Social and Political Stratification Definition Systems of Stratification Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification Social MObility and Social Inequality

1. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRATIFICATIONSOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRATIFICATION

2. The Concept of Social Stratification
Social Stratification
refers to the division of large social groups into
smaller groups based on categories determined by
economics. Members of society are arranged in
hierarchy based on their access to or control over
basic economic resources.
GIVES RISE TO INEQUALITY
“SOCIAL STANDING”

3. The Concept of Social Stratification
Common Basis of social
stratification:
Wealth Property Gender
Access to political
power
Race and Religion
Access to material
and cultural goods

4. The Concept of Social Stratification
SOCIAL EXCLUSION
Process by which individuals are cut off from full
involvement in the wider circles of society. May
be due to poor housing, lack of employment,
inferior schools, or limited transportations. Leads
to lack of opportunities for self-improvement.

5. SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION
 Closed
• Impose rigid boundaries between social groups
• Limit interactions between members who belong to different
social groups or occupy different levels in social hierarchy.
• Resistant to change in social roles
 Open
• Mainly based on achievement, allowing more flexibility in
social roles, increased social mobility, and better interaction

6. Caste Systems
Are closed stratification systems because people are
unable to change their social standing. Caste systems
promote belief in fate, destiny, and the will of higher
spiritual power rather than promotion of individual
freedom. People born into caste society are socialized to
accept their standing for the rest of their lives. There are no
oppurtunities to improve one’s social position.
SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION

8. Class system
stratification system based on ownership of
resources and the individual’s occupation or
profession. A social class is composed of people who
share the same background and characteristics
(income, education & occupation).
SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION

9. Class system
People are free to move from one social class to
another and achieve higher status in life
through education and employment. Openness in
class systems results in prevalence of
exogamous marriages.
SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION

10. exogamous marriages
Marriages between people from different social
classes
endogamous marriages
Marriages between people from same social class
SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION

11. SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION
MERITOCRACY
System of stratification that is determined by
personal effort and merit. Social standing
advancements are determined by how well a
person performs his or her social role.
However it remains an ideal and is only
implemented in business or industry.

12. SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION
SOCIETY IN GENERAL, STILL
REMAINS STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY
OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS
INHERITANCE AND PRESSURE TO
CONFORM.

13. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
FUNCTIONALISM
CONFLICT THEORY
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

14. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
FUNCTIONALISM
• Examines how the different aspects of society
contribute to ensuring its stability and continued
function.
• Each part or aspect of society serves an important
purpose
• Stratification is based on intrinsic value of social
activities or roles

15. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
FUNCTIONALISM
• Davis-Moore Thesis
- Social role that has greater functional purpose will
result in greater reward.
- Certain tasks in society are more valued than others,
and those who perform highly valued work are
rewarded with greater income, prestige and power.

16. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
FUNCTIONALISM
CONFLICT THEORY
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

17. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
CONFLICT THEORY
• Takes critical view of social stratification
• Considers society as benefitting only a small
segment
• Stratification causes inequality
• Drawn from ideas of Karl Marx

18. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
CONFLICT THEORY
• Karl Marx
- social stratification is influences by economic forces and
relationships in society are defined by factors of production.
- Two groups:
• Bourgeois (capitalists) – own factors of production ( land,
resources, business and ploretariat ); UPPERCLASS
• Ploretariat – workers who provide manual labor;
LOWERCLASS

19. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
CONFLICT THEORY
• Karl Marx
- INEQUALITY CAUSES WORKERS TO
EXPERIENCE ALIENATION, ISOLATION,
AND GREAT MISERY DUE TO POWERLESS
STATUS. THIS LEADS TO CLASS CONFLICT.

20. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
FUNCTIONALISM
CONFLICT THEORY
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

21. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
• Microlevel perspective
• Attempts to explain how people’s social standing
affects their everyday interactions
• Leads to interaction within the same class.
• Stratification becomes a System that GROUPS
people (interests, background, way of life)

22. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
• People’s appearance reflects their perceived
social standing
• Theory of Conspicuous Consumption
- Buying certain products to make a social
statement about a status

23. Social MobilitySocial Mobility
• Ability of individuals or groups to change their
positions within a social stratification system
• How individuals progress from a lower to a
higher class, or how they lose their status and
occupy much lower position in society
• Major factor: Economic status (accumulation of
wealth)

24. Social MobilitySocial Mobility
• TWO MAIN TYPES:
a) Upward Mobility – upward movement in social
class. May be through education, employment
or marriage.
a) Downward Mobility – lowering of social class.
Brought by economic setbacks, unemployment,
illness and dropping out of school.

25. Social MobilitySocial Mobility
• Classification based on GENERATION:
a) Intragenerational
- focuses on experiences of people who belong to
same generation.
- changes in mobility throughout the person’s
lifetime
a) Downward Mobility
- Changes in individuals belonging to different
generations

26. Social MobilitySocial Mobility
• STRUCTURAL MOBILITY
- large-scale changes resulting in
improvement or decline of the
conditions and status of a large
group of people.
- Main example: Industrial Age

27. Social Inequality
Societies are usually characterized
by divisions that reflect unequal
distribution of status, wealth, and
power within society.
SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND
POVERTY