Social stratification occurs when differences lead to greater status, power, or privilege for some groups over others. It is a system in which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. Members of society are socially stratified on many levels, including socio-economic status, race, class, ethnicity, religion, ability status, and
Examining the relationship between identity and social class Social class is the way in which society categorizes itself into different forms of genre. Social class refers to the status in which a person is given in society. Strictly speaking it is measured by how much wealth you have. Being born into a wealthier family will mean you start life in a higher class. If you are born into a poorer family you would have to work your way up the classes through employment.
* * Karl Marx divided people into two distinctive groups, which are bourgeoisie and proletariat and he believed that social classes are distinguished according to the means of production (Joyse, 1995). That is bourgeoisies are those who buy working forces, while proletarians are those who sell in order to survive. Each class acts in the way to benefit themselves and their own interests, thereby resulting in conflict, which in turn, lead to limited social mobility. Therefore, Marx argues that social mobility is exceedingly limited and depends on luck or chance (Crompton, 1993). In other words, dominant social groups oppress or control lower ones, and it is extremely problematic to change social class and status.
Horizontal Social Mobility Seen in The Character Dunham in Alice’s “Fourteen” When talking about Marxism, one will also talks about class consciousness. Karl Marx defined class consciousness as a social condition in which members of a social class, and in particular the working class, are actively aware of themselves as a class. Besides, there is also false consciousness, where an individual lacks of such awareness, resulting in a distorted perception of the reality of class and its consequences(Ashley Crossman). Class consciousness then somehow stimulates the willingness of an individual in the worker class to move higher from his class now. And as the individual struggles for achieving that higher status, the change may very possibly be his, at length.
Social stratification is a hierarchy of positions with regard to economic production which influences the social rewards to those in those positions. It is the division of society into layers on the basis of inequality - a hierarchy (ladder) of strata (levels). Where individuals are on this ladder will affect and determine their life chances in every respect. Social mobility is movement up or down the stratification hierarchy. The 3 main inequalities are class, social status and power.
Examine sociological explanations of the ways in which social class may shape social identity: • Identity is concerned with how individuals see and define themselves and how other people see and define them. • The identities that people adopt are formed within the cultures and subcultures to which they belong. One of the factors that have traditionally had major effect on people’s identity is their social class and the class subcultures into which they are socialised. • Ken brown breaks society up into different social classes, which all have the same norms and values. Which are: working class, middle class and upper class.
About) Why have the roles of men and woman changed in today’s society? There are two theroies to gender inequality. Functionalist theorists believe that inequality is inevitable and desirable and plays an important function in society. Important positions in society require more training and thus should receive more rewards. Social inequality and social stratification, according to this view, lead to a meritocracy based on ability.
There are two major aspects in regards to the sociological perspective, the first being interaction between social structure and an individual and the idea of two levels of analysis. When it comes to the interaction of social structure and the individual, sociologists tend to concentrate not so much on the characteristics of an individuals behavior but rather on the precedents that are collective amongst individuals in regards to society and groups around them. The key to grasping sociology comes from the inevitability and repetition, which are seen in customary social behaviors throughout society and individuals. Social structures are socially embodied in the actions, thoughts, beliefs, and long-lasting temperaments of individual human beings. The typical being often has a
The services provided by welfare states differ from country to country, some have highly developed systems than others (Giddens, 2009). In most societies, poverty and social exclusion at the bottom are alleviated by the welfare states. This essay is therefore going to discuss how these welfare states use ideological state apparatus to secure legitimacy of continued inequalities in capitalist societies. Ideology can be defined as shared ideas or beliefs which serve to justify the interests of dominant groups” Giddens (1997:583). Its relationship to power is that it legitimizes the differential power that groups hold and as such it distorts the real situation that people find themselves in.
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the functionalist approach to society...(33 marks) Functionalism is a macro, consensus theory. They see human behaviour as being influenced by social forces, because it is a macro-scale approach is therefore seen as a strength as it allows functionalist sociologists to observe society, and its institutions, as a whole. Functionalists argue that, individuals are socialised into a shared value which is also known as a value consensus to ensure conformity and social order. However, this functionalists approach is criticised by action theorists, as they argue that individuals create society through their interactions. Marxists may argue that these norms and beliefs are all in interest of the Bourgeoisie and they can prevent or make change by ideological manipulation or force.