Download Illustrations

Survey
yes no Was this document useful for you?
   Thank you for your participation!

* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project

Document related concepts

Social development theory wikipedia , lookup

Social rule system theory wikipedia , lookup

Differentiation (sociology) wikipedia , lookup

Social network wikipedia , lookup

Social Darwinism wikipedia , lookup

Social constructionism wikipedia , lookup

Structural functionalism wikipedia , lookup

Sociology of knowledge wikipedia , lookup

Social exclusion wikipedia , lookup

Postdevelopment theory wikipedia , lookup

Marxism wikipedia , lookup

Sociological theory wikipedia , lookup

Social group wikipedia , lookup

Transcript
Republic of the Philippines
Quezon City Polytechnic University
IBP Road Batasan Hills Quezon City
SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY
“The Architecture of Social Stratification”
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Dyali Justo
Professor
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 1
Illustrations
Philippine class system
UPPER-UPPER CLASS
UPPER CLASS
MIDDLE CLASS
LOWER CLASS
LOWER
LOWER
CLASS
MARX’s Model of Class
Control labor
Of others
Own
Means of
Production
(Land,
Factories,
Etc.)
Do not
Own
Means of
production
Do not control
Labor of others
CAPITALISTS
PETITE
(Bourgeoisies)
Bourgeoisie
WORKERS
WORKERS
(Proletariat)
(Proletariat)
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Illustrations ................................................................................................................................................... 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................................................... 3
I.
Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................... 5
II.
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. 5
III.
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 6
IV.
Background ....................................................................................................................................... 7
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION ....................................................................................................................... 8
V.
SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION ...................................................................................................... 8
SLAVERY ................................................................................................................................................ 8
CASTE SYSTEM....................................................................................................................................... 9
CLASS SYSTEM ..................................................................................................................................... 10
ESTATE SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................... 12
PERSPECTIVES ON STRATIFICATION ........................................................................................................ 13
MARXIAN THEORY OF STRATIFICATION .............................................................................................. 13
Max Weber.......................................................................................................................................... 14
VI.
SOCIAL CLASS .................................................................................................................................. 16
VII.
DIMENSION OF SOCIAL CLASS......................................................................................................... 16
1.
Wealth ......................................................................................................................................... 16
2.
Power .......................................................................................................................................... 16
3.
Prestige ....................................................................................................................................... 16
VIII.
SOCIAL MOBILITY ............................................................................................................................ 17
IX.
TYPES OF MOBILITY ......................................................................................................................... 19

Vertical Social Mobility ............................................................................................................... 19

Horizontal Social Mobility ........................................................................................................... 19

Ecological Mobility ...................................................................................................................... 19

Inter-generations Mobility .......................................................................................................... 19
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 3
X.

Social distance Mobility .............................................................................................................. 19

Demand Mobility ........................................................................................................................ 19
OPEN VERSUS CLOSED SYSTEM .......................................................................................................... 19

Open System ............................................................................................................................... 19

Closed System ............................................................................................................................. 19
XI.
DEFINITION OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY ............................................................................................... 20
XII.
INEQUALITIES OF GENDER .............................................................................................................. 20
XIII.
PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION .................................................................................................. 20
Discrimination ......................................................................................................................................... 20

Personal / Individual Discrimination ........................................................................................... 21

Legal Discrimination .................................................................................................................... 21

Institutional Discrimination......................................................................................................... 21
PREJUDICE ............................................................................................................................................... 21

Cognitive Prejudice ..................................................................................................................... 22

Affective Prejudice ...................................................................................................................... 22

