Social stratification

Introduction
• In all societies there is differentiation of the population by age, sex
and personal characteristics.
• The roles and privileges of children differ from those of adults; and
those of good hunters or warriors differ from those of rank and file.
• Strictly speaking, there are no purely equalitarian societies, only
societies differing in degree of stratification.
• Even Russia which dreamt of a ‘classes society’, could not, any more
than any other society escape the necessity of ranking people
according to their functions.

Introduction
• All societies exhibit some system of hierarchy whereby its members
are placed in positions that are higher or lower, superior or inferior, in
relation to each other.
• The concept of ‘social stratification’ is made use of to refer such
classification or gradation and placement of people in society.
• Through this process of stratification people are fixed in the social
structure of the society.
• Stratification assumes three main forms: caste, race and class.

Meaning
• All societies arrange their members in terms of superiority, inferiority
and equality.
• The vertical scale of evaluation, this placing of people in strata or
layers is called stratification.
• Those in the top stratum have power, privilege and than those below.
• All societies differentiate members in terms of roles and all societies
evaluate roles differently.
• The persons who perform the more highly esteemed roles are
rewarded more highly.

Definition
• Ogburn and Nimkoff – ‘the process by which individuals and groups are
ranked in a more or less enduring hierarchy of status is known as
stratification’.
• Gisbert- ‘social stratification is the division of society into permanent
groups of categories linked with each other by the relationship of
superiority and subordination’.
• Lundberg – ‘a stratified society is one marked by inequality, by differences
among people that are evaluated by them as being ‘lower’ and ‘higher’.
• R.W. Murry – ‘ social stratification is a horizontal division of society into
‘high’ and ‘lower’ social units.

Characteristics
• It is social
• It is ancient
• It is universal
• It is in diverse forms
• It is consequential

Characteristics
• It is social
• Stratification is social in the sense, it does not represent biological caused
inequalities.
• It is true such factors as strength, intelligence, age and sex can often serve as
the basis on which statuses or strata are distinguished.
• It is ancient
• According to historical and archaeological records, stratification was present
even in the small wandering bands.
• It is universal
• The stratification is a worldwide phenomenon.

Characteristics
• It is in diverse forms
• The stratification has never been uniform in all the societies.
• The ancient Roman society was stratified into two strata: the patricians and the
plebeians,
• The ancient Aryan society into four Varnas: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and
Sudras,
• The ancient Greek society into freeman and slaves,
• The ancient Chinese society into the mandarins, merchants, farmers and the soldiers
and so on.
• Class, caste and race seem to be the general forms of stratification to be found in the
modern word.
• But stratification system seems to be much more complex in the civilised societies.

Characteristics
• It is consequential
• The stratification system has its own consequences.
• The most important, most desired and often the scarcest things in human life
are distributed unequally because of stratification.
• The system leads to two main kinds of consequences: life chances and life
styles
• ‘Life-chances’ refer to such things as infant mortality, longevity, physical and mental
illness, childlessness, martial conflict, separation and divorce.
• ‘Life-styles’ include such as – the mode of housing, residential area, one’s education,
means of recreation, relationship between the parents and children, the kind of books,
magazines and TV shows to which one is exposed, one’s mode of conveyance and so on.

Origin of social stratification
• There are two main theories concerning the origin on ‘social
stratification’
• Theory of economic determinism of Karl Marx, which is often to as the conflict
theory
• The functionalist theory (Kingsley Davis, P.A. Sorokin, MacIver and others)
• Theory of economic determinism or the conflict theory
• According to Marx, economic factors are responsible for the emergence of
different social strata or social classes.
• Therefore, social classes are defined by their relation to the means of
production (i.e. by their ownership or non-ownership).
• Thus, there are, in every society two mutually conflicting classes
• Class of capitalists and the class of the workers
• The rich and the poor.

