Concept of Social Stratification

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Categories of Stratification
Applying to Life
Intersectionality
Accessibility
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Social stratification can be considered to be the root of all discussions and debates regarding social inequalities. Even though there have been constant calls for equality, modern society remains highly stratified with gaps ever-widening. Social class is perhaps one of the most prevalent forms of inequalities, especially in capitalist societies where resources are owned and controlled by a few. The lower and middle classes dominate much of the global population. This essay defines the various forms of stratification and addresses the issues of intersectionality and accessibility.

Categories of Stratification

Social class can be described as a classification of people possessing similar socioeconomic status. According to Manstead (2018), social class shares compatibility with the term ‘subjective social rank,’ where material resources classify people as lower, middle or working, and upper class. Therefore, socioeconomic status is gained by the wealth that people accumulate for themselves. Race entails a group of people sharing similar distinctive physical characteristics. Most commonly, the color of people is used to define their race. However, several other traits can be used to define race, including hair texture. The definitions of race in such countries as the United States may be changing with time. Currently, racial lines include white, Asian, black or African American, Native Hawaiian, and American Indian or Alaska natives.

Gender is another form of social stratification, which majorly revolves around masculinity and femininity. However, contemporary society is seeking for further inclusion of such categories as common and neuter to include people who do not classify as either male or female. The idea is that biological differences are used to distinguish between people. Lastly, age entailed the number of years or the length of time that people have lived. Basic categorizations include infants, children, adolescents, and adults, even though alternatives may be used. No universal rule exists to dictate how age is classified as the context may differ. The rationale is that several terminologies can be used to describe a particular age group to which a person belongs. Examples include teenagers, which denotes people between thirteen and nineteen.

Applying to Life

Few categories may apply to my life, even though most are a matter of self-perception. However, one of the most visible aspects of my life is that I have been born and raised in a working family. The rationale is that both parents are employed and have been so for all their adult life. In this case, I can only consider myself to be similar to them because my path will most likely be similar to them. Upon graduation, my sole focus will be on finding and building a career. However, situations may change, considering that I am an ambitious person. Even though I might choose to pursue a different path from my parents, the same classification may hold until my socioeconomic status has changed.

However, age, gender, and race may also apply to me but I tend to ignore them in light of recent social developments. In other words, association with race has become a controversial subject due to the overwhelming opposition to racism. Personally, racial abuses are a vice, and modern society would be better if all races were to be held in the same regard. Regarding age, I can consider myself a young person approaching adulthood. I do not have any reservations regarding age as opposed to the other forms of classification. Neutrality is perhaps the best approach because it raises few concerns when subjects of inequality, discrimination, and racism are broached.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a concept that has come to dominate the current literature on such subjects as gender and feminism. Debates on intersectionality often offer a critical analysis of how men, women, and children from different families experience or suffer privilege and marginalization (Few-Demo & Allen, 2020). The concept of intersectionality was developed by Black critical thinkers and other activists to conceptualize the disadvantages suffered by Black women, including oppressive experiences. Today, intersectionality has had a massive influence on multiple scholarly fields where a diversion has been made from the initial radical origins (Gkiouleka et al., 2018). Therefore, intersectionality has become an analytical tool of social stratification, whose purpose is to challenge the notion of single and fixed social hierarchies. Sensitivity to alternative classifications has become a pressing concern for many people.

There are a few examples of intersectionality in my life, especially in the life of a student. Today, most societies are racially and ethnically diverse, which is felt across all contexts of social life. In school, the subject of sensitivity is becoming more common, especially when society fights against all forms of discrimination. Therefore, I have always avoided identifying myself racially, especially when I am in the company of other people. Most importantly, I have always avoided any discussions that may cause any form of division among people close to me. However, my own experience of intersectionality is the refusal to classify other people along any lines of stratification.

Accessibility

The question of accessibility should be considered as another category of stratification. The term accessibility can be used in the context of resources and other necessities of life. For example, accessibility in education can be used to imply that all students access education regardless of their classification, which includes disability status (Zhang et al., 2020). Privileges and marginalization have all been determined by the accessibility to resources. Therefore, accessibility should easily be integrated into the discussions of social stratification.

However, the question of redundancy may arise, especially if the term accessibility is solely tied to resources. The argument is social class and socioeconomic status are better suited to describe access to resources. Even in the educational context, access to the best schools is determined by the economic wellbeing of the people. The term accessibility may need further expansion before it can be included without causing these redundancies. At the moment, privileges are for those with easy access to economic resources while marginalization faces those with limited access.

Conclusion

Social stratification is becoming a contentious subject, especially because it is tied to such vices as racism, inequality, and discrimination. The main forms of stratification have been discussed, including class, gender, race, and age. As many people, including scholars, acknowledge the need for sensitivity, the subject of intersectionality is becoming more popular where people are encouraged to accept alternative forms of social hierarchies. Real-life examples of both intersectional and social stratification have been offered. The most important aspect is that reservations have been made for certain forms due to sensitivity and experiences of intersectionality. Lastly, doubts have been raised regarding the inclusion of accessibility, especially because such concerns as material or economic resources remain unaddressed.

References

Few-Demo, A., & Allen, K. (2020). gender, feminist, and intersectional perspectives on families: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 326-345. Web.

Gkiouleka, A., Huijts, T., Beckfield, J., & Bambra, C. (2018). Understanding the micro and macro politics of health: Inequalities, intersectionality & institutions – A research agenda. Social Science & Medicine, 200, 92-98. Web.

Manstead, A. (2018). The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts thought, feelings, and behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57, 267-291. Web.

Zhang, X., Tlili, A., Nascimbeni, F., Burgos, D., Huang, R., Chang, T.,… Khribi, M. (2020). Accessibility within open educational resources and practices for disabled learners: A systematic literature review. Smart Learning Environments, 7(1), 1-19. Web.

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