What stratification is
- Social stratification is the way society is structured into layers (strata) of inequality, such as by class, gender, ethnicity and age.
- Societies have had different systems: slavery, caste (a closed system based on birth, as traditionally in India), feudal estates, and social class (a more open system where mobility is possible).
Functionalist view
- Davis and Moore (1945) argued stratification is necessary and beneficial: the most important jobs need the most talented people, so these jobs are given high rewards to motivate people to train for them.
- Critics say rewards don't always match importance (some nurses earn far less than celebrities) and that inequality of opportunity stops talented people rising.
Marxist and Weberian views
- Marx argued society is divided into two classes: the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who sell their labour. Stratification benefits the ruling class through exploitation.
- Weber argued that inequality has several dimensions: class (economic position), status (social prestige) and party (political power). This gives a more complex picture than Marx's two classes.
Key terms
- Social stratification
- The layering of society into unequal groups.
- Caste system
- A closed system of stratification based on birth.
- Open system
- A system where social mobility is possible.
- Means of production
- The things needed to produce goods, such as factories and land.
- Status
- Social prestige or honour.
- Party
- Weber's term for political power.