, power, and prestige.
Individual's social standing can be measured, all at once, based
based on their relative access to these three. For example, a
college professor may have less power and less wealth, but
he/she enjoys a lot of prestige. A government employee may
have less wealth and less prestige, but he/she may have more
power. Political stratification can be related to norms, values,
class structures, status groups, association, and laws, which
structure the relations between individual. (Bases of Class
According to Karl Marx and Max Weber).
Karl Marx Max Weber

Economic structure Power Wealth Prestige

Material prosperity, Political or social Material prosperity Widespread respect

ownership of the authority or control, and admiration felt for
means of productions. especially that which is someone due to
exercised by a his/her achievement or
government. quality.
THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
Social Exclusion
•Process by which individuals are cut off from full involvement in the wider
circles of society. May be due to poor housing, lack of employment, inferior
schools, or limited transportations. Leads to Lack of opportunities for
self-improvement.
 System of Stratification
•Closed
Impose rigid boundaries between social groups Limit interactions between members who belong
to different social groups or occupy different levels in social hierarchy. Resistant to change in
social roles.

•Open
Mainly based on achievement, allowing more flexibility in social roles, increased social mobility,
and better interaction.

•Caste Systems
Are closed stratification systems because people are unable to change their social standing. Case
systems promote belief in fate. Destiny, and the will of higher spiritual power rather than
promotion of individual freedom. People Born into Caste society are socialized to accept their
standing for the rest of their lives. There are no opportunities to improve one's social position.
•Class System
Based on ownership of resources and the individual's occupation or profession. A
social class is composed of people who share the same background and
characteristics (income, education, and occupation.) People are free to move
from one social class to another and achieve higher status in life through
education and employment. Openness in class systems results in prevalence of
Exogamous Marriages.Society in general still remains strongly influenced by
other factors such as inheritance and pressure to conform.
 Theoretical
perspectives on social
stratification conflict
theory
Conflict theory
● Takes critical view of social stratification
● Consider society as benefitting only a small segment
● Stratification cause inequality
● Draw from ideas of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
● Social stratification is influences by economic Force and relationship
in society are defined by factors of production.
● Inequality causes workers to experience alienation, isolation, and
great misery due to powerless status this leads to class conflict.

Two groups:

● Bourgeois (capitalists)- Own factors of production (land, resources,

business, and ploretariat); UPPERCLASS
● Ploretariat- Workers who provide manual labor: LOWER CLASS
Symbolic Interaction
● Microlevel perspective
● Attempts to explain how people's social standing affect their everyday
interactions.
● Leads to Interaction within the same class
● Stratification becomes a system that group people (interests, background, way of
life.)
● People's appearance reflect their perceived social standing
● Theory of conspicuous consumption
- Buying certain products to make a social statement about a status
 TWO MAIN TYPES
● Upward Mobility - upward movement in social class.
Maybe through education, employment or marriage.
● Downward Mobility-lowering of social class.
Brought by economic setbacks, unemployment,
illness and dropping out of school.
● Ability of individual or groups to change their
positions within a social stratification system •How
individuals progress from a lower to a higher class, or
how they lose their status and occupy much lower
position in society
● Major Factors: Economic Status (accumulation of
wealth)
Thanks!
Do you have any questions?

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