Origin of social stratification
• Functionalist theory
• Kingsley Davis, P.A. Sorokin, MacIver and others have rejected the conflict
theory of Marx.
• P.A. Sorokin attributed social stratification mainly to inherited individual
differences in environmental conditions.
• Kingsley Davis said, it has come into being due to the functional necessity of
the social system.
• Social stratification is an unconsciously evolved device by which societies
ensure that the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the
most qualified persons.
• In many reasons the stratification has emerged.

Functions of social stratification
• Encourages hard work
• Ensures circulation of elites
• Serves an economic function
• Prevents waste of resources
• Stabilises and reinforces the attitude and skills
• Helps to pursue different professions or jobs
• Social control
• Controlling effect on the ‘shady’ world

Form of social stratification
• Caste
• Class
• Race

The caste system in unique to India
• The caste system, the joint family system and the village system of life –
are often regarded as the three basic pillars of the Indian social system.
• The caste system as a form of social stratification is peculiar to India.
• The caste is an inseparable aspect of the Indian society.
• It is particularly Indian in origin and development.
• There is no comparable institution elsewhere in the world for the caste
system.
• It may found in other country, but the caste system which we
understand today with all its peculiarities is found in India alone.

Caste is embedded in the Indian Social Structure
• Caste is closely connected with the Hindu philosophy and religion,
custom and tradition, marriage and family, morals and manners, food
and dress habits, occupations and hobbies, etc.
• The caste system is believed to have had a divine origin and sanction.
• It is endlessly supported by rituals and ceremonies.
• It is a deep-rooted and long-lasting social institution of India.
• In India, we can find more than 2800 castes and sub-castes.
• Of these, the major caste (varnas) such as Brahmins, Kshatriyas,
Vaishyas and Shudras are found in almost all the states.

The Origin of the word ‘Caste’
• The term ‘caste’ is derived from the Spanish (also Portuguese) word
‘caste’ meaning ‘breed’ or ‘lineage’.
• The Portuguese used the term ‘caste’ first to denote the divisions in
the Indian Caste system.
• The word ‘caste’ also signifies ‘race’ or ‘kind’.
• The Sanskrit word for caste is ‘Varna’ which means ‘colour’.
• Races and colour seem to be the bases of Indian caste in addition to
the division of labour and occupation.
• The popular equivalent of caste is ‘Jati’.

The origin of the caste system
• According to the Chaturvarna doctrine, the Hindu society was divided into
four main Varnas namely:
• The Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras.
• The Varna system which was prevalent during the Vedic period was mainly
based on the division of labour and occupation.
• The Caste system owes its origin to the Varna system.
• The present caste system can be said to be the degenerated form of the
original Varna system.
• Varnas which were four in number and castes which are found in hundreds
and thousands are not one and the same.

Origin of Caste system
• It is difficult to trace the origin of caste system – it originated in
India – various theories to explain the origin of caste system.
• Racial theory
• Political theory
• Occupation theory
• Traditional theory
• Guild theory
• Religious theory
• Evolutionary theory

Racial theory (Varna)
• According to Mazumdar Caste system originated after the arrival of
Aryans in India.
• Indo-Aryans used the term ‘Varna’ which means ‘colour’. In order to
differentiate the groups of people.
• They called it Dasa Varna – Dasa people.
• Rigvedic literature stresses very significantly the difference between
the Arya and Dasa, not only in their color but also in their speech,
religious practices, and physical features.
• They divided Brahma, Kshatra and Vaishya – Sudra on the basis of
Varna (race).

Political theory
• Caste system is a clever device invented by the Brahmins in order to
place themselves on the highest ladder of social hierarchy.
• Ghurye states, Caste is a Brahminic child of Indo- Aryan culture
cradled in the land of the Ganges and then transferred to other
parts of India.
• Brahma, Kshatra and Vaishya - Dvija (twice born)
• Sudra - Ekjati (once born)
• Based on their duties.

