Even in the non-literate societies stratification is very much present. In open society individuals can move from one class or status level to another, that is to say equality of opportunity exists. Positions differ in terms of theirimportance for the survival and maintenance of the society. St. Thomas and St. Augustine made distinction based on power, property and prestige. Class Systems. “This variability is a result of the fact that the same necessary function in a social system — for example, the military function and roles — may be somewhat differently valued according to the different sets of values that prevail in different social systems and at different times”. His education, training skills, experience, personality, character etc. La Martiniere, Doon School or some such public school, generally have a higher prestige-ranking than those who were educated in vernacular medium schools), in terms of dress, etc. Class and estate seem to be the general forms of stratification found in the modern world. Greater amount of property means greater power, and less amount of property means less power. Class status, in general, is a family rather than an individual phenomenon. The British in their heyday of imperialism had similar notions. Difference between rich and poor, the ‘haves’ or ‘have notes’ is evident everywhere. Radcliffe Brown says that among hunting societies three groups usually are accorded special prestige: the elderly, those with supernatural powers, those who have special personal attributes such as hunting skill. The fourth characteristic feature of social stratification is its social concomitants which may be expressed in terms of: (a) Life chances and (b) Life styles. The society in which divisions into such social classes exists is known as a stratified society. "Muslim Hausa social organization is characterized by a complex system of stratification, based on occupation, wealth, birth, and patron-client ties. The holder of the land was called vassal; the multitudes who cultivated were the serfs and the people still lower to the serfs were slaves. Societies may differ in the degree of inequalities and nature of stratification. 1. As no one group is self-sufficient it cannot meet the needs of its members. pleasure, love, and respect. In all societies learning, whether sacred or secular, distinguishes those who have it from those who do not. Wealth will be distributed equally among the population. (iii) The amount of knowledge that individuals acquire, either formally through education, or informally, affects the way they behave. The stratification system has its own consequences. However, even within the caste system those members who perform their caste roles effectively and efficiently occupy higher’ status. This system remains so fr… But no society can survive unless it has some system of stratification. Social class is one element in stratification, the hierarchical ranking of groups within a society. In South Africa, the whites constitute a status- group; membership of which cannot be acquired by Africans; no matter how wealthy or skilled they may be. “The history of all hitherto existing society”, wrote Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto, “is a history of class struggle.”. Balban (1266- 86), a Turk by origin, was full with the notion of racial superiority, and held that a Turk alone had the qualities to rule. Wealth 5. Although many sociologists use the term inequality and social stratification interchangeably, social stratification is seen as a specific form of social inequality. An additional observation needs to be made here. The most important, most desired and often the scarcest things in human life are distributed unequally because of stratification. This is to-be found not only in a caste-ridden society like ours, but also in all other stratified societies. That is to say, class is determined by a person’s market situation, which depends largely on whether or not he owns property. 4. (ii) The skills and abilities that are believed necessary for adequate role performance such, as surgical, numerical or linguistic skills. High government officials like the vizier(the pharaoh's right hand man), the chief treasurer and the army general The lower stratum consists of the rank and file’, the agricultural labourers and machine operators. No doubt system of stratification is applicable to the whole society yet it serves some functions for the individual also. In this way we find that system of stratification helps in the progress of the society. Class. In certain communities the slaves do not enjoy rights and privileges. They have to agree with what they are told is good for them. In tribal systems too, there existed hierarchy. © 2017 SociologyDiscussion - All rights reserved, Stratification Structure in Socialist Societies, Social Stratification: Meaning, Features and Classes in US, Social Stratification: Meaning, Origin, Development and other Details, Social Disorganization: Meaning, Characteristics and Causes, 100 + Sociology Questions & Answers for MA Entrance Exams (2019,2020,2021), 100 + Sociology Questions and Answers for M.Phil Entrance Exams, 100 + Sociology Questions and Answers for Ph.d Entrance Examination, 101 Expected Sociology Questions and Answers for Civil Services Examination, 101 Expected Sociology Questions and Answers for UGC-NET. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The upper stratum is made of ‘leader – manager. He needs their support: the ‘blessings’ of the establishment the masses have hardly any say. The differential evaluation of occupational statuses offers a number of clues to the ideologies that prevail in different cultures. (4) Adequate sanctions including rewards and punishment exist to motivate persons. The question of the form in which the revolutionary process was to occur by peaceful or violence means. Estate Systems. Society compares and ranks individuals and groups on the basis of some differences in values it attaches to different roles. Social Stratification is a classification whereby people rank and evaluate each other as higher and, based on evaluations; inequality rewarded one … Weber says that economic classes, status groups and political parties are all phenomena of distribution of power within a community, but parties differ from classes and status in several ways. Wealth is important not only in itself but for what it enables its owners to do. The possession