Chapter 13 Social Stratification

What We Will Learn  To what extent do the societies of the world vary in terms of the equitable distribution of power, prestige, and wealth?  How do class systems differ from caste systems?  What are the different ways of interpreting systems of social stratification?

Social Inequality  Max Weber’s criteria for measuring social inequality:  Wealth - the extent to which they have accumulated economic resources  Power - the ability to achieve one’s goals and objectives even against the will of others  Prestige- social esteem, respect or admiration that a society confers on people

Three Types of Societies  Based on levels of social inequality:  Egalitarian - no individual or group has appreciably more wealth, power, or prestige than any other.  Rank - unequal access to prestige or status but not unequal access to wealth or power.  Stratified societies - considerable inequality in all forms of social rewards (power,wealth, and prestige).

Egalitarian Societies  No individual or group has more wealth, power, or prestige than any other.  Everyone, depending on skill level, has equal access to positions of esteem and respect.  Found most readily among geographically mobile food collectors  Ju/’hoansi of the Kalahari region  Inuit  Hadza of Tanzania

Rank Societies  Unequal access to prestige but not to wealth or power.  Fixed number of high-status positions, which only certain individuals can occupy.  Others are excluded regardless of skills, wisdom, industriousness, or personal traits.  Found most prominently in Oceania and among Native Americans of the Northwest.

Stratified Societies  Considerable inequality in power, wealth, and prestige.  Closely associated with the rise of civilization approximately 5,500 years ago.  As societies become more specialized, the system of social stratification becomes more complex.

Class Versus Caste  In class systems an individual can change his or her social position dramatically within a lifetime.  Caste societies have no social mobility, membership in a caste is determined by birth and lasts throughout one’s lifetime.

U.S. Class Structure ClassIncomeEducationOccupation% Capitalist$1,000,000 Prestige universities CEOs, investors1 Upper middle $100,000 Top colleges /postgraduate Upper managers14 Middle$55,000 High school /some college teachers, civil servants 30

U.S. Class Structure ClassIncomeEducationOccupation% Working$35,000High school Clerical, sales, factory 30 Working poor $22,000 Some high school Service, laborers 13 Underclass $10,000 or less Some high school Unemployed12

Hindu Caste Society  Social boundaries are strictly maintained by caste endogamy and notions of ritual purity and pollution.  Caste system has persisted for 2,000 years and enables the upper castes to maintain a monopoly on wealth, status, and power.

Race  Race - classification based on physical traits.  Ethnicity - classification based on cultural characteristics.  There are no pure races.  Different populations have been interbreeding for thousands of years, resulting in a continuum of human physical types.

Forms of Interracial and Interethnic Relations 1. Pluralism: two or more groups live in harmony and retain their own heritage, pride, and identity. 2. Assimilation: a racial or ethnic minority is absorbed into the wider society. 3. Legal protection of minorities: the government steps in to legally protect the minority group.

Forms of Interracial and Interethnic Relations 4. Population transfer: physical removal of a minority group to another location. 5. Long-term subjugation: political, economic and social repression for indefinite periods of time. 6. Genocide: mass annihilation of groups of people.

Social Stratification: Theories  Functionalist  Class systems contribute to the well-being of a society by encouraging constructive endeavor.  Conflict  Stratification systems exist because the upper classes strive to maintain a superior position at the expense of the lower classes.

Quick Quiz

1. A distinguishing characteristic of social inequality is ________, or the extent to which people have accumulated economic resources. a) wealth b) Status c) prestige d) power

Answer: a  A distinguishing characteristic of social inequality is wealth, or the extent to which people have accumulated economic resources.

2. At the low end of the inequality continuum are _______ societies, which maintain a high level of equality among the group's members. a) caste b) egalitarian c) ranked d) stratified

Answer: b  At the low end of the inequality continuum are egalitarian societies, which maintain a high level of equality among the group's members.

3. ______ societies have unequal access to prestige, status, wealth, and power. a) Egalitarian b) Stratified c) State d) Rank

Answer: b  Stratified societies have unequal access to prestige, status, wealth, and power.

4. In _______ societies, membership is determined at birth, and social mobility is not possible. a) caste b) stratified c) egalitarian d) rank

Answer: a  In caste societies, membership is determined at birth, and social mobility is not possible.

5. ________ occurs when a minority group is absorbed into the wider society. a) Pluralism b) Assimilation c) Population transfer d) Genocide

Answer: b  Assimilation occurs when a minority group is absorbed into the wider society.