Social Stratification

Inequality and Social Mobility

Contents
• What is Stratification
• How does Stratification take place
• Systems of Stratification
• Theories of Stratification- why stratification exists?
• Global Stratification
• Case studies addressing Income Inequality as a result of
Stratification
 Social Stratification
• Social stratification refers to society’s categorization of its
people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like
 wealth,
 income,
 race,
 education,
 gender,
 occupation, and
 social status, or derived power.

• Stratification is the relative social position of persons

within a social group, category, geographic region, or
social unit.
 What is Stratification?
• It is the distribution of wealth and power- the structured ranking of entire
groups of people in a society in order to perpetuate social inequality and
hierarchy- social status, job employed in, living in poverty etcetera.
• Stratification varies across societies- Its UNIVERSAL but variable!
• All cultures manifest some degree of social inequality, categorizing
people in different societies- such as slavery, castes and class.
• Even though it is characteristic of society, in that, every person/group is
different, it’s not a natural outcome of that difference.
• This comes about as a result of systems of stratification that exist
within societies, creating and recreating categories generation after
generation.
• The effects of social stratification are independent of the choice
individuals make
• People belonging to wealthier families have better outcomes- better
education, living standards, jobs, health access and so on versus
those born into poverty. Those from privileged backgrounds are much more likely
to be wealthy when they grow up versus those not born as fortunately.
 Life Chances and Social Mobility
• The most inherent characteristics of stratification is that it is, UNIVERSAL
and it persists across generations.
• At GLOBAL LEVEL, there is an unequal distribution of wealth and
income between countries.
 As of 1995- 78% of world population owns 16% of all the wealth.
There is a gap between rich and poor nations, with varying levels of
exploitation.
 This is discussed by Immanuel Wallerstein in his analysis of World
systems (Core/Periphery nations and the dependency theory- former
colonies still subject to foreign domination through neocolonialism-
French suggesting COVID 19 trials to take place on Africans.)
• Our LIFE CHANCES are also determined by Stratification
 Opportunity to obtain material goods, positive living conditions and
favorable life experiences.
 These are positively related with one’s social class- higher the social
class, the better the life chances.
• Closely pegged with stratification is the idea of SOCIAL MOBILITY as
this determines how social inequality is perpetuated in different
stratification models.
 How Stratification takes place?
 Generally society allows some degree of social mobility within social
hierarchy- move upward or downward in social mobility
 Different kinds of social systems allow different types of social mobility.
 Closed systems- emphasizes a person’s ascribed status
 Open systems- emphasize a person’s achieved status
More common in US is horizontal mobility- change jobs paying similar wage and rank ones.
 Structural social mobility- like stratification itself, social mobility isn’t just
a matter of individual achievements, there are structural factors at play.
 Structural mobility is when a large groups of people move around the
hierarchy because of larger societal changes- eg recession when
people lose jobs, downward mobility
 Social Mobility and Ideology
 Cultural values, beliefs or ideology inform what it means to deserve
wealth, or success or power– if people believe in a certain social order,
it will persist
Systems of Stratification
• There are four Systems of Stratification
1. Caste
2. Class
3. Status
4. Race/Gender inequality
• These systems persist over generations, impacting social mobility
and perpetuating social inequality
• Some are closed systems which limit social mobility on the basis
of ancestry, lineage and race.
• Other systems are open systems which allow for social mobility
on the basis of hardwork and merit
• However, many societies don’t fall entirely under one type of
system
 By Caste
 Closed systems have following characteristics-
• Extremely rigid
• Allow little social mobility
• Social position is based on ascribed status- inherited
 Caste system in India is a good example. Such a system ascribes social
class and controls how people between castes can interact with one
another. Everything is determined by caste and this is determined by
scripture- nature of job, marriage, where to live, what to wear, what
you can and cannot do.
 Caste and class division in Feudal Europe through estates (nobility,
clergy and the common man. Commoner paid taxes and owed labor to
their local lord- little expectation they would rise above order, social
order justified that it was ordained by god- divine nobility)
 South African system of Apartheid was based on the legacy of enforced
separation between white and black people- Apartheid denied black
people citizenship, ability to own land and say in the national
government. Another example was slavery
 By Class
• Open system allow for much more social mobility- both upward and
downward
• Social position tends to be achieved not ascribed
• Class systems are the archetypal open systems that are not ascribed at birth
• They combine ascribed status and personal achievement in a way that allows for greater
social mobility
• US is an example of a class-based system
• The main difference between caste and class system is that class systems are
open and social mobility is not legally restricted to certain people
• As opposed to the traditional caste system, being in an under-class is not
equivalent to being untouchable as in caste system
• Lines blurred between classes and hence greater social mobility. Through hard
work and perseverance, can move up to achieve higher class standing