Occupational theory
• Occupation is the base for the origin of caste system.
• Those who carried out better and respectable profession
were considered superior.
• Nesfield views – Functions and Function alone is responsible
for the origin of caste structure in India.
• Occupational differentiation and numerous sub-caste such
as lohar, sonar, chamar, nai, mali etc.,

Traditional Theory
• The caste system is of divine (godly) origin.
• According to this theory castes were created by Brahma in
order to make human beings to harmoniously (part of
body) perform various social functions necessary for the
maintenance of society.

Guild theory
• Denzil Ibbetson, Consider that caste are modified forms of guilds.
• It is the product of interaction of three forces
• Tribes
• Guilds
• Religion
• The priests followed hereditary and endogamous group.
• The other guilds also adopted the same practices and in course of time
became caste.

Religious theory
• Hocart and Senart are the two main advocates of religious theory.
• Hocart, its originated on account of religious principles and
customs.
• Senart, has tried to explain the origin of caste system on the basis
of prohibitions regarding sacramental food.

Evolutionary theory
• This theory reveals that the caste system did not emerge all of a
sudden or at a particular date – it evolved gradually – factors
responsible for the evolution of caste system are:
• Hereditary occupation –
• the intention of the Brahmins to keep themselves pure –
• beliefs in the ideas of karma and rebirth –
• ideas of exclusive family, ancestor worship and the sacramental meal –
• racial clashes and colour prejudices –
• geographical isolation of Indian peninsula –
• static nature of Hindu Society –
• foreign invasions –
• Rural economic structure.

Factors which facilitated the growth of Caste
system in India
• The geographic isolation
• The influence of religion
• The existence of many races
• The rural social structure
• The unwillingness of rulers
• Lack of education

Definition
• MacIver and Page – ‘when status is wholly predetermined so that
men are born to their lot without any hope of changing it, then the
class takes the extreme form of caste’.
• C.H. Cooley – ‘when a class is somewhat strictly hereditary, we may
call it a caste’.
• A.W. Green – ‘caste is a system of stratification in which mobility up
and down the status ladder, at least ideally may not occur’.
• D.N. Majumdar and T.N. Madan – ‘caste is a closed group’.

Characteristics of Caste
• Caste – as a hierarchical division of society
• Caste – as a segmental division of society
• Restrictions of food habits
• Restrictions of social relations
• Social and religious disabilities of certain castes
• The civil and religious privileges of certain castes
• Restrictions of occupational choice
• Restrictions on marriage

• Caste – as a hierarchical division of society
• It is divided into several small groups called castes and sub-castes.
• A sense of ‘highness’ and ‘lowness’ or ‘superiority’ and ‘inferiority’ is
associated with this gradation or ranking.
• The Brahmins are placed at the top of the hierarchy and are regarded as ‘pure’,
supreme or superior.
• The degraded caste or the so called ‘untouchables’ [Harijans] have occupied
the other end of the hierarchy.
• Caste – as a segmental division of society
• The Hindu society is a caste-ridden society.
• It is divided into a number of segments called ‘castes’.
• It is not a homogeneous society.

• Restrictions of food habits
• Who should accept what food and from whom? – is often decided by the
caste.
• For example, a Brahmin would accept ‘pakka’ food (cooked in ghee) only from
some castes lower than his own.
• But he would accept ‘kachcha’ food (prepared with the use of water) at the
hands of no other caste except his own.
• Restrictions of social relations
• The idea of ‘pollution’ makes this point clear.
• It means a touch of lower caste man (particularly Harijan) would pollute or
defile a man higher caste.
• Even his shadow is considered enough to pollute a higher caste man.

• Social and religious disabilities of certain castes
• Generally, the impure castes are made to live on the outskirts of the city or the
village.
• In south India, certain parts of the towns or the villages are not accessible to the
Harijans.
• Even today, in many places they are not allowed to draw water from the public
wells.
• The civil and religious privileges of certain castes
• If the lower caste people suffer from certain disabilities, some higher caste
people like the Brahmins enjoy certain privileges.
• They are given more liberty, because they are believed to be born ‘pure’ and
‘superior’.
• The Brahmins never saluted others, but they always had the privilege of being
saluted by others.

