Sociological Analysis Module 7 Part A Describe social stratification and social inequality, and identify systems of stratification. Social Stratification A method of ranking individuals and groups within societies is known as social stratification. It describes how people in a society are sorted into different socioeconomic tiers according to things like wealth, income, race, education, and power. Perhaps you learned the term “stratification” in geology class. The distinct horizontal layers known as “strata” in rock serve as an illustration of social structure (Kerbo, 2009). People make up the layers of society, and resources are not evenly distributed among the layers. Since the agricultural revolution, which occurred in various parts of the world between 7,000 and 10,000 BCE, all societies have had social stratification. However, unlike relatively uniform rock strata, there are not the same number of people in each social layer. Most of the time, there are very few layers at the top and a lot of layers at the bottom, with some different layers in the middle (Jarman, Lambert & Penn, 2021). Social Inequality The condition of unequal distribution of opportunities and valuable goods is known as social inequality. Today, social inequality exists in all societies. For societal systems that make inequalities visible, a macro-sociological perspective is needed to examine social stratification (Batstone, 2007). Social stratification is created and supported by society as a whole through values, norms, and consistently lasting stratification systems, despite the fact that individuals may support or oppose inequalities. Systems of Stratification Sociologists distinguish between two stratification systems. Closed systems are typically based on inherited status or a characteristic. They allow for little variation in social position. People can’t move levels, and they can’t have social relationships between levels. Achievement-based open systems permit movement and interaction between classes and layers. Individual beliefs are shaped by these various systems (Litwack, 2009). which reflect, emphasize, and promote particular cultural values. Slavery, caste systems, feudal/estate systems, and class systems are examples of stratification systems. Social Classes in the United States The United States’ stratification system is simply referred to by socioeconomic status. Despite its flaws in categorizing all Americans, the class system nevertheless provides a general understanding of American social stratification. There are roughly six social classes in the United States including upper class, new money, middle class, working class, working poor, and poverty level (Jarman, Lambert & Penn, 2021). In a nutshell, global stratification compares the disparities in wealth, economic stability, status, and power between nations, social inequality is the condition in which opportunities and valuable goods are not distributed equally, and social stratification is a method for classifying people and groups within societies (Litwack, 2009). Part B Reflection on Modules In this week’s module, I’ve learned how to explain global stratification, describe social stratification and inequality. I’ve learned that a method of ranking individuals and groups within societies is known as social stratification. It describes how people in a society are sorted into different socioeconomic tiers according to things like wealth, income, race, education, and power. The condition of unequal distribution of opportunities and valuable goods is known as social inequality. Today, social inequality exists in all societies. Global stratification highlights global patterns of social inequality within nations and compares the wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries around the world. I’ve also learned how to distinguish between relative and extreme poverty, describe the economic situation of some of the world’s most impoverished areas, examine poverty in the United States, describe functionalist views of social stratification, describe conflict theorists’ explanations of social stratification, describe how symbolic interactionists conceptualize social stratification, differentiate between conflict, interactionist, and functionalist explanations of social stratification, explain how global stratification and inequality are measured, describe how inequality of opportunity is measured through life chances, explain how symbolic interactionists conceptualize social stratification and the differences between conflict, interactionist, and functionalist explanations of social stratification, describe functionalist views of social stratification, and describe conflict theorists’ explanations of social stratification. References Kerbo, H. R. (2009). Social stratification and inequality. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Jarman, J., Lambert, P. & Penn, R. (2021). Social stratification: past, present, and future. Contemporary Social Science, 16(3), 271-279. http://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2021.191657 Batstone, D. (2007). Not for sale: The return of the global slave trade—and how we can fight it. New York, NY: HarperOne. Litwack, L. F. (2009). How free is free? The long death of Jim Crow. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