Behavioral Prejudice ................................................................................................................... 22
XIV.
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 22
XV.
RECOMMENDATION ....................................................................................................................... 22
XVI.
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................ 23
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 4
I.
Acknowledgements
This report was made through the help of many people, especially to my group members for
participating to our group report. We also wanted to thank our teachers for teaching and giving
us a additional learnings and values nessessary for us to improve what we have now. To our God
for the guidance and blessing we had received. Also, our parents, friends, co-members,
classmates and other people around us for helping us to mold ourselves to make us good man
like what we are now.
II.
Abstract
In sociology and
other social
sciences, social
stratification refers
to
the hierarchical arrangement of individuals into divisions of power and wealth within a society.
The term most commonly relates to the socio-economic concept of class, involving the
"classification of persons into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions ... a relational
set of inequalities with economic, social, political and ideological dimensions."
The term stratification derives from the geological concept of strata - rock layers created by
natural processes. In modern Western societies, stratification is typically described as a
composition of three main layers: upper class, middle class, and lower class. Each class may be
further subdivided into smaller classes (eg. occupational). These categories are particular
to state-level societies as distinguished from, for instance, feudal societies composed of nobilityto-peasant relations. It is debatable whether the earliest hunter-gatherer groups may be defined as
'stratified', or if such differentials began with agriculture and broad acts of exchange between
groups. To this extent social stratification may or may not start with society itself, and vice versa.
Social stratification is interpreted in radically different ways according to the major theoretical
perspectives of sociology. Proponents ofstructural-functionalism have suggested that since social
stratification is commonly believed to exist in all societies, hierarchy must be necessary in order
to stabilize the social structure. Talcott Parsons, an American sociologist, asserted that stability
and social order are achieved by means of a universal value consensus, satisfying the functional
prerequisites of a society. By contrast, conflict theories, such asMarxism, have scrutinized the
inaccessibility of resources and lack of social mobility in stratified societies. Many sociological
theorists have criticised the extent to which the working classes are unlikely to advance
socioeconomically; the wealthy tend to hold political power which they use
to exploit the proletariat generation after generation. Theorists such as Ralf Dahrendorf,
however, have noted the tendency toward an enlarged middle-class in modern Western societies
due the necessity of an educated workforce in technological and service economies. Various
social and political perspectives concerning globalization, such as dependency theory, suggest
that these effects are due to the shift of workers to the third world.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 5
III.
Introduction
This Report investigates the basic issues of inequality and stratification. Why do people have
more of a society’s resources and opportunities than other people do? How is inequality felt at
the individual and institutional levels?
We also explore various forms of social mobility and dimensions of social class. In like manner,
the four major systems of social stratification; slavery, caste, class and estate system are
exmined.
After reading this report, you are expected to
 Define Social Stratification and briefly discuss the four major systems of social
stratification.
 Describe the characteristics of slavery.
 Distinguish caste and class system and give examples of each.
 Identify tha basic assumption ok Karl Marx regarding what determines one’s social class.
 Comprehend the measure and dimensions of social class.
 Understand the different issues on social inequalities.
Why study sociology? Sociology is one of the liberal arts (and I would argue the most inherently
interesting). Sociology prepares one for a lifetime of change, developing one's appreciation of
diversity, love of learning, writing and study skills, as well as a knowledge base about human
behavior, social organization, and culture. If you are the type who doesn't necessarily follow the
crowd (but are fascinated by their behavior), the type who is truly interested in what is going on
in the world, then the world of sociology and the subjects found therein should interest if not
fascinate you.
Secondly and most seriously, the field helps us look more objectively at the society in which we
live. It directs attention to how the parts of society fit together as well as the causes and
consequences of social change. In modern industrial-bureaucratic societies we are faced with an
increasingly complex and rapidly changing social milieu.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 6
IV.
Background
Sociology is the study of the social part of us, the pattern of interaction with other people which
is necessary to our very existence. Sociology has been described as 'the scientific study of human
group behavior' and 'the application of scientific methods of inquiry to the puzzles of social life.'
We all participate in any number of social groups, many of which overlap. Sociologists study
how and why these groups interact with each other and how the interactions affect their
members. Such analyses not only yield a clearer understanding of society and its components,
but also allow sociologists to see both the causes and the possible remedies for our social
problems.
A study of sociology provides the conceptual tools and methodologys for understanding the
contemporary scene. By focusing on the external constraints to social action it helps us better
understand ourselves and the motivations of others around us. While we are all creatures of our
society, we are also all co-creators--sociology provides the tools so that we can take a more
active role in that creation, a role that is essential if we hope to achieve a more just world and
egalitarian society.
The study of poverty and inequality has been thrust into the foreground as scholars, politicians,
and policymakers respond to the spectacular increase in economic inequality and the slowing,
stalling out, or even reversal of long-standing downward trends in other forms of inequality. A
mainstay of the field for more than a decade, Social Stratification has now been fully updated
and revised with additional readings and newly commissioned pieces, all from top scholars of
poverty and inequality. This collection reflects ongoing changes in the structure of inequality and
in the tools and concepts that have been used to understand these changes. Oriented toward the
advanced student, Social Stratification provides a demanding, comprehensive, no-holds-barred
overview of classic and contemporary scholarship. The history of the field unfolds systematically
from the early and modern classics to the cutting-edge scholarship that currently drives the field.
The resulting collection, even more comprehensive and diverse than its predecessor, can be used
as a stand-alone text for courses on stratification, poverty, and inequality, as well as occupations,
labor markets, and social mobility.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 7
V.
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
Social stratification is the "division of society into two or more categories of people ranked high
to low relative to one another." (Haviland, 2002, p. 492). Stratification is present in almost every
type of culture except in egalitarian societies. The purpose of stratification is to divide the
community into groups based on responsibility and privileges. There are many forms
stratification can take: class systems, caste systems, feudalism, etc. In order to appreciate the
difference between stratification systems a side-by-side comparison needs to be made.
Social stratification is the "division of society into two or more categories of people ranked high
to low relative to one another." (Haviland, 2002, p. 492). Stratification is present in almost every
type of culture except in egalitarian societies. The purpose of stratification is to divide the
community into groups based on responsibility and privileges. There are many forms
stratification can take: class systems, caste systems, feudalism, etc. In order to appreciate the
difference between stratification systems a side-by-side comparison needs to be made.
SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
Every society stratifies its member in some form. There are four major systems of stratification:
SLAVERY
Slavery (also called thralldom) is a form of forced labour in which people are considered to be
the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture,
purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to
receivecompensation (such as wages).
With around 27 million people, there are more slaves in the world today than at any point
in history, more than twice as many as all theAfrican slaves brought to the Americas. Most
are debt slaves, largely in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred bylenders,
sometimes
even
generations
ago. Human
trafficking is
mostly
for
prostituting women and children into the sex trade and industry. It is described as "the
largest slave trade in history" and is the fastest growing criminal industry, set to outgrow drug
trafficking.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 8
CASTE SYSTEM
The Indian
caste
system (English
pronunciation: /kæst,
kɑːst/)
describes
the social
stratification and social restrictions in the Indian subcontinent, in which social classes are defined
by thousands of endogamoushereditary groups, often termed as jātis or castes. Within a jāti,
there exist exogamous groups known as gotras, the lineage or clan of an individual, although in a
handful of sub-castes like Shakadvipi, endogamy within a gotra is permitted and alternative
mechanisms of restricting endogamy are used (e.g. banning endogamy within a surname).
Although generally identified with Hinduism, the caste system was also observed among
followers
of
other
religions
in
the
Indian
subcontinent,
including
some
groups
of Muslims and Christians. The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste-based discrimination, in
keeping with the socialist, secular, democratic principles that founded the nation. Caste barriers
have mostly broken down in large cities, though they persist in rural areas of the country, where
72% of India's population resides. Nevertheless, the caste system, in various forms, continues to
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 9
survive in modern India strengthened by a combination of social perceptions and divisive
politics.
In sociological terms, the basis of a caste system is ascribed status. While achieved status cannot
change an individual place in hierarchy.
CLASS SYSTEM
An early example of a stratum class model was developed by the sociologist William Lloyd
Warner in his 1949 book, Social Class in America. For many decades, the Warnerian theory was
dominant in U.S. sociological theory.
Wealthy citizens from the Canadian city of Toronto attend a formal dinner
Based on social anthropology, Warner divided Americans into three classes (upper, middle, and
lower), then further subdivided each of these into an "upper" and "lower" segment, with the
following postulates:
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 10

Upper-upper class. "Old money." People who have been born into and raised with wealth;
mostly consists of old "noble" or prestigious families (e.g., Earl of
Shrewsbury, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller).

Lower-upper class. "New money." Individuals who have become rich within their own
lifetimes (e.g., entrepreneurs, movie stars,
top athletes, as well as some prominent
professionals).

Upper-middle class. Professionals with a
college education, and more often with
postgraduate degrees like MBAs, Ph.D.s,
MDs, JDs, MSs, etc. (e.g., doctors,
dentists, lawyers, bankers, corporate
executives, head teachers, university
professors, scientists, pharmacists, airline
pilots, ship captains, actuaries, high level
civil servants, politicians, and military
officers, architects, artists, writers, poets, and musicians).

Lower-middle class. Lower-paid white collar workers, but not manual laborers. Often hold
Associates or Bachelor degrees. (e.g., police officers, fire fighters, primary and high school
teachers, engineers, accountants, nurses, municipal office workers and low to mid-level civil
servants, sales representatives, non-management office workers, clergy, technicians, small
business owners).

Upper-lower class. Blue-collar workers and manual labourers. Also known as the "working
class."

Lower-lower class. The homeless and permanently unemployed, as well as the "working
poor."
To Warner, American social class was based more on attitudes than on the actual amount of
money an individual made. For example, the richest people in America would belong to the
"lower-upper class" since many of them created their own fortunes; one can only be born into the
highest class. Nonetheless, members of the wealthy upper-upper class tend to be more powerful,
as a simple survey of U.S. presidents may demonstrate (i.e., the Roosevelts; Kennedys; Bushes).
Another observation: members of the upper-lower class might make more money than members
of the lower-middle class (i.e., a well-salaried factory worker vs. a secretarial worker), but the
class difference is based on the type of work they perform.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 11
In his research findings, Warner observed that American social class was largely based on these
shared attitudes. For example, he noted that the lower-middle class tended to be the most
conservative group of all, since very little separated them from the working class. The uppermiddle class, while a relatively small section of the population, usually "set the standard" for
proper American behavior, as reflected in the mass media.
Professionals with salaries and educational attainment higher than those found near the middle of
the income strata (e.g. bottom rung professors, managerial office workers, architects) may also
be considered as being true middle class.
Philippine class system
UPPER-UPPER CLASS
UPPER CLASS
MIDDLE CLASS
LOWER CLASS
LOWER
LOWER
CLASS
ESTATE SYSTEM
The estate system is synonymous with Feudalism. The feudal estates had three important
characteristics .In the first place they were legally defined; each estate had a status with legal
rights and duties, privileges and obligations. Secondly the estates represented a broad division of
labor and were regarded as having definite functions. The nobility were ordained to defend all,
the clergy to pray for all and the commons to provide food for all. Thirdly the feudal estates were
political groups. An assembly of estates possessed political power. From this point of view the
serfs did not constitute an estate until 12th century. This period saw the emergence of third estate
-burghers who were a distinctive group within the system. Thus the three estates -clergy, nobility
and commoners functioned like three political groups.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 12
PERSPECTIVES ON STRATIFICATION
Social stratification is interpreted in radically different ways according to the major theoretical
perspectives of sociology. Proponents of structural-functionalism have suggested that since
social stratification is commonly believed to exist in all societies, hierarchy must be necessary in
order to stabilize the social structure. Talcott Parsons, an American sociologist, asserted that
stability and social order are achieved by means of a universal value consensus, satisfying
the functional prerequisites of a society. By contrast, conflict theories, such as Marxism, have
scrutinized the inaccessibility of resources and lack of social mobility in stratified societies.
Many sociological theorists have criticised the extent to which the working classes are unlikely
to advance socioeconomically; the wealthy tend to hold political power which they use
to exploit the proletariatgeneration after generation. Theorists such as Ralf Dahrendorf, however,
have noted the tendency toward an enlarged middle-class in modern Western societies due the
necessity of an educated workforce in technological and service economies. Various social and
political perspectives concerning globalization, such as dependency theory, suggest that these