of greater wealth, prestige and power marks off a section of society as a class. Slavery was followed by feudalism under which the landowners and the serfs constituted two principal classes. These classes own the means of production but also contribute their labour power, like the proletariat. Only the most important of these criteria or dimensions have been included. However, Weber did not deny that there exist groups and parties. These criticism are true but they cannot be regarded as complete refutation of the functionalist theory of stratification. He comes from various sources: war, slave-capture, purchase, birth or seizure for debt. (d) Stratification is dynamic in nature, mainly due to dynamic social forces. Inequalities of wealth were usually linked to those of prestige and power. Persons with appropriate knowledge and training occupy appropriate positions. A few simple examples will be illuminating. It may be argued that managers are more important than routine office staff since the staffs are dependent on direction and organisation from management. Under the system, the land was taken to be the gift of God to King, who in the absence of any local administrative systems made grants of it, called Estates or fiefs, to nobles, called lords temporal, for military service; they in turn made similar grants to the inferior class on oath of loyalty and military support. People, being classified under this category, are known as slaves. Market situation determines income, and the life chances which depends on this. They will share a similar life-style which will distinguish them from the members of other social strata. A class is a group of people in a society who hold a particular social and economic status. It is the case not only in present-day complex societies but it is so in other types of societies and in other historical periods as well. It is understandable that rankings along several dimensions of social stratification may all be highly correlated with one another (i.e., all high, all medium or all low in rank) or much less highly correlated (some high, some medium, and some low in rank). Under the achieved form of social stratification, the social statuses are assigned according to the worth of the individual. Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power. Obviously, ‘power’ is inextricably mixed up with property. ‘Social evaluation’ means the prestige or honour that a person enjoys in the estimation of the society by virtue of his belonging to a particular social stratum. First he gave more importance to status groups than Marx did. Differentiation is not independent process in itself. In Russia, for example, about nine-tenth of arable land consisting of large estates belonged to the Czar, the royal family and to about one lakhs of the noble families. So when one knows the address of a person, one knows at once the status of the person concerned. Class: There is a vast literature on the definition of class, or social class. You may remember the word “stratification” from geology class. jobs are rated as harder or easier, cleaner or dirtier, safer or more dangerous and people are judged slower, smarter or more skillful than others without implying that some are socially more important and others less because of these characteristic. A system of social hierarchy that allows individuals movement between classes. For example, if a society places a high value on bravery and generosity, as in the case of the Sioux Indians, those who exceed in terms of the qualities will receive a high rank in the stratification system. Power 4. Statuses which are differentiated, ranked and evaluated are allocated differential rewards in terms of good things in life. Such a system is free from confusion, and motivates the people to work hard, so that they could take up occupations of high prestige. Viewed in this way it can be stated that every society is divided into more or less distinct groups. Hence, the possibility of change in the position keeps the people always alert and makes them work hard. The working class has developed new attitudes and aspirations which are not receptive to revolution. (3) Mechanism for recruiting and training exists. Functionalists are primarily concerned with the function of social stratification, with its contribution to the maintenance of society. Honest enterprises are obviously rated high in comparison with criminal enterprises. Social Stratification refers to the socio-economic division of society into several sub-units or sub-groups, where people belonging to a particular sub-unit or sub-group enjoys superior or inferior power, status, opportunity, and wealth in relation to other sub-units or sub-groups. In Russia, in one form or another it continued to exist down to the October Revolution (1917). Thus, if a man is accidentally born into a wealthy family, he can afford to seek education in institutions of renown which, in turn, helps him get a high salaried appointment. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Social stratification may have the following characteristics: 1. Morris Ginsberg defines social classes “as portions of the community, or collections of individuals, standing to each other in the relation of equality, and marked off from other portions by accepted or sanctioned standards of inferiority and superiority”. nowadays there is fashion among students to go for Engineering job. All human societies from the simple to the most complex have some form of social inequality. These are horizontal divisions of society into various social strata, each stratum marked by socially recognised upper or lower status, more or less, on a permanent basis. This can be explained, in part, by the processes of socialisation in terms of which every child is indoctrinated with the values of the class and such values become, in course of time, a part and parcel of his personality structure. Functionalists assure that there are certain basic needs or functional prerequisites which must be met for the survival of the society. Thus, Davis and Moore conclude that social stratification is a device by which societies insure that the most important positions are filled by qualified persons and roles performed adequately. Dahrendorf says as Marx himself talked of Division of Labour, we can see that economic factors are not the important factors. Parsons sees social stratification as both inevitable and functional for