Rogers 1

Hebert Rogers

Professor Price

Sociology 1

3/29/2017

Social Stratification Assignment

Social stratification is used to describe the various levels of wealth and power among

individuals in a society. This means the most powerful individuals, who possess the

most material, social, and cultural resources exist at the top layer while those without,

serve as the bottom layer. One can see how this inevitably leads to a society-wide

system that makes systematic equalities based on classes or group membership

apparent. Individuals in a specific class or a group of people with similar economic

resources, may feel constrained to their position in life and not seek a transition to

another class. This is why sociologists came up with a model for different

stratification systems, to explain how different systems made impede an individuals

effort to be unbound by their class.

One such system is slavery, where there exists a system of forced servitude where

individuals are bought and sold like property. An example of slavery is when the

United States used African-American slaves in place of workers they would actually

have to pay. These individuals were ascribed their status of slaves when they were

first bound and forced to endure a tremendous amount of hardship.

Comparatively, there exists the idea of caste-based systems where individuals are

restricted to a single way of living until they die. During this time, relations between

levels are regulated and social status is ascribed, as to say it is given at birth. An

example of a caste-based system is that which occurs in Hinduism, where there are
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four prominent castes, consisting of priests, warriors, merchants, and artisans. This is

a closed system that would likely not allow movement between the various castes.
Furthermore, there is also the estate system that must be observed. This system

divides power in society into three main areas; the nobility, church, and commoners.

Power in this system relies mainly on land ownership by the nobility and church

along the rent acquired from commoners to work on said land. This type of system

was most prevalent in medieval Europe where the nobility consisted of lords, knights,

and ladies. The church consisted of priests, monks, and bishops whereas the

commoners mainly comprised of peasants. The peasants essentially produced the food

for all three groups by selling their labor in order to live on the land that the nobility

and church owned. Most of the nobility consisted of individuals who were ascribed

their status at birth, meaning the nobility was transferred through subsequent

generations. This results in a closed system where commoners, unless married into

nobility, never have an opportunity at the same level of wealth.

Finally, there exists a social class system where individuals are separated into

different categories based on socioeconomic status. This status can be viewed

objectively and subjectively, meaning that factors such as education, income, and

occupation along with an individuals perception of what class they belong to, play a

pivotal role in shaping social statuses. An example of this is modern society can be

viewed in the United States where everyone is divided up into five categories. The top

2 percent, or upper class, comprises of rich and powerful businessmen and CEOs who

own the majority of wealth in America. The level below them can be defined as the

upper-middle class, which mainly consist of doctors, lawyers, or architects which

make up about 15 percent of the population. The next layer is the middle class, which
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account for a majority of the population, around 35 percent, and include teachers,

nurses, clerical workers and other less affluent occupations. The working class is

what exists below the middle class and is typically made up of individuals who

perform low paying jobs through manual labor such as plumbers, janitors, or factory

workers. The bottommost component of this social class stratification system is the

underclass, or what one commonly refers to as, the poor. These individuals, which

make up about 20 percent of the population, have limited and rather inconsistent

access to resources and includes a disproportionate amount of African Americans,

Hispanics, and immigrants. A social class stratification system would most likely be

viewed as open because individuals can escape their class by acquiring more wealth

or by simply marrying into wealth. This means that social status may be ascribed or

achieved, depending on the class you are born into and whether or not you have

reliable access to resources.

In a capitalistic society there exists the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The

Bourgeoisie own the means of production which include factories and machinery. In

the United States for example, few individuals have the majority of the wealth and in

turn, own a vast amount of corporations and businesses that produce the goods a

person will buy any given day. This consolidation of power and ownership is a perfect

representation of the bourgeoisie. While the bourgeoisie own the majority of wealth

and power, the proletariat only own their ability to sell their labor to the bourgeoisie

in exchange for wages. However, according to Karl Marx, individuals may develop

class consciousness, or a subjective awareness of common vested interests and the

need for collective action to bring about reform. Individuals may see that in order to

change this disparity of wealth and power, they must come together as a single
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cohesive unit in order to begin. This includes tackling the dominant ideology, or a set

of cultural beliefs that help maintain powerful economic, political, and social

interests. For example, a dominant ideology may be that those at the top of the wealth

latter belong there because they earned it and no one should challenge the status quo.

In order for a society to be successful in overthrowing the dominant ideology, the

proletariat must not develop a false consciousness such as believing that These new

laws affect only me instead of believing that they affect all of society as whole.
Max Weber agreed with Karl Marx in a variety of aspects but asserted that while

material resources played a key role in determining social positioning, so too did

social resources. Weber proposed a multi-dimensional system of stratification that

consisted of class, status group, and party. Weber used class to categorize people who

shared a similar level of economic resources, such as the middle or working classes.

Furthermore, he developed the concept of a status group, which comprised of people

who shared the same perceived level of prestige, respect, or admiration. These may

include politicians, royalty, or some tribes. The final aspect of Webers social

stratification model was parties, or the ability for a specific group to organize in order

to accomplish a particular goal. An example of a party may be bureaucrats, who

organize explicitly to maximize resources and accomplish their goals in the most

efficient manner possible. While Karl Marx believed that material resources were the

only factor that influenced social class, Weber argued that resources such as prestige

and organizational ability played pivotal roles as well. Weber further asserts that an

individuals status in society may achieve more than ones wealth. For example, a

famous wealthy politician may have more of an influence than Justin Bieber, an

affluent celebrity.
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Cultural capital is a term coined by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu which consists of

a societys tastes, knowledge, attitudes, and ways of thinking that we exchange in our

everyday interactions with others. Class differences in society may be attributed to

cultural capital, as factors such as style, taste, and knowledge are typically associated

with certain classes. Individuals in high-fashion or those who drive expensive cars

may be labeled as a certain class through the type of cultural capital they own.

Furthermore, because some culture is valued over another, there may be power

differences that arise from differing levels of cultural capital. For example,

individuals may attribute an individuals taste in art to the amount of power they

possess. Because we believe that one must be wealthy or powerful in order to obtain

certain art pieces that places someone in a higher social class. Cultural capital

influences our ability to obtain certain material, social, or cultural resources because

of the ability it has to influence ones perception of another. Social resources consist

of ones network of relationships with family, friends, or coworkers and one can see

how differing cultural beliefs may affect the type of relationships that develop. People

express the amount and type of cultural capital they possess when purchasing certain

items. Buying a flashy gold necklace along with a bright red Ferrari may signify that

you have acquired a vast amount of material resources. Driving a Prius or other

hybrid may be an expression of the belief that one should avoid harming the planet.

Cultural capital can be acquired and expressed in a variety of ways that lets others

know what class you perceive as your own.