• Restrictions of occupational choice
• For a long time, occupations were very much associated with the caste system.
• Each caste had its own specific occupation.
• Weaving, shoe-making, washing clothes, barbering, pottery, etc., were
considered to be somewhat ‘degrading’.
• Learning, priesthood, teaching were the prestigious professions which mostly the
Brahmins pursued.
• Restrictions on marriage
• Caste is an endogamous group.
• Endogamy is a rule of marriage according to which an individual has to marry
within his or her group.
• Each caste is subdivided into several sub-castes, which are again endogamous.

Changes in the caste system
• The caste system in India can be divide into 3 main stages in the evaluation.
• Caste in Ancient Age – The period upto 1100 A.D. which is inclusive of Vedic
age, Post-Vedic age and Puranic age.
• Caste in Medieval Age – The period between 1100 A.D. and 1757 A.D.
which includes mainly the age of Muslim Rule in India.
• Caste in modern Age – The period after 1757 A.D. which includes the Pre-
Independent British period and the period after Independence.
• The modern period in which some major developments took place in caste
system can be divided into two stages namely:
• Caste during British rule
• Caste in Independent India.

Changes in caste system during the British rule
• Prior to the coming of the British, caste had grown into a powerful
social institution, with the dominance of Brahmins at the top of its
hierarchy.
• The Hindu kings also upheld this institution with the help of their civil
power.
• With the advent of the British as the political head of the society, the
traditional form of the caste started taking a different shape.
• The changes in the caste system during the British rule can be studied
in two stages:
• Pre-Industrial British Period - 1757-1918 A.D.
• Pre-Independent Industrial Period – 1918-1947 A.D.

Changes in caste system during the British rule:
Pre-Industrial British Period - 1757-1918 A.D.
• The East India Company of the British obtained from the Mughal
rulers some commercial privileges in the beginning of the 17th
century.
• It tightened its political hold over the whole of India within 7 to 8
decades.
• The appointment of Warren Hastings in 1774 as the first Governor
General of India, marked the beginning of the British Age in India.
• Declining Hold of the Caste Panchayats
• Influences of Social Legislation on Caste
• Impact of Social Reform Movements
• Spread of English Education and Influence of the Western Ideas
• Birth of the Backward Caste Movement

• Declining Hold of the Caste Panchayats
• After consolidating their power the British introduced through out India
uniform legal, legislative and judicial system.
• The British transferred the judicial powers of the caste councils to the civil and
criminal courts which the Panchayats had held over the members.
• Influences of Social Legislation on Caste
• Some of the legislations which the British introduced shook the integrity of
the caste system.
• The Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850 – remove some of the disabilities associated
with caste including the practice of untouchability.
• The Special Marriage Act of 1872 – legalised inter-caste and inter-religious marriages.
• The Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856 – legal permission for widows to remarry.

• Impact of Social Reform Movements
• Some of the social reform movements launched by social reformers during
British rule also attacked the caste system and its inequalities.
• The Brahma Samaj funded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1820 and developed by
Devendranath Tagore and Keshav Chandra Sen condemned the barriers of caste
divisions, idol worship, human and animal scarifies.
• The Prarthana Samaj launched by Justice Ranade devoted its attention to social reforms
such as interdining, intercaste marriage, remarriage of widows, etc.
• The Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswathi in 1875 repudiated the caste
restrictions, protested against prohibition of sea-voyages and insisted that even the
Shudras could study the Vedas.
• The Ramakrishna Mission started by Swami Vivekanda in 1897 represents the synthesis
of the ancient or oriental and the modern or western culture.
• Other reform movements: Jyothirao Phooley’s (1873) “Satyashodak Samaj”; Annie
Besant’s “Theosophical society”; Maharishi Arvind Ghosh’s “Divine life society” – also
served to loosen the hold of caste restrictions.

• Spread of English Education and Influence of the Western Ideas
• Spread of English education exposed Indians for the first time to the Western World.
• The popular Western ideas and values such as – “liberty, equality and fraternity”, democracy,
rationalism, individualism, women’s liberation, secularism, humanitarianism etc. made their
inroad into India.
• Birth of the Backward Caste Movement
• Movements of a more militant nature against caste started with the founding of
Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 by Jyothirao Phooley of Poona, a man of Mali caste.
• Shri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam Movement: The non-Brahmin movement found
reflection in Kerala under the leadership of Shri Narayana Guru who belonged to the
backward Ezhava caste. He established the SNDP Yogam with its branches outside the Kerala
State also.
• Justice Party: Dr T.M. Nair, P. Thyagaraja Chetty, and C.N. Mudaliar came together and
founded the Justice Party in 1916. It was resolved to form an association of non-Brahman
Hindus under the name of South Indian Peoples’ Association.
• The Self-respect Movement was founded by Ramaswamy Naicker in 1925. It was designed to
improve the living conditions of the Dravidian people, to expose the Brahmin tyranny, and
the deceptive methods by which they controlled all spheres of Hindu life.

Pre-Independent Industrial Period - 1919-1947.
• The caste system underwent a few more significant changes when
India stepped into the 20th century.
• The role of three factors in bringing about such changes.
• Influence of Industrialisation: Decline of Caste-Based Occupational system
• The advent of Industrial Revolution also affected Indian socio-economic conditions.
• The British brought modern machineries and introduced factory system of production.
• New industries, occupations, employment opportunities, salary-based service, etc. came
to be established.
• The growth of industries destroyed the old crafts and household industries and provided
for countless ways earning livelihood.
• Introduction of railways, telegraph and laying of roads helped trade and commerce.
• People of all castes started making use of the new economic opportunities.

Pre-Independent Industrial Period - 1919-19147.
• Impact of Urbanisation
• In order to reap the benefits of new educational and occupational
opportunities people started moving towards towns and cities in large
number.
• The necessities of city life relaxed the commensal taboos imposed by caste
and lessened the dominance of caste system.
• Influence of Freedom Movement and the role of Gandhiji
• The freedom struggle organised by the Indian National Congress brought
together people of different castes, classes, religions and regions under one
banner.
• The Congress led by Gandhiji launched a complain against untouchability and
roused the conscience of the people against its practice.
• Participation of lower castes in the freedom struggle boosted their image.

Caste in Independent India (after 1947)
• The political independence of the country, besides the process of
industrialisation, urbanisation, secularisation etc. brought in a series
of changes in the caste system.
• Caste has assumed a different form in the modern times.
• These changes can be classified into two categories:
• Changes in the traditional features of caste
• Changes in the role for functioning of the caste

changes in the traditional features of caste
• The religious basis of the caste has been attacked – caste is no more believed to
be divinely ordained.
• Restrictions on food habits have been relaxed – distinction between ‘pakka’
food and ‘kachcha’ food has almost vanished.
• Caste is not very much associated with hereditary occupations – occupations
are becoming more and more ‘caste-free’
• Endogamy – there is an indifference to the inter-caste marriages
• The special civil and religious privileges which the Brahmins enjoyed are no
more being enjoyed by them.
• The constitution of India has removed all such privileges and made all castes
equal.

changes in the traditional features of caste
• Caste panchayats, which used to control the behaviour of caste-
members, have either become very weak or disappeared.
• Restrictions imposed by the caste on social intercourse are very much
relaxed.
• Distinction between ‘touchable’ and ‘untouchable’ is not much felt
especially in the community of literate people.
• Most of the legal, political, educational, economic and other
disabilities from which the lowest caste people had suffered, have
been removed by the constitutional provisions.

changes in the role for functioning of caste
• Increase in the organisational power of caste
• Political role of caste
• Protection of Scheduled Caste and other Backward Classes
• Sanskritisation and Westernisation
• Backward Classed movement
• Competitive Role of Castes
• New attempts of strengthen caste-loyalty, caste-identity, caste-
patriotism and caste-mindeness

