Category: Social Stratification

In the case of the United States, economic, gender and social stratification has changed over the centuries (Tischler, 2010). The significant changes in economic, gender and social stratification are brought about by changes in the political, