Social groups and

stratification
Presenters :
Le Minh Ngoc
Giap Thi Thanh Ha
Le Thi Thao Van
 Table of Contents

01
Social Groups
Definition, Classification,
Types

02
Social Stratification
Definition, History,
Classification

03
Case Study
Social stratification in
Vietnam
Social groups
 1. Definition
A social group is a cluster of people
beyond the household unit who are
usually related on basis other than
kinship, although kinship
relationships may exist between
people in the group.

=> Members of all social groups have a sense rights and responsibilities in relation to
the group.
Working or living environment
affects the formation of social
groups
 Classification

Primary Group Secondary Group

 Primary Group
Consisting of people who
interact with each other
and know each other
personally.
 The ties that bind the relationships in primary groups are made up of
love, caring, concern, loyalty, and support. 
These relationships are deeply personal and loaded with emotion 
The members typically include family, childhood friends, romantic
partners,…
Primary Group
Consisting of people who
interact with each other
and know each other
=> These relationships play important roles in the formation of individuals'
personally.
sense of self and identity
 Secondary Group
Consisting of people who identify
with one another on some
common ground but who may
never meet with one another or
interact with each other
personally.
comprise relatively impersonal and temporary relationships

the relationships are organized around narrow ranges of practical Secondary Group
interests or goals
Consisting of people who identify
Example: Common examples include coworkers in an employment with one another on some
setting or students, teachers, and administrators in an educational common ground but who may
setting never meet with one another or
interact with each other
=> does not exercise a primary influence over its members  personally.
Social Groups
Some typical types
 Friendship
Friendship refers to close social ties
between at least two people in which the
ties are informal, are voluntary, and
involve personal, face-to-face interaction.

Nowadays, thanks to the modernization of society,

people can easily make friends without direct
interaction.
 Characteristics of friendship

Friends are supportive of each other, psychologically and sometimes materially.

Friendship generally occurs between social equals
Clubs and Fraternities/ Sororities
Social organizations like clubs and
fraternities/sororities define membership
in terms of a sense of a common identity
and goals.

Many clubs seem to exist primarily to promote sociability and

psychological support, a closer look reveals that these
organizations also play economic and political roles.
 Countercultural
People who for one reason or another, are
out- side the mainstream of society and
resist conforming to the dominant cultural
pattern
 Youth gangs

Refers to a group of young people, found mainly in urban areas, who are often
considered a social problem by adults and law en-forcement officials
 Body modification
Body modification is the intentional
alteration of the human body or
appearance. It is often done for aesthetic
satisfaction, ritual, self-expression and
many other reasons.
 Cooperatives Self-help

Surpluses are distributed among members of

cooperatives, which are a type of economic
organization where decisions are made Informal groups of people who come
democratically with each member having one together to address their common problems
vote. ( Estrin 1996 )
 Social
stratification
What is social
stratification?
 What is social
stratification?
social stratification is a hierarchical
relationship among different
groups in society.

It is based on the nature of

inequality, on a variety of measures
(wealth)
History of stratification
 History of stratification

Early society was surprisingly equal

However, by the transition from the Stone Age to the Copper Age, Bronze
Age, and finally Iron Age. This led to skyrocketed productivity

=> More power appeared in society => social stratification was slowly born
after centuries. 
 Classification

Achieved Status Ascribed Status

Achieved status:
Class
Achieved status:
Class
In most modern societies, your status in
society is based on your social class.

Social class refers to a person’s position

in society, mainly defined by economic
terms
Ascribed status
Ascribed status

Given by birth

The most common ascribed status are:

Race
Ethnicity
Gender
Caste
 Race

The cause of racial stratification is the unequal meeting of two groups that used to be separate. It
may be through colonization, slavery, or other large-group movements.

Race is defined based on similar physical and biological characteristics

 Ethnicity

A shared sense of identity rooted in history, geography, language, or a mix of these forms
the foundation of ethnic groupings

When people move away from their original homeland to live in another, they are called a
diaspora population.
 Gender and sexism

Gender inequalities (existed as a result of prejudice over women from men), based on
(biological) differences

Gender and sexism is still a serious problem around the world. Not only between the 2 basic
gender, but also people in LGBTQ are also being discriminated.
Caste and casteism
 Caste and casteism
The caste system is relatively unique to South Asia,
especially in India. The caste system is a social
stratification system linked with Hinduism and
based on a person’s birth into a particular group

South Asian societies are divided into varnas, or

major categories. Within these major categories,
there are many smaller, locally named groups,
which are called caste. 

Caste status has become less relevant in society

 Case study for social
stratification: Vietnam
 Extracted from:
https://www.ilo.org/hanoi/Areasofwork/equality-and-discrimination/lang--en/index.htm
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1861/USAID_Vietnam_Gender_Fact_Sheet_Eng.pdf
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-women-continue-to-get-less-pay-face-discrimination-report-4378415.html
While significant efforts have been made over the last several decades, women in Vietnam still face significant
obstacles in society.

Vietnam's General Statistics Office (GSO) (2020) estimates the gender earnings gap at 29.5 percent - 21.5 percent
in urban areas and 35.2 percent in rural areas.
 Conclusion

Gender plays a more important role in defining social stratification .

As a result of historical and cultural factors, woman in Vietnam faces
significant hurdle in gaining social status, pay gap, access to
opportunities, etc,

=> Actions should be taken to alleviate social stratifications,

regardless of categories.
Q&A
References
Thank you!