Causes for the changes in Caste system
• Uniform legal system
• Impact of modern education
• Industrialisation, urbanisation and westernisation
• Influence of modern transport and communication system
• Freedom struggle and the establishment of democracy
• Rise of Non-Brahmin movements
• Social legislations

• Uniform legal system
• The uniform legal system introduced by the British made the Indians feel that
“all men are equal before the law”.
• A number of legislations which the British introduced also struck at the root
of the caste system.
• Independent India followed the same legal system.
• The constitution of India has not only assured equality to all but also declared
the practise of untouchability unlawful (Article 15 and 16).
• Articles 16, 164, 225, 330, 332, 334, 335, 338 and the 5th and 6th Schedule of
the constitution provide for some privileges to the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes to enable to come up to the level of other upper castes.

• Impact of modern education
• The British introduced the modern secular education in a uniform way
throughout India.
• In Independent India educational facilities are extended to all the caste
people.
• The lowest caste people are also entitled to avail themselves of these
facilities.
• Industrialisation, urbanisation and westernisation
• Due to the process of Industrialisation, number of non-agricultural job
opportunities were created.
• People of different castes, classes, and religious stared working together in
factories, offices, workshops etc.

• Influence of modern transport and communication system
• Modern means of transport such as train, bus, ship, aeroplane, trucks etc.,
have been of great help for the movement of men and materials.
• Caste rules relating to the practice of purity and pollution and untouchability
could no longer be observed.
• Modern means of communication, such as, newspaper, post, telephone,
radio, TV, internet, mobile phone, social media, etc., have helped of people to
come out of the narrow world of caste.
• Freedom struggle and the establishment of democracy
• The freedom struggle waged against the British brought all the caste people
together to fight for a common cause.
• Establishment of democratic type of Government soon after Independence
gave yet another blow the caste by extending equal socio-economic
opportunities to all caste.

• Rise of Non-Brahmin movements
• Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 by Jyothirao Phooley of Poona, a man of Mali
caste.
• Shri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam Movement(SNDP): found reflection
in Kerala under the leadership of Shri Narayana Guru.
• Justice Party: Dr T.M. Nair, P. Thyagaraja Chetty, and C.N. Mudaliar came
together and founded the Justice Party in 1916.
• The Self-respect Movement was founded by Ramaswamy Naicker in 1925.
• Social legislations
• A series of social legislation introduced by the British as well as by the Indian
governments
• Caste disabilities removal act of 1872
• The Hindu marriage act of 1955
• The Untouchability Offences act of 1956 etc.

Merits of caste system
• Spirit of co-operation
• Define economic pursuits
• Racial purity
• Influence intellectual make-up
• Integration of the country
• Provides for various functions - (division of labour)
• Cultural diffusion

Demerits of caste system
• Denies mobility of labour
• Untouchability
• Solidarity retarded
• Wrong man in occupation
• Obstacle to national unity
• Obstacle to social progress
• Undemocratic
• Promotes casteism

Introduction
• ‘Social Class’ is a principal type of social stratification found especially
in the modern civilised countries.
• If the caste system is found to be unique to India, the class system is
universal in nature.
• Sometimes, the word ‘class’ is used to represent groups of professors,
artists, engineers, doctors, students, etc.
• The word ‘class’ is also used to refer the quality of the things whether
good, better, best, and so on.
• But the concept of ‘social class’ is more used in sociology representing
a kind of social stratification than anything else.

Definition
• P. Gisbert – A social class is ‘a category or group of persons having a
definite status in society which permanently determines their relation
to other groups’.
• Ogburn and Nimkoff – ‘A social class is the aggregate of persons
having essentially the same social status in a given society’.
• MacIver and Page – ‘A social class is any portion of the community
marked off from the reset by social status’.
• Max Weber – social classes are aggregates of individuals ‘who have
the same opportunities of acquiring goods, the same exhibited
standard of living’.

