Essentials of Sociology - National Paralegal College

Essentials of Sociology 9 th Edition Chapter 7: Social Stratification Chapter 7: Social Stratification

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Chapter Chap ter Overview n An Overview of Social

Stratification n Why is Social

Stratification Universal?

— How Did the World’s Nations Become Stratified? — Three Worlds — Maintaining Global Stratification

n Conflict Perspective on

Social Stratification

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

t2 Global Stratification

What is Social Stratification? “A system in which groups of people are divided into layers according to their relative power, property and prestige.”



Three Main Types of Social Stratification — Slavery – Causes and Conditions varied around the world — Caste – was India’s main system of formal stratification until 1948, boundaries are rigid — Class – The U.S. system of stratification, boundaries are fluid



Marx and Weber – Class

Social

— Marx – Social Class is divided into the bourgeoisie (those who control the means of production) and the proletariats (those who are exploited by the bourgeoisie) — WeberSocial Class is defined as people who share similar levels of wealth, power, and prestige Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.


Figure 7. here

Figure 7.1 The Distribution of the Earth’s Wealth Source: By the author. Based on Rofthkopf 2008:37.





The Functionalist Perspective on Social Stratification Davis and Moore: 1. All positions must be filled 2. Some positions are more important than others 3. The more important positions must be filled by the more qualified people 4. Greater rewards need to be offered in order to entice qualified people



Why is Social Stratification Universal? Universal? Tumin’s Critique of Davis and Moore — How do we know the positions most rewarded are most important? — Society should be a meritocracy, it’s not. — If stratification is functional, it should benefit everyone.



The Conflict Perspective on Global Stratification Gaetano Mosca argued that every society will be controlled by power. In his book, The Ruling Class, he states this is so because: 1) No society can exist unless it is organized. This requires leadership of some sort in order to coordinate people’s action and get society’s work done. 2) Leadership requires inequalities of power. By definition, some people take leadership positions, while others follow. 3) Human nature is selfcentered. Therefore, people in power will use their positions to seize greater rewards for themselves. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.


How do Elites maintain stratification? — Controlling Information – the elite manipulate the media by selectively releasing information and by withholding information — Controlling ideas – Divine Right of Kings — New technology – the elite can use new technology to keep the masses in check



— First World Industrialized Capitalist Nations — Second World – Industrializing Nations — Third World –Least Industrialized Nations

Figure 7.3 Global Stratification: Income1 of the World’s Nations



Figure 7.3 (continued) Global Stratification: Income1 of the World’s Nations 1Income is a country’s purchasing power parity based on a country’s Gross Domestic Product, where the value of a country’s goods and services are valued at prices prevailing in the United States. Totals vary from year to year and should be considered as approximations. 2Botswana’s income is based largely on its diamond mines. 3Iraq’s oil wealth has been disrupted by war. Source: By the author. Based on CIA World Factbook 2010. t

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Global Stratification

How did the world’s nations become stratified? Colonialism – countries that industrialized first were able to conquer weaker nations World System Theory – Industrialization led to 4 groups of nations: core nations, semiperiphery, periphery, and external area Culture of Poverty – a way of life that perpetuates poverty from one generation to the next



Maintaining Global Stratification Neocolonialism: Most Industrialized Nations selling the Least Industrialized Nations goods on credit turns them into eternal debtors Multinational Corporations: companies that operate across many national boundaries exploit the Least Industrialized Nations Technology and Global Domination: The Most Industrialized Nations can invest huge sums into the latest technology Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
