Social stratification is a
sociological
phenomenon in which people in the society are placed in different ranks with reference to same economic conditions. Social stratification borrows classification from earth sciences and thus it refers to its classes as strata. …
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. … This emphasis on self-effort perpetuates the belief that people control their own social standing.
Social stratification defines
any structure of inequality that persists in a society across generations
. Social strata are groups of people — who belong to the same social class or have the same social level. Social strata are organised in a vertical hierarchy.
Social stratification refers to
a ranking of people or groups of people within a society
. … The existence of a system of social stratification also implies some form of legitimation of the ranking of people and the unequal distribution of valued goods, services, and prestige.
Sociologists use the term social stratification to describe the system of social standing. 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
.
The main function of social stratification is
to make the people of upper strata to work hard and to live up to their positions and status
. Pearson argues that American society values the achievements and efficiency of individual and puts emphasis on hard work and productive activity within the economy.
Concrete forms of social stratification are different and numerous. However, sociologists have grouped majority of these into four basic systems of stratification:
slavery, estates, caste and class
.
Examples of formal social control include
the government
. The government uses laws and courts to exercise social control. The government tries to protect those following the rules and capture and punish those who do not. Governmental social control goes beyond the legal system.
Social stratification is a process by which a society is divided into different layers, or strata, based on factors like level of education, occupation, income, and wealth. … For example, those
in the same social class tend to have the same types of jobs and similar levels of income
.
In today’s world, three main systems of stratification remain:
slavery, a caste system, and a class system
.
Sociologists generally distinguish four main types of social stratification –
slavery, estate, caste and social class and status
. … Ogburn and Nimkoff define social stratification as the process by which individuals and groups are ranked in a more or less enduring hierarchy of status.
Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like
wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status
, or derived power (social and political).
Social stratification can’t be eliminated
, but poverty can.
Social stratification persists over generations. Social stratification is universal (
it happens everywhere
) but variable (it takes different forms across different societies). Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well (inequality is rooted in a society’s philosophy).
Functionalist theory says that
stratification is necessary and inevitable
because of the need to induce people with the needed knowledge and skills to decide to pursue the careers that are most important to society.
Sociological theories have shown social class stratification exists and that mobility is possible between these classes in Britain. Evidence suggests
a changing level of absolute and relative mobility is possible over the years
due to different levels of social closure.