effects are due to the shift of workers to the third world.
MARXIAN THEORY OF STRATIFICATION
In Marxist theory, the capitalist mode of production consists of two main economic parts: the
Base and the Superstructure. The base comprehends the relations of production — employeremployee work conditions, the technical division of labour, and property relations — into which
people enter to produce the necessities and amenities of life. In the capitalist system, the ruling
classes own the means of production, which essentially includes the working class itself as they
only have their own labour power ('wage labour') to offer in order to survive. These relations
fundamentally determine the ideas and philosophies of a society, constituting the superstructure.
A temporary status quo is achieved by various methods of social control employed, consciously
or unconsciously, by the bourgeoisie in the course of various aspects of social life. Through the
ideology of the ruling class, false consciousness is promoted both through ostensibly political
and non-political institutions, but also through the arts and other elements of culture. Marx
believed thecapitalist mode would eventually give way, through its own internal conflict, to
revolutionary consciousness and the development of egalitarian communist society.
According to Marvin Harris and Tim Ingold, Lewis Henry Morgan's accounts of egalitarian
hunter-gatherers formed part of Karl Marx and Engels's inspiration for communism. Morgan
spoke of a situation in which people living in the same community pooled their efforts and
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 13
shared the rewards of those efforts fairly equally. He called this "communism in living." But
when Marx expanded on these ideas, he still emphasized an economically-oriented culture,
with property defining the fundamental relationships between people. Yet, issues
of ownership and property are arguably less emphasized in hunter-gatherer societies. This,
combined with the very different social and economic situations of hunter-gatherers may account
for many of the difficulties encountered when implementing communism in industrialized states.
As Ingold points out: "The notion of communism, removed from the context of domesticity and
harnessed to support a project of social engineering for large-scale, industrialized states with
populations of millions, eventually came to mean something quite different from what Morgan
had intended: namely, a principle of redistribution that would override all ties of a personal or
familial nature, and cancel out their effects.
MARX’s Model of Class
Control labor
Of others
Own
Means of
Production
(Land,
Factories,
Etc.)
Do not
Own
Means of
production
Do not control
Labor of others
CAPITALISTS
PETITE
(Bourgeoisies)
Bourgeoisie
WORKERS
WORKERS
(Proletariat)
(Proletariat)
Max Weber
Max Weber was strongly influenced by Marx's ideas, but rejected the possibility of effective
communism, arguing that it would require an even greater level of detrimental social control and
bureaucratization than capitalist society. Moreover, Weber criticized the dialectical presumption
of proletariat revolt, believing it to be unlikely. Instead, he developed the three-component
theory of stratification and the concept of life chances. Weber supposed there were more class
divisions
than
Marx
suggested,
taking
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
different
concepts
from
Page 14
both functionalist and Marxist theories to create his own system. He emphasized the difference
between class, status, and party, and treated these as separate but related sources of power, each
with different effects on social action. Working around half a century later than Marx, Weber
claimed there to be in fact four main classes: the upper class, the white collar workers, the petite
bourgeoisie, and the manual working class. Weber's theory more-closely resembles
modern Western class structures, although economic status does not seem to depend strictly on
earnings in the way Weber envisioned.
Weber derived many of his key concepts on social stratification by examining the social structure
of Germany. He noted that contrary to Marx's theories, stratification was based on more than
simply ownership ofcapital. Weber examined how many members of the aristocracy lacked
economic wealth yet had strong political power. Many wealthy families lacked prestige and
power, for example, because they were Jewish. Weber introduced three independent factors that
form his theory of stratification hierarchy; class, status, and power:

Class: A person's economic position in a society. Weber differs from Marx in that he does
not see this as the supreme factor in stratification. Weber noted how managers of
corporations or industries control firms they do not own; Marx would have placed such a
person in the proletariat.

Status: A person's prestige, social honor, or popularity in a society. Weber noted that
political power was not rooted in capital value solely, but also in one's individual status.
Poets or saints, for example, can possess immense influence on society with often little
economic worth.