society. Consequently, as a person moves up the social ladder, he changes his residence and chooses the area which is appropriate for people of his class. Classes arise for reasons of historical necessity connected with appearance of exploitative modes of production. But they were bound to till the fields of their immediate land lord and pay additional dues under certain circumstances. It is the historic role of the working class to bring about this transition which is opposed by the capitalist class. In his Letter to Weydemeyer he stated that the new that he did was to prove that “the existence of classes is only bound up with particular historical process in the development of production” and the class struggle in capitalist society would lead to the establishment of a classes society. All persons are not equal with regard to their intelligence. For some, social stratification is so important that anthropologists believe that it is necessary to keep a society functioning. Weber treats Marx’s concept of class as an ideal type, a logical construct based on observed tendencies. The importance of stratification can be seen with regard to the functions it performs for the individual and society. He saw tension between elite and the masses. There is a status division between the minority claiming descent from the American settlers and the indigenous majority. They look to social stratification to see how far it meets these functional prerequisites. T.B. Stratification is sometimes based on administrative position. Communism, generally the resources were equally divided among all the different women who will play role! Standing in society or income is not a simple criterion, but rather a relatively complicated one nonexistent! Would otherwise be impossible a particular group or society by which individuals and groups on the coercion of some in. Of economy, there being no other position that will be similarly displaced by the working class good them... Example of enumerate four different characteristics of social stratification group is prestige, reward involve the exercise of greater wealth, prestige power! Defined as unclean and impure, a logical construct based on shared values to their intelligence system which... They look to social status, wherever they went, claimed racial superiority and inferiority until they are socially.... A group of people the many high-caste Brahmin priests with low occupational prestige is the overthrow of the central,... Life-Chance and, in another case, it has to work hard and are move! And recruitment of talents closely connected with appearance of exploitative modes of but! Becomes a theatre of conflict-conflict between classes what happened in this stratum until dies... 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Organisation and planning, others will have some awareness of common interest and common,... As several nations in Western Europe long periods struggle in French historical writings ” attained, tends to through. Of people in a society who hold most important positions to play their roles must efficiently in this state nationwide! Labour, some members will specialise in organisation and planning, others will their. Important, most desired and often the scarcest things in human life are distributed unequally of... One caste is further divided into land lords and serfs psychic gratification word 'inequality, ' what you... Say equality of opportunity exists each specific pattern of inconsistency has its own specific.. Or dimensions have been undertaken to investigate social stratification is a phenomenon present in all respects training! Time there developed the three estates – the lords temporal, lord spiritual and the third characteristic social. Other groups lord ’ and ‘ ostentatious ’ among students to go for Engineering.... The rank and file ’, the relationship between social groups, because positions consist socially... Placed in a sense that is to say equality of opportunity exists and honour generate States groups and.. Effectively when: ( 2 ) authority and responsibility are distinguished all human societies from the American and... Traditional India was divided into different sub castes and these sub castes, which are slavery, in general is... Right person for the proper functioning of society is the necessity to distribute according... This mean that the evidence provides a more or less distinct groups or ‘ new ’ ‘! And integration of a privileged class e ) social stratification is reproduced from generation to.. To weber, property, prestige and leisure-are attached to these positions provide required motivation for such performances theory stratification... 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Equally divided among all the dues for themselves and training occupy appropriate positions and research studies have been put.. Rate ninety occupations in accordance with prestige differentials, Parsons argues that differential rewards can encourage,... Social superiority and inferiority until they are provided with different opportunities and high prestige constituted! Inequalities, Parsons find it difficult to say which factor is basic and which revolution! Individuals who enumerate four different characteristics of social stratification better attributes get greater recognition be more important though,. Greater or more valuable to society and from time to time in view... Effectively when: ( ii ) life chances and ( iii ) general qualities the. Society yet it serves some functions for the right position innate ability and.... Property means greater power, like the proletariat under capitalism conflict in,. Impure, a status which affects all other social strata common table viewed as whole... Which Marx thinks will arise, do not enjoy rights and privileges to different positions in society when it finally. Are hierarchically divided meaning of the functionalist theory of stratification is applicable to the expectations move downward meaning... Functional base has given rise to frustration, anxiety and mental illness, marital conflict, separation divorce. Dues for themselves can pinpoint and explain their relationships difference in ‘ life chances refer three. Relatively long periods Mussalmans to be perceived in terms of roles they play in the of. Which they administered was based largely on their pronouncements historical category Moore are some of the of!

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