• Unlike ancestry, lineage, or race, being key to social division, class system is
based on Meritocracy- based on merits.
• Meritocracy can easily be used a justification for social inequality. In an open
class-based system, anyone who doesn’t deserve to be on top, they shouldn’t
be. US system limits how far hard work can take you. And depending where
you start from, you can have greater weightage to doing better than others
 By Status
• A situation where a person’s social position has both
positive and negative influences on their social status.
• Socioeconomic status includes, income, education and
occupational prestige
• Status inconsistency can arise when for example an
adjunct professor who’s very well educated earns a low
income. Low income tends to decrease social status. At
the same time, a high level of education and the
societal respect for the occupation of college professor
improves social status
Systems of Stratification
Open and Closed systems are not poles apart. Societies can be a
mix of two. For example Britain is an example of a society which
maintains its limited caste system of nobility, as a legacy of a
feudal system of estates. This exists alongside and helps
reinforce a class system similar to the one in the U.S
• Some systems claim that all citizens are entirely equal, as the
Soviets insisted. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917,
the USSR was established theoretically as a classless society,
but inequality is more than economic
• Soviet society was divided into the apparatchiks- government
officials, intelligentsia, industrial workers and peasantry. The
first two holding prestige and power due to access to
information
• To study social stratification, it is imperative to launch a
comparative study of different societies and the stratification
systems that exist there
 Why Social Stratification exists?
Theories of Stratification and Inequality
Cultural beliefs and ideologies that guide stratification in
society
 Functionalist Perspective- needed for society to function
effectively
• Davis and Moore stressed the need for stratification as a
tool for effective functioning of society
• Inequality prompts people to work harder
• It gives greater reward and incentives to people who
acquire those difficult skills which require years of training.
Those skills help the smooth functioning of society- an
example of this is doctors who undergo years of training
• Critique of this perspective is it does not base rewards on
merit entirely- between a teacher and an actor, who fulfills
an essential function of society? Are the rewards
proportional to the role each fills in society? Merit is
certainly undervalued
Theories of Stratification
 Conflict theorists see stratification as a form of social
tension
• Karl Marx critically analyzed the capitalist system
and divided into economic classes- the bourgeoisie
(those who own means of production) and the
proletariat (those who work for the owners of capital
and face exploitation)
• Ralf Dahrendorf hypothesized conflict between the
classes did not happen as structural changes took
place
• Capitalist class in Europe is too fragmented to serve
as a single target for revolutionaries.
• Greater work organization- Unions formed provide
better negotiations with capitalists, better pay scales,
working conditions, greater control over workers,
work security, insurance, benefits etcetera
• Greater job stability
• Also people are invested in capitalism both
financially and ideologically- view it as a better
system
 Theories of Stratification
• Symbolic Interactionist Perspective provides a micro view, how stratification exists
on a daily basis
• Max Weber asserted economic class is not the only factor determining
inequality and stratification
• Social status/prestige and social power are equally important in creating
divisions between people
• Conspicuous consumption- the products you buy make statements about your
social position- wearing designer sunglasses or a designer shirt are signs that
help people categorize you in a social hierarchy
• People make assumptions when categorizing people- the music you hear when
driving with someone in the car
• Classical music signifies you are either pretentious or have had years to
acquire this taste. This reflects on your social standing which allowed you
to develop taste for this sort of music. Not just music, but books, clothes
etcetera are used by people to develop assumptions about your
background.
• People are hired, most often, on basis of these social markers and
conspicuous consumption
 • Globalization is often blamed for contributing to cultural
domination of periphery nations by core nations
• It spurs the worldwide integration of government policies,

Global cultures, social movements, financial markets, through trade

and exchange of ideas

Stratification • While there is some sharing of information and superior,

efficient work methodologies and ideologies, for the most part,
multinational corporations exploit workers to maintain high
profits
• Apple manufacturers in China
• Shell Oil Exploration in Africa- militarized regimes to gain access to oil
reserves
• Nestle International in Africa- Nido
 Impact of Stratification on individuals, families and
communities
• Model Minority Myth- Asian American

Case
• Deemed polite, law abiding group, who is successful due to innate talent-
attributed to race and culture
• Initially Chinese workers who came to work on railroads along Pacific

Studies
became scapegoats- seen as Yellow Peril
• In 1965, Immigration and Naturalization Act attracted skilled Asian labor
• In 1966, New York Times published “ Success Story: Japanese American
Style.” successful due to incarceration in internment camps during World War
II, incluclating good work ethics. Considered more successful than
Caucasians
• Hollywood repeated the stereotype of smart Asian characters
• The Take- Argentina’s economy collapsed with employee buyout.
Upwards social mobility for many workers post economic
recession
• Inequality in depiction of Male/Female in Pixar movies