1. Social Stratification
A System by Which a Society Ranks Categories of People in a Hierarchy
Sociology, Tenth Edition

2. Sociology, Tenth Edition
Basic Principles
A trait of society
Does not reflect individual differences, but society’s structure
Persists over generations
Social mobility happens slowly
Universal but variable
While universal, it varies in type
Involves not just inequality but beliefs
Ideologies justify existence of social stratification
Sociology, Tenth Edition

3. Sociology, Tenth Edition
The Caste System
Social stratification based on ascription
Birth determines social position in four distinct ways
Occupation
Marriage within caste
Social life is restricted to “own kind”
Belief systems are often tied t religious dogma
Caste system is illegal, but elements survive
Sociology, Tenth Edition

4. Sociology, Tenth Edition
Class Systems
Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement
Social mobility for people with education and skills
All people gain equal standing before the law
Work involves some personal choice
Meritocracy: based on personal merit
Status consistency
Sociology, Tenth Edition

5. Stratification Changes Caste to Meritocracy
The United Kingdom
The three estates: nobility, clergy, commoners
Japan
Nobility, samurai, commoners, burakumin (outcasts)
Former Soviet Union
Feudal estate system
Russian revolution “classless society”
Perestroika “restructuring”
Sociology, Tenth Edition

6. Figure 10-1 Economic Inequality in Selected Countries
Sociology, Tenth Edition

7. Sociology, Tenth Edition
Ideology
Cultural beliefs that justify stratification
Plato
Every culture considers some type of inequality “fair”
Marx
Capitalist societies keep wealth and power for a few
Spencer
Societies “survival of the fittest”
Sociology, Tenth Edition

8. The Davis-Moore Thesis
Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society
The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it
Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best
Critical evaluation
Sociology, Tenth Edition

9. Karl Marx: Class and Conflict
Most people have one of two relationships with the means of production
Own productive property “bourgeoisie”
Work for others “proletariat”
Capitalism creates great inequality in power and wealth
This oppression would drive the working majority to organize and overthrow the capitalism
Sociology, Tenth Edition

10. Why No Marxist Revolution?
Fragmentation of the capitalist class
Higher standard of living
More worker organizations
More extensive legal protections
Sociology, Tenth Edition

11. Sociology, Tenth Edition
Was Marx Right?
Wealth still remains highly concentrated
40% of privately owned property in 1% of population
White-collar jobs offer little over past century in
Income, security or satisfaction
Workers benefits came from struggle
Conflict and distrust still remain as obstacles between management and workers
Little has been won recently
Law still protects private property of rich
Sociology, Tenth Edition

12. Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality
Class position
Viewed “classes” as a continuum from high to low
Status
Power
Inequality in history
Sociology, Tenth Edition

13. Stratification and Technology: a Global Perspective
Hunting and gathering societies
Horticultural, pastoral, and agrarian societies
Industrial societies
The Kuznet’s curve
Greater technological sophistication generally is accompanied by more pronounced social stratification
Sociology, Tenth Edition

14. Sociology, Tenth Edition
Figure Social Stratification and Technological Development: The Kuznets Curve
Sociology, Tenth Edition