Download Ascribed status - Assignment Point

Social Inequality and Stratification
• The term social inequality describes a
condition in which members of a society
have different amounts of wealth, prestige
or power. Some degree of social inequality
characterizes every society.
• When a system of social inequality is
based on hierarchy of groups, sociologists
refer to it as stratification.
• Stratification means a structured ranking
of entire groups of people that perpetuates
unequal economic rewards and power in a
society.
• Stratification is a crucial subject of
sociological investigation because of its
influence on human interactions and
institutions.
Concepts related with stratification
• To understand stratification system we
need to go through some concepts.
• Ascribed status: it is a social position that
can be assigned to a person without
regard for that person’s unique talents.
• Ascribed status is the social status a person is
given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in
life. For example, a person born into a wealthy
family has a high ascribed status. Also when a
person's position in society is fixed (or ascribed
to him or her by others) on the basis of family
background or genetic inheritance. Racial,
ethnic, and religious differences, as well as
gender, often serve as the basis for ascribed
status. Other people that are born into ascribed
status are people born into royalty. Since the
child came into the world with their care givers
having royal lineage, the child has inherited
those royal blood lines as well.
• The various factors which determine
ascribed status are:
• Age
• Kinship
• Sex
• Race
• Group
• Caste
• Achieved status: An achieved status is a social
position a person takes on voluntarily that
reflects personal ability and merit.
• Achieved status is a sociological term denoting
a social position that a person acquires on the
basis of merit. It reflects personal skills, abilities,
and efforts. Examples of achieved status are
being an Olympic athlete, being a criminal, or
being a college professor. Status is important
sociologically because it comes with a set of
rights, obligations, behaviors, and duties that
people occupying a certain position are
expected or encouraged to perform.
Achieved status VS Ascribed status
• Ascribed status is a position assigned to
individuals or groups based on traits beyond
their control, such as sex, race, or parental
social status. This is usually associated with
"closed" societies. Achieved status is
distinguished from ascribed status by virtue of
being earned. Many positions are a mixture of
achievement and ascription; for instance, a
person who has achieved the status of being a
doctor is more likely to have the ascribed status
of being born into a wealthy family. This is
usually associated with "open" societies or
"social" class societies .
• Income: Income refers to salaries and
wages.
• Wealth: Wealth is an inclusive term
encompassing all of a person’s material
assets, including lands, stocks, and other
types of property.
Systems of stratification
• Slavery :
• The most extreme form of legalized social
inequality for individuals or groups is slavery.
The evidence for slavery predates written
records. It can be found in almost all cultures
and continents. Slavery can be traced to the
earliest records, such as the rules of Hammurabi
in Mesopotamia (~1800 BC), which refers to
slavery as an already established institution.
• Caste:
• Castes are hereditary systems of rank,
usually religiously dictated, that tend to be
fixed and immobile.
• Castes membership generally determines
one’s occupational or role as a religious
functionary.
• The caste system in India long has been
an extreme example of a stratification
structure based on ascribed status. Each
level in the stratification structure is known
as a caste. Everyone is born belonging to
a specific caste. The caste of the parents
thus generally determines the status of
their children, regardless of ability or merit.
The ranks of the caste system include:
• Brahmins- These is the highest rank of the
whole caste system. The Brahmins consist
of all priests, scholars, and enlightened
people that have been through many lives.
• Kshatriyas- These are the rulers, warriors,
and those concerned with the defense and
administration of the well-being of their
town or village.
• Vaishyas- These people consisted of all the
traders, merchants, and people involved in
agricultural production .
• Sudra- These people are the lowest of the caste
system. Hindu religion believes this class is
where first life starts. The sudras spend most of
their time being the laborers and servants for the
other castes.
• Untouchables- The untouchables are the lowest
of the low. They are so low that they do not have
a place in the caste system. The jobs of these
people include the cleaning of dead bodies.
• Classes :
• A class system is a social ranking based
primarily on economic position in which
achieved characteristics can influence
social mobility. Usually individuals are
grouped into classes based on their
economic positions and similar political
and economic interests within the
stratification system.
• British Social Hierarchy: If viewed as a
hierarchy from the ground up a current model
would be as such (below is only a basic model,
other factors such as home, attitude, clothing,
speech, mannerisms, and family ties etc also
affect social standing, although the main factors
are wealth and perceived wealth.)
• Upper class: Generally holders of titles of nobility
and their relatives, some with very high levels of
inherited wealth. They will often have attended
the most famous of Britain's schools, such as
Eton and Harrow.
• Upper middle class: Generally professionals with
advanced university degrees and usually with a
public school education. A significant proportion
of their wealth is often from inheritance.
• Middle class: Similar to the upper middle class
but usually from a less establishment-based
background and education. Generally
professionals with a university degree. Will
typically own their own home and earn well
above the national average.
• Lower middle class: May not hold a university
degree but works in a white collar job and will
earn just above the national average.
• Upper working class: Generally does not hold a
university degree and works in skilled or well
experienced role such as supervisor, foreman,
or skilled trade such as plumber, electrician,
joiner, train driver.
• Working class: Generally has low educational
attainment and works in a or blue collar
profession, in fields such as industrial or
construction work. Some examples would be a ,
lorry driver, production labourer. Disappearing
fast due to and automation.
• Lower working class: Generally works in
low/minimum wage occupations, such as
cleaner, shop assistant, bar worker. Often
employed in the personal service industry.
• Underclass: dependent on state benefits
for income. May have an unstable family/
home life.