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Two very different ideas are presented in the hierarchy of humanity, known as the theories of stratification. The first is the functionalist theory of stratification. This theory holds that, according to Emile Durkheim, "inequalities are good for society..." Certain people are designed and trained to perform certain jobs, and only those people can perform them to their full capacity. The workplace must reward the employee for good jobs and advances in specialization and training. This will induce the employee to work at his or her full potential. The second idea, which juxtaposes the first, is the conflict theory of stratification. This theory poses the idea that any form of social stratification creates a small, powerful group of individuals, and a large group of low wage, working class citizens. This theory also makes the points that, those who are in power, try to keep it, and proceed to create further disadvantages for the working class. The conflict theory in effect states that social inequalities are not good for society as they limit the ability for talented workers to realize their potential and utilize in the workforce.…
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Social classes or social stratification in sociology is a concept involving classification of people into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions a relational set of inequalities with economic, social, political, race and ideological dimensions. When differences lead to greater status, power or privilege for some groups over the other it is called Social Stratification. It is a…
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The conflict theory perceives society as stratified, that is, having significant divisions. It puts forward a more challenging, questioning view on society. People who support this view claim that in every institution there are some people with more power, opportunities and status than others. This view is about inequalities, disagreement, and the use of power to advantage some while…
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Social stratification is a system in which society ranks categories of people in hierarchy. In the United States we group people together by status of wealth. Differences in wealth is what led to social stratification. Social Stratifications exists due to three major functions. First being Structural functionalism, next is social conflict, and lastly there is symbolic interaction. (Plummer)…
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Class is a significant force in all societies, understanding class is crucial if we are to see how groups of people within our society have different experiences. Social stratification refers to the way society is organised within hierarchical layers (Furze,…
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It refers to an individual’s social standing or a society’s categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power. Social stratification produces and maintains inequality, not individual inequalities, but about systematic or social inequalities. The structure of society affects a person's social standing (OpenStax College, 2015, p.187). The term social stratification is also used in the social sciences to describe the relative social position of persons in a given social…
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Stratification is a "structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society" (Witt 238). There are four major groups of stratification. They are slavery, castes, estates and social classes. In America, a perfect example of stratification as I know it, is upper, middle and lower class. The textbook breaks social class down even further into five categories in America: upper, upper-middle, middle, working, and under-class" (Witt 240). Throughout childhood, I grew up in a typical middle-class family. Social mobility is the "movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another" (Witt 241). More often than not, social mobility indicates a change…
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The perspective of social inequality from the Conflict point of view considers that society functions so that each individual and their related groups struggle to maximize their benefits, this argues against the ideas of the Functionalist…
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The social structure of Britain has been highly influenced by the concept of social class. In sociology, the term ‘social class’ is most often used to refer to the primary system of social stratification found in modern capitalist societies. Social stratification refers to ‘the presence [in society] of distinct social groups which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth’.…
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By definition, egalitarianism is all citizens are created equal, no one is above the next citizen, and all privileges are the same. The contrast in this is something that is seen on a daily basis. We are all put into social and economic classes. This structure separates citizens based on income and resources. The wealthy are upper class with better opportunities and resources, middle class citizens have standards based off of what has been disposed of from the upper, and lower class basically are left with the lesser of the two, income and resources. This unprecedented structure sets an “I’m better than you.” tone from the top to the bottom. The more resources that are available to a person, the more powerful they can become, which then gives them a bump up in their social class and possibly on to the next phase in the…
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Social Stratification refers to how a society is categorized into ranking based on different factors including power, wealth, race, gender, and education. Social Inequality is similar but can be defined as unequal and unfair opportunities between people within a society. Social stratification is formed in societies, usually based on power and wealth. Those with more money also have more power and end up at the top of society, whereas those without money or power end up at the bottom. Some examples of this include the caste system, state systems, and classes.…
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A ranked society is a type of societal inequality that gives members unequal access to prestige, although wealth and power remains equal across all of it's members. The type of prestige one holds is usually hereditary within families and kin groups. High ranking social positions might grant authority or may issue orders to other members, however, a high ranked title is not enough to give an individual or group more rights over material resources. The book mentions the Tikopia of the Pacific Islands as an example of a ranked society. The Tikopian people are divided into patriclans, each with their own chief. Each patriclan consists of clans, with each clan having a clan head. Each clan is further subdivided into lineages and so on. But the…
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A system where a society ranks categories based on people in a hierarchy is known as a social stratification. It is obvious in the world that people live and operate in different groups. Some have more wealth and power than others. Our American class system is divided into three main layers. Lower, middle, and upper classes make up these layers. They display what social stratification looks like in the United States. One may have more than another and another may have less than others.…
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Social mobility and economic mobility, the capacity to enhance your societal position and be raised to another class. The United States is based on class stratification and this class framework is laid out in five classes which begin with the privileged upper class, to upper middle class, to lower middle class, the working class and lastly the lower class. Each social group holds differences between its individuals. Due to social stratification and because of the wealthy and destitution, there is an unequal distribution of wealth between Americans which increases the social disparity. Inequality in wealth and class are clear in the US but it is rarely discussed and this is because of how society is set up.…
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As a result, a means of Social Stratification takes place in the society. Mohammad (2007) states that it is a ranking system which organizes or places persons in the society in a hierarchy. In addition, it can be classified as a characteristic of society as it appears to be present in most of our Caribbean islands. Although this is viewed as a form of inequality, the system was derived from events that took place some years ago. The main causes of social stratification are the Plantation System, Emancipation and Social Mobility.…
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