Classification of social classes
• Sociologists have given three-fold classification of classes which consists of
• Upper class
• Middle class
• Lower class
• Warner and Lunt in their study of New England town (their book being “The Social Life of a
Modern Community), have divided each of the traditional classes into two sub-classes.
• The Upper-Upper class
• The Lower-Upper class
• The Upper-Middle class
• The Lower-Middle class
• The Upper-Lower class
• The Lower-Lower class
• Karl Marx, has spoken of only two major social classes,
• the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’
• the rich and the poor,
• the capitalists and the workers.

Characteristics of social class
• Class – A status group
• Achieved status and not Ascribed status
• It is universal
• Mode of feeling
• Mode of living
• Element of prestige
• Element of stability
• It is an open group
• It is an economic group

• Class – A status group
• Class is related to status.
• The idea of social status separates the individuals not only physically
sometimes even mentally.
• Achieved status and not Ascribed status
• Birth is not the criterion of status.
• Achievements of an individual mostly decide his status.
• It is universal
• Class is almost a universal phenomenon.
• All societies of any size have a class structure.

• Mode of feeling
• In a class system we may observe three modes of feelings.
• Feeling of equality in relation to the members of one’s own class.
• Feeling of inferiority in relation to those who occupy the higher status in the socio-economic
hierarchy.
• Feeling of superiority in relation to those who occupy the higher/lower status in the hierarchy.
• Mode of living
• A social class is distinguished from other classes by its customary modes of behaviour or
mode of behaving.
• This is often referred to as the ‘life-style’ of a particular class.
• ‘life-style’ or the modes of living include such matters as the mode of dress, the kind of
house and neighbourhood one lives in, the means of recreation, the cultural products
one is able to enjoy, the kinds of books, magazines and TV shoes etc.

• Element of prestige
• Status is associated with prestige.
• The relative position of the class in the social set up arises from the degree of
prestige attached to the status.
• This, the status and the prestige enjoyed by the ruling classes or rich classes.
• Element of stability
• A social class is relatively a stable group.
• It is not transitory nor unstable like a crowed or a mob.
• Though status in the case of class is subject to change, it is to some extent
stable.
• Status in the case of class may undergo radical changes in extraordinary
circumstances i.e., in times of wars, revolutions, economic, political and social
crisis and so on.

• It is an open group
• Social classes are ‘open groups’.
• An open class system is one in which vertical social mobility is possible.
• This means there are no restrictions, or at the most only very mild restrictions
are imposed on the upward and downward movement of individuals in the
social hierarchy.
• It is an economic group
• The basis of social classes is mostly economic, but they are not mere
economic groups or divisions.

Difference between Caste and Class system
caste
• Particular: the system with all its
peculiarities in unique to India.
• Ascribed status: Birth is the criterion
of status and not achievement.
• Closed system: The movement of
people from one social status to other
is not possible.
• Divine Origin: It is closely associated
with Hindu tradition.
Class
• Universal: If is found in almost all the
modern complex societies.
• Achieved status: There is scope for
achievement.
• Open system: Individuals can move
from the lower class to the upper
class is possible.
• Secular: It has nothing to do with
religion.

Difference between Caste and Class system
caste
• Purity and Impurity: The idea of purity
and impurity is associated with caste.
• Regulations of relations: The caste system
controls the activities and regulates the
relations of its members to a great
extent.
• Greater social distance: Comparatively a
greater distance being kept between
different castes.
• Conservative: The caste ridden system
tends to become conservative, orthodox
and reactionary.
Class
• Feeling of Disparity: There is a feeling of
disparity on the part of the members of a
class.
• Limits Relations: The class system, limits
the range of contacts and
communications of its members.
• Less social distance: Members are more
tolerant than others.
• Progressive: The class-laden system is
regarded as more progressive. Class give
more freedom to members.

Social stratification

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