Social Stratification

• Social Stratification


  This is a concept that looks at the division of society based on the chances of social mobility within a society and how this differs based on either an open or closed society which determines weather status is achieved or ascribed.
• Stratification


  This involves inequality between social groups in the distribution of economic and social resources which persists over time
• Social Class


  This is based on economic factors such as occupation and income rather than religion or race
• Social class in Modern Britain

  In modern industrial societies, like Britain, social class is seen as the main form of social stratification

  - This form of stratification is said to be open, so class position can be achieved and social mobility is possible
• Social inequality


  This refers to the uneven distribution of:

  - Resources such as money and power

  - Life chances
• Ascribed Status


  Social position fixed at birth and is unchanging over time
• Achieved status


  Social position that's earned on the basis of personal talents or merit. Promotion at work, for example, can be earned through experiences, ability or effort
• Open society


  A society in which social mobility is possible for everyone.

  (Movement up or down the social hierarchy)
• Closed Society


  A society in which mobility between different levels of stratification is not possible
• Example 1: Caste system


  This is linked to the Hindu religion, in which they believe they're born into particular system and deserve to be due to a previous life (ascribed)

  - They ensure reincarnation into a higher caste, by living according to the rules so they can progress through the ranks of the system

  - Inequality is justified through religious belief.
• Example 2: Apartheid in South Africa (1948 - 1994)

  This was based on racial segregation

  - It applied to all aspects of society; so access to health, education, housing and employment was segregated based on race

  - It was ascribed from birth and provided little chance of social mobility
• Example 3: Feudal society/Feudalism


  This was operated in Medieval England and was based on the amount of land one had, so it was also ascribed
• Socioeconomic class


  This is the type of social stratification most commonly found in urban industrial societies based on economic inequality
• The Upper class


  This is the elite in our society; they're owners and directors of major companies

  This class have a lot of status and power since their economic position in society is more important and valued since the governments believe economic security and based on the profitability of the private industry they own.

  This consists of no more than 10% of the population
• The Middle Class


  A social class made up of skilled workers, professionals and business people (e.g doctors, teachers).

  It could be said the middle class are exploited in a non-manual way

  This consists of over 50% of the population
• Lower middle class

  Their jobs have some more manual elements involved such as shop and office workers (lower-middle class)
• The Upper Middle Class


  This is a social class consisting of mostly highly educated professionals and managers who have considerable financial stability and economic stability

  Non-manual workers tend to live longer and own their own homes

  E.g Doctors, lawyers
• Working class


  This is a social class broadly composed of people working in manual occupation, such as cleaners or bus drivers (proletariat), for a low pay

  They're less likely to be members of trade unions, giving them little to no power to influence their pay and conditions

  They consists of 40% if the population (but this has fallen significantly in the last 50 years)
• Similarities between the working and middle class


  Both the WC and MC work for a means of production and the nature of the lower middle class and WC are similar in the repetitiveness and lack of authority within their jobs
• Davies and Moore (1945)


  - From a functionalist perspective, they believe social stratification is a universal necessity

  - For society to function efficiently, it's necessary for all the roles to be filled, with the most capable people and the necessary training must take place so that the roles are performed correctly.

  - The mechanism that allows this to happen was a social stratification system that attached unequal rewards and privileges to different position in society

  - This system is served to match the most-able people, with the functionally most important skills and those that needed the highest skill level and responsibility of others

  - So ambitions will encourage competition for the most talented to achieve success
• Criticism of Davies and Moore (1945)


  - Low-paid jobs aren't necessarily unimportant; occupations which carry less prestige or lower economic rewards can still be seen as functionally important to society

  - There's no proof that exceptional talent is required for important positions in society, nor is there an agreed method of measuring talent and ability (e.g there's no educational requirement for government ministries)

  - Marxists argue that inequality is a means of the privileged minority exploiting others, gaining at the expense of others
• Marxists view on stratification

  The social stratification is a mechanism that allows the bourgeoisie to exploit the proletariat
• Conflict of interest between the ruling and working class


  - The proletariat can only sell their labour, because they don't own the means of production, unlike the bourgeoisie who do and can exploit the proletariat workers through the system in order to gain profit

  =

  - This results in an antagonistic relationship between the bourgeoisie and proletariat due to the conflict of interest. The relationship is based on the inequality of power especially
• Petty bourgeoisie


  Small scale manufacturers and craftsmen, for example, who couldn't compete with large industrial companies and would inevitably be driven out of business and forced into the WC as they didn't have as much wide scale power
• Polarisation


  Marx believed in polarisation of social class which is the capitalists attempt to maintain profits by keeping wages as low as possible + by introducing technology that can replace workers (mechanisation)

  As time passes, this creates a greater difference between the classes and an increase in class conflict
• Free market & false class conscience

  The bourgeoisie protect their position through the idea of the free marker, which distorts reality by making capitalism seem good, normal and meritocratic (myth of meritocracy)

  This results in false class consciousness amongst the proletariat, but if they regain this consciousness a revolution could occur
• Criticism of the marxists theory

  - Too deterministic of the lives of the proletariat
• Weber's theory: Marxists


  Weber argues that social class is more complex that higher skilled workers experiences a higher salary and more job security and vice versa

  He believes people within each class has similar life chances
• Weber's social classes


  He argues that a class is group of people with similar life chances. He identifies 4 social classes:

  1) Property owners (upper class)

  2) Professional middle class

  3) Petty bourgeoisie (lower MC)

  4) The manual WC

  This is due to different market situations in society
• Weber: Status

  Marx's view of ownership of the means of the production was the most significant division is society, but Weber thinks ones status may different from their class position

  E.g nurses may have lower income, but have a high status
• Weber: Party


  This is an organised groups that seeks to experience power, for example trade unions, pressure groups and professional organisations

  Money doesn't necessarily bring with it power - trad unions and politicians are powerful individuals
• Similarities between Marx and Weber

  - The elite class in both their perspective owns some kind of property

  - They both identify similar characteristics within a certain social class

  - There's competition within and between social classes
• Life chances


  This refers to people's chances achieving positively or negatively (such as being healthy or ill, wealthy or poor) as they progress through life
• Differences between Marx and Weber


  - Weber believes there's more than just the proletariat and bourgeoisie

  - Weber identifies both status, class and wealth not jut class, like Marx which aren't necessarily linked

  - Marx predicts a revolution whereas Weber doubts there'll be one
• Criticism of Weber

  - Marxists believe that capitalist society exploits its workers and that Weber's many layered view of class based on market situation hides fundamental distinction between those who own the MOP and those who work for them

  - The wealthiest people still tend to have most of the power whereas the poor remains powerless
• Life chances outcomes

  This relates to many aspects of life including:

  - Health

  - Education

  - Income

  - Working conditions

  - Housing

  - Life expectancy
• Life chances health inequalities

  The life expectancy gap between England richest and poorest neighbourhoods has widened since 2001

  One average a boy born in one of the most affluent areas will outlive one born in one of the poorest areas by 8.4 years
• Why are there inequalities in health

  Natural selection

  Structural explanations

  Cultural explanations
• Why are there inequalities in health: Natural selection


  Healthy people are more likely to secure well-paid jobs

  Ill-health affects social position
• Why are there inequalities in health: Structural selection


  This idea suggests that material circumstances such as poor working conditions or low income can contribute to the inequality in health