Structural Functionalist Theory Of Social Class

According to the book definition, a social class is a status hierarchy in which individuals and groups are classified on the basis of esteem and prestige acquired mainly through economic success and accumulation of wealth. Social class may also refer to any particular level in such a hierarchy. There are main four common social classes informally recognized in many societies and that are are the Upper class, Middle class, Working class, and the Lower class. On the other hand, slavery means that the people are the property of the other people, as slaves have to follow the order of their owner. Caste as a closed social stratification system in which membership is determined by birth and remains fixed for life. It is determined by the birth of the individual, as in caste system person will always stay in the same status throughout their life. One of the main difference between social class and other systems of stratification is that social class is not permanent and people can escape that class and move up or down the ladder based on their performance in society, education and wealth. In other types escaping the slavery
Structural Functionalism is a sociological theory that attempts to explain why society functions the way it does by focusing on the relationships between the various social institutions that make up society for example government, education etc. Their main perspective is that social institutions are structured to maintain stability and order in society. They also believe that inequality is also necessary for the smooth function of the society. They believe that the most important jobs like doctors or teachers should be performed by highly talented people and also they do that by ensuring that the better the job is, the better the reward will be for that job (better pay). They also stress that low-level jobs are important too and if everything works out smoothly people won’t even realize that it is a low-level