Social Stratification Flashcards
What is social stratification?
It describes how society is structured in a hierarchy, least privileged powerless members at the bottom and the most privileged powerful and elite at the top.
What is social inequality?
The uneven distribution of power, wealth, life chances, or opportunities.
The differences in ‘strata’
What are the 4 parts of the feudal society?
- The Kings
- Lords and Nobles
- Knights
- Peasants/Serfs
What are the two different forms of status in stratification?
Ascribed
Achieved
What is a closed society?
It is a society where social mobility is less likely/almost impossible
What is achieved status? (with example)
This is where social positions are earned on the basis of personal talents or merit.
For example a promotion at work
What is an open society?
Movement up or down the social hierarchy (social mobility) is possible
Slavery with stratification?
A system of stratification, where one person owns another and exploits the slave labor for economic gain. It is one of the lowest forms of stratification as they possess virtually no wealth of their own.
What is ascribed status? (with example)
This is when social positions are fixed at birth and unchanging over time.
For example monarchy
What is the King’s role in the feudal society?
Owned all land in the country
Made the laws
Gave area of land (fife) to lords and nobles
What is the Lords and Nobles role in the feudal society?
They supplied the king with horses and soldiers for his army
They gave land to professional soldiers
What is the Knights role in the feudal society?
They fought for the nobles and the king
What is the peasants/ serfs role in the feudal society?
They worked the land for natives and knights
What is social class based on in a modern society such as Britain? What form of stratification is it?
It is based on economic factors: occupation and income, rather than religious teachings or racist ideas.
It is an open form of stratification, the class position can be achieved and social mobility is possible.
What is meant by the term ‘Feudalism’?
An individual’s place in society was ascribed and it was a closed society, making social mobility almost impossible. And marriage between people from other strata was unthinkable.
What is the caste system?
- Linked to Hindu religion
- Ascribed system
- You are born into a particular caste and deserve to be there as a result of behaviour in their previous life
- Living by the rules =rebirth into a higher caste in the next life can progress through the ranks of the caste system (open society).
What is the Apartheid ?
- South Africa
- It was based on a government policy of racial segregation
- It applied to all parts of society: access to healthcare, education, housing and employment. It was segregated according to the person’s race
- Ascribed status
- Black people were denied citizenship rights, educational and employment opportunities available to white people = worse life chances than white people (little social mobility)
What is the functionalist perspective on social stratification?
They believed that social stratification is a ‘universal necessity’ and for society to survive and operate efficiently it was necessary for:
- All roles to be filled
- Roles must be filled by those who are best able to perform them
- Necessary training must take place
- Roles must be performed conscientiously (consciously ware to do a good job).
What sociologists studied social stratification from a functionalist perspective?
Davis and Moore
What did Davis and Moore say about their theory?
- They believed that social stratification attached unequal rewards and privileges to different positions in society
- They said the function was common to all societies and it served to match the most able people to the functionally most important roles in society
- In the OG article, they recognised ‘functional importance is difficult to establish’
- Functional importance = roles require the highest level of skill and the greatest responsibility to direct and organise them
- D&M argued people with necessary talent, drive and ambition would be encouraged to compete for the roles
Society was a meritocracy, most talented = highest status = greatest rewards
What are the criticisms of Davis and Moore?
- Functional importance is far from easy to establish
- Tumin said the engineers in charge of a factory are ‘as important and indispensable’ as the workers.
- Tumin agreed that in every society there are range of different talents, but it doesn’t mean that talents and ability will be rewarded, elite groups ‘place limits on the search, recruitment and training of functionally important personnel’.
- D&M argued that those that completed long periods of education and training had made ‘scarifies’= lifetime of higher material rewards. Tumin said believed education itself could be rewarding (certain qualifications) but it doesn’t justify a lifetime of grater material rewards.
- Tumin didn’t believe that systems of SS ensured society operated efficiently
- Marxists argue that inequality is a means of privileged minority exploiting others.
What is the Marxist perspective of social stratification?
- It is a mechanism that allows a privileged few to exploit the many.
- It arose from the relationships of social groups to the means of production (land, capital, buildings).
- Marx believed that the Western society through 4 main eras: primitive communism (cave men sharing everything), ancient society (Egyptians, Greeks), feudal society and capitalism.
- Political power came from economic power, it is rooted in its ownership and control of the means of production.
- ## The free market distorts reality (same owner owns all the companies - no matter the choice the same person gets the profit).
What is Weber’s view on class?
- Classes were formed in labour market = places of work
Four main classes exist: Property owners Professionals Petty (small) bourgeoisie - shop owners Working class
What did Weber say determined our life chances?
Economic and non-economic factors: Status Prestige (reputation) Political influence Power
