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© 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Chapter 10 Social Stratification.

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1 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Chapter 10 Social Stratification

2 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. What is Social Stratification? A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy Basic principles: 1. A trait of society, not just individual differences 2. Persists over generations. Social mobility is change in a person’s position in a hierarchy. 3. Is universal, but variable regarding amount and type of inequality 4. Involves inequality and beliefs of fairness

3 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Caste and Class Systems Caste: stratification based on ascription or birth Class: based on achievement Status consistency: consistency of standing across dimensions of inequality, more variable in class systems (Cont’d)

4 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Caste and Class Systems (Cont’d) The United Kingdom: Estate system of aristocracy, clergy, and commoners became more of a class system, with privilege but also with mobility. Japan: Feudal Japan: shoguns, samurai, commoners and burakumin (outcasts) became a class system with privilege and mobility. (Cont’d)

5 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Caste and Class Systems (Cont’d) Classless societies: the former Soviet Union claimed to be one; the party ruled, but economic inequality was reined in. Now great inequality. Structural social mobility: shift in social position owing to shifts in society. – Downward: life expectancy has declined in Russia in the 1990s

6 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Ideology Cultural beliefs that justify social stratification e.g., the rich are smart and the poor are lazy Plato: every society teaches its members to view some system of stratification as “fair” Marx: ideas as well as resources are controlled by a society’s elite. Spencer: applied Darwin to society, the “fittest” people rise to wealth and power and “deficient” sink

7 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Functions of Social Stratification Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society (Davis-Moore thesis). The greater the importance or talent required of a position, the more rewards a society attaches to it. Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best. (Cont’d)

8 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Functions of Social Stratification (Cont’d) Meritocracy: System of stratification based on personal merit. But it could erode social structure, e.g., kinship. Critical evaluation (Tumin): Do rewards reflect importance to society? How is that importance measured? High rewards to doctors could occur by limiting enrolment. The privileged can prevent development of the gifted poor. Inequality creates conflict.

9 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Stratification and Conflict Marx was concerned with poverty amid riches. Capitalists own and operate businesses. Proletariat sell labour for wages. Capitalist society reproduces class structure in each new generation. Critical evaluation: Severing rewards from work causes low productivity No revolution occurred in advanced capitalist societies.

10 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Why No Marxist Revolution? 1. Fragmentation of capitalists due to stockholding 2. A higher standard of living for workers 3. More worker organizations, like unions 4. More extensive legal protections, like safety, unemployment insurance, disability, etc.

11 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Counterpoint Wealth is still concentrated; White-collar jobs are factory-like; Workers still struggle; Rich can still use legal system for their benefit.

12 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Max Weber: Class, Status, and Power Stratification is multidimensional: economic classes, status (prestige), and power Socioeconomic Status: composite ranking based on several dimensions of social inequality Dimensions differ by type of society: Status in agrarian societies Financial inequality with capitalism Power with large government and bureaucracies Critical evaluation: All high income nations show enduring patterns of social inequality.

13 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Stratification and Technology: A Global Perspective Hunters and gatherers: little inequality Horticultural: more inequality as surplus begins Agricultural: more inequality with more surplus Industrial: more inequality with more specialization, though with increasing education inequality diminishes Kuznets’ curve: more pronounced stratification comes with technological advances.

14 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Fig 10-1

15 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Global Map 10-1

16 © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Social Stratification: Facts and Values While some find equality appealing, it can be dangerous because of the necessary social engineering. Equality could be a threat to a society of diverse people—a Handicapper General would have to eliminate diversity. Marx condemned inequality as a product of greed and wanted equal sharing of resources.


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