Power: A person's ability to get their way despite the resistance of others. For example,
individuals in state jobs, such as an employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or a
member of the United States Congress, may hold little property or status but they still hold
immense power.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 15
VI.
SOCIAL CLASS
Group of people within a society who possess the same socioeconomic status. The term was first
widely used in the early 19th century, following the industrial and political revolutions of the late
18th century. The most influential early theory of class was that of Karl Marx, who focused on
how one class controls and directs the process of production while other classes are the direct
producers and the providers of services to the dominant class. The relations between the classes
were thus seen as antagonistic. Max Weber emphasized the importance of political power
andsocial status or prestige in maintaining class distinctions. Despite controversies over the
theory of class, there is general agreement on the characteristics of the classes in modern
capitalist societies. In many cases the upper class has been distinguished by the possession of
largely inherited wealth, while the working class has consisted mostly of manual labourers and
semiskilled or unskilled workers, often in service industries, who earn moderate or low wages
and have little access to inherited wealth. The middle class includes the middle and upper levels
of clerical workers, those engaged in technical and professional occupations, supervisors and
managers, and such self-employed workers as small-scale shopkeepers, businesspeople, and
farmers. There is also often an urban substratum of permanently jobless and underemployed
workers termed the "underclass."
VII. DIMENSION OF SOCIAL CLASS
Social class has three dimensions:
1. Wealth
Consists of property (what we own) and income (money we receive)
2. Power
Refers to the ability of an individual or group to cary out its wishes or policies, and to the
control, manipulate or influence the behavior of others.
3. Prestige
Is the respect or regard people give to various occupations and accomplishments.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 16
VIII. SOCIAL MOBILITY
Social mobility is the degree to which an individual's family or group's social status can change
throughout the course of their life through a system of social hierarchy or stratification.
Subsequently, it is also the degree to which an individual's or group's descendants move up and
down the class system. The individual or family can move up or down the social classes based on
achievements or factors beyond their control. It is a sociological concept.
Intra-generational mobility ("within" a generation) is defined as changes in social status over a
single life-time. Inter-generational mobility ("across" generations) is defined as changes in social
status that occur from the parents' to the children's generation. These definitions are particularly
useful when analyzing how social status changes from one time period to another, and if a
person's parents' social status influences that of their own. Sociologists usually focus on
intergenerational mobility because it is easier to depict changes across generations rather than
within one. This information helps sociologists determine whether inequality in a culture
changes over time.
Intra-generational mobility occurs when a person strives to change his or her own social
standing. In some societies, this type of change is easier than in others. In social systems where
people are divided into castes or ethnic groups, social mobility is limited. Whatever caste or
ethnic group a person is born into, is what they will remain for the entirety of their life. However,
in cultures where social standing is determined by factors that can change across generations,
such as merit, education, skills, abilities, actions or wealth, people can move up and down the
social ladder.
Intra-generational mobility can move a person either higher or lower in the social ladder. If one
starts at a low level, they can improve their status by working hard, getting a better job, or
becoming more culturally sound, to name a few. Pierre Bourdieu describes three types of capital
that place a person in a certain social category. These are economic capital, social capital,
and cultural capital. Economic capital is command over economic resources such as money
and assets. Social capital is resources one achieves based on group membership, relationships,
networks of influence, and support from other people. Cultural capital is any advantage a person
has that gives them a higher status in society, such as education, skills, and any other form of
knowledge. Usually, people with all three types of capital have a high status in society.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 17
Inter-generational mobility occurs across generations. This mobility is both merit- and nonmerit-based. Ability and hard work affect social mobility, but so does parents’ wealth, race,
gender, and luck. Fiona Devine wrote a book, Class practices: how parents help their children
get good jobs, specifically on inter-generational mobility and how parents’ influence can affect
the child’s social mobility. Nearly every chapter emphasizes the importance of a good education
in order to be successful. Parents also help children make important connections with people in
order to expand their social network. Parents that can create social capital for their children tend
to increase their child’s social mobility.
Recent researchers collecting data on the economic mobility of families across generations,
looked at the probability of reaching a particular income distribution in regards to where their
parents were ranked and found that 42 percent of those whose parents were in the bottom quintile
ended up in the bottom quintile themselves, 23 percent of them ended in the second quintile, 19
percent in the middle quintile, 11 percent in the fourth quintile and 6 percent in the top
quintile. These data indicate the difficulty of upward intergenerational mobility.
Annette Lareau argues regarding child-raising in her book, Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race,
and Family Life. She describes two different ways to raise children: concerted cultivation and
natural growth. Concerted cultivation, normally used by middle-class families, incorporates
scheduling many structured, organized activities for the child. They are taught to use their
language to reason with parents and other adults, and often the child adopts a sense of
entitlement. Natural growth is almost the exact opposite of concerted cultivation. Occurring
mainly in poor or working-class families, this style of childrearing does not include organized
activities, and there is a clear division between the adult and the child. Children usually spend
large amounts of their day creating their own activities, and they hardly ever speak with adults.
In fact, adults use language in order to direct or order the children, never to negotiate with them.
These two different types of childrearing can affect inter-generational mobility. Children who
grow up with a concerted cultivation style of childrearing learn from their parents how to talk
with adults as equals and negotiate to get favorable outcomes in any situation. This skill helps
them create powerful social networks, which can improve their social standing. Children with
natural growth accomplishment tend to have a more difficult time improving their social
standing. They lack the social skills and sense of entitlement that children raised with the
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 18
concerted cultivation method have, and therefore are less likely to acquire good jobs (and
therefore, improve their social standing). Children who have been raised with natural growth do
learn to comply with authority figures, instead of argue with them, which gives them an
advantage over concerted cultivated children in certain fields of employment. However, those are
generally the entry-level fields where you are paid to follow orders and not to think, and are
therefore the lower-paying ones, whereas the middle-class concertedly cultivated children's
reasoning skills aid them in attaining the higher-paying, higher-prestige white collar jobs.
IX.
TYPES OF MOBILITY

Vertical Social Mobility

Horizontal Social Mobility

Ecological Mobility

Inter-generations Mobility

Social distance Mobility

Demand Mobility
X.
OPEN VERSUS CLOSED SYSTEM
Most sociologists use the term open stratification system and closed stratification system to
indicate the degree of social mobility in a society.
 Open System
A social system in which the position of each individual in influenced by his or her
achieved status.
 Closed System
A social system in which there is no possibility of individual social mobility.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 19
XI.
DEFINITION OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Social inequality occurs when certain groups in a society do not have equal social status.
Aspects of social status involve property rights, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly,
access to health care, andeducation as well as many other social commodities.
XII.
INEQUALITIES OF GENDER
Existent between men and women. These inequalities can range from a difference in genetics, to
income (i.e. job placement), to stereotypes, to power in the household, blah, blah, blah. These
said inequalities usually, but not always, are in favor of men having more power. That's the gist
of it. I think.
1. Sex A ranking system in which sex is the basis for making the evaluations so
that gender becomes the basis for social stratification.
2. Gender refers to the obvious or hidden disparity between individuals due to gender.
Gender is constructed both socially through social interactions as well as biologically
through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. Gender systems are
often dichotomous and hierarchical; binary gender systems may reflect inequalities
that manifest in numerous dimensions of daily life. Gender inequality stems from
distinctions, whether empirically grounded or socially constructed, made between
males and females.
XIII. PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination
Discrimination is a sociological term referring to the treatment taken toward or against a person
of a certain group that is taken in consideration based on class or category. TheUnited
Nations explains: "Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of
exclusion or rejection."Discriminatory laws such as redlining have existed in many countries. In
some countries, controversial attempts such as racial quotas have been used to redress negative
effects of discrimination.
In 1856 Australia was the first country that introduced the 8hr working day. 1904 Conciliation &
Arbitration Act, but Separate State industrial structures. In 1907 the basic wage was introduced
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 20
this age was for Living wage for male worker, dependent wife, 3 children in rented house. For
the next 15 years no major changes happened other then increased agreement flexibility and
work practices. In 1988 a new part to the industrial relations was brought in called the “structure
efficiency principal” • Trade off between productivity and pay risers. • Change from cost of
living to ability to pay. In 1997 the “workplace agreements was created, which potentially
removed third party’s (unions) from entering negotiations in the work place. This new agreement
also increased enterprise bargaining/ flexibility and social discrimination.
behavior (an action), with reference to unequal treatment of people because they are members of
a particular group. Farley also put discrimination into three categories:

Personal / Individual Discrimination is directed toward a specific individual and refers to
any act that leads to unequal treatment because of the individual's real or perceived group
membership.

Legal Discrimination refers to "unequal treatment, on the grounds of group membership, that
is upheld by law."Apartheid is an example of legal discrimination, as are also various postCivil war laws in the southern United States that legally disadvantaged negros with respect to
property rights, employment rights and the exercise of constitutional rights.

Institutional Discrimination refers to unequal treatment that is entrenched in basic social
institutions resulting in advantaging one group over another. The Indian caste system and
European feudal system are historical examples of institutional discrimination.
PREJUDICE
A prejudice is a prejudgement: i.e. a preconceived belief, opinion, or judgment made without
ascertaining the facts of a case. The word prejudice is most commonly used to refer to a
preconceived judgment toward a group of people or a single person because of race, social
class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, political beliefs , religion, line of work or other personal
characteristics. It also means a priori beliefs (without knowledge of the facts) and includes "any
unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence."Although positive and
negative prejudice both exist, when used negatively, "prejudice" implies fear
and antipathy toward such a race.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 21

Cognitive Prejudice refers to what people believe to be
true. metaphysical or methodological philosophy at the expense of other philosophies which
may offer a more complete theoretical explanation.

Affective Prejudice refers to what people like and dislike: for example, in attitudes toward
members of particular classessuch as race, ethnicity, national origin, or creed.

Behavioral Prejudice refers to how people are inclined to behave. It is regarded as an
attitude because people do not act on their feelings. An example of conative prejudice may be
found in expressions of what should be done if the opportunity presents itself.
XIV. Conclusion
We conclude that the study of classes or category in the society needs a huge and very
complicated studies and analysis. The studies on the principles and the logic related on this topic
makes much interesting about sociology. We had learned that theres a big changes in social class
that we don’t know before. We also learned the theories from marx and weber about the social
stratification.
XV.
RECOMMENDATION
We recomeded that the readers will continue the studies about social stratification and classes,
that we don’t know maybe someday it will be the answer to our social problems about unequal
class among us.
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 22
XVI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090208124113AAUiWXy
http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=
tMcNj4ZBncC&dq=social+stratification&source=bl&ots=Aj63plFqCy&sig=y5yAiLI6da
w0vj9iYG52zcJIec&hl=tl&ei=qqaDS_OfD4rU7APvr7Ux&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3
&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAg
http://cdn.newsone.com/files/2009/06/slave-ship-2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_inequality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_inequality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mobility
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stratification
http://images.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=http://contractattorneys.files.wordpress.com/2009/0
2/caste-system01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://contractattorneys.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/the-zen-of-stigmain-the-legalworld/&usg=__VgZMu2k6hAMrL8ugGDvjKCIFEA0=&h=172&w=250&sz=11&hl=tl
&start=6&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Pv7jGQJXu7RlBM:&tbnh=76&tbnw=111&prev=/imag
es%3Fq%3Dcaste%2Bsystem%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dtl%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1C1G
GLS_enPH365PH365%26tbs%3Disch:1
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_study_sociology
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/12142/social_stratification.html?cat=4
http://www.brahmins.com/brahmins.jpg
http://www.cs.kent.edu/~wcheng/YenJu/slavery.jpg
http://www.reference.com/search?q=gender%20stratification&r=d&db=web
http://www.sociologyguide.com/social-stratification/estate-system.php
๑۩۞۩๑ღ SOCIAL CLASS AND INEQUALITY ღ๑۩۞۩๑
Page 23