Social stratification

Social stratification refers to how societies group people into different levels based on things like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, job, and status. It shows how some people have more advantages and opportunities than others. This idea was first explained by a Russian-American sociologist named Pitirim Sorokin in his 1927 book "Social Mobility."

In modern Western societies, people are often thought of as belonging to three main groups: the upper class, the middle class, and the working class. Each of these classes can also be divided into smaller groups.

Social stratification becomes very clear in societies with complex structures, like those based on nobility and peasants. Whether it started with simple hunter-gatherer groups or with the rise of farming and big trade systems is still debated by experts. The more complex a society is, the more these differences in social levels appear.

Overview

Definition and usage

Social stratification is a way that societies group people based on things like wealth, income, education, and job. It’s like putting people into different levels, where some have more advantages than others. In many places, these groups are called upper class, middle class, and working class. These classes can have smaller groups inside them too.

Four underlying principles

There are four main ideas behind social stratification. First, it’s a feature of the whole society, not just individuals. Second, it continues from one generation to the next. Third, it exists in every society but looks different in each one. Fourth, it includes not just money but also beliefs about who is more important.

Complexity

Even in complicated societies, people aren’t equal. Some have much more money, power, and valued things than others. A “stratification system” describes how these inequalities happen through social relationships and structures. It includes how goods are valued, how they’re shared out, and how people move between different levels.

Social mobility

Social mobility is when people move between different levels in society. This can happen during a person’s life or from one generation to the next. Some societies make it easier for people to move up, while others make it very hard.

Karl Marx

Karl Marx thought that society was split into classes based on who owns things and who works for others. He believed that the owners of factories and land had power over workers, and this shaped the whole society. Marx also talked about smaller groups like small business owners and very poor people, but he focused mainly on the big divide between rich and poor.

Max Weber

Max Weber agreed with some of Marx’s ideas but also added his own. Weber said that power in society comes from three things: money, respect, and the ability to influence others. He looked at Germany and saw that not all rich people had power, and some poor people had respect. For Weber, a person’s place in society depended on their wealth, their status, and their power to make things happen.

C. Wright Mills

C. Wright Mills talked about a small group of very powerful people—the “power elite”—who control politics, the military, and big companies. He said these people often know each other, go to the same schools, and work together to stay in power.

Anthropological theories

Some anthropologists say that not all societies have strict classes. They point to cultures where everyone is treated more equally and where sharing is very important. These societies try to avoid letting anyone become too powerful or rich because they think it can cause problems.

Kinship-orientation

In some cultures, like those of the Khoisan people and Australian Aboriginals, the whole community works together to make sure no one is left out. They share food and resources equally and tease anyone who seems to be showing off, to keep everyone humble and connected.

Variables in theory and research

The social status of people in a society depends on how others see and think about different traits, like wealth, job, or background. These traits change over time and place. Researchers study how these traits work together to create groups with more or less power.

Economic

Main article: Economic inequality

Money and jobs are big parts of what decide a person’s place in society. How much money a family has, not just what one person makes, shows differences in how well off people are. We also look at things like a country’s total money made, called Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Social

Main article: Social status

Other traits, like gender, race, or where someone lives, also matter a lot. These can affect jobs, pay, and how people are treated. For example, being younger or older can change job chances and income. Scientists study how these traits mix to shape a person’s place in society.

Gender

Main article: Gender inequality

Gender, whether someone is seen as male or female, is a big part of how societies organize themselves. In many places, men have more rights and jobs than women. This can lead to women earning less money overall.

Race

Main article: Racism

Race looks at how people’s skin color or other traits are used to treat them differently. Some groups are seen as better or worse than others, which can put them in lower places in society. This can lead to unfair treatment in jobs, schools, and homes.

Ethnicity

Main article: Ethnocentricity

Ethnicity is about shared culture, like language or religion. Like race, it can lead to some groups having less power or chance in society.

Global stratification

Main articles: Modernization theory, World-systems theory, and Dependency theory

Countries also have different places in the world’s economy. Some countries, called core nations, control most of the world’s money and jobs. Other countries, called periphery nations, have fewer resources and jobs. This creates big differences in how well people live.

Digital stratification and digital capital

Today, we also look at how being online and having digital skills affects a person’s place in society. Having good digital skills can help people succeed more, just like having money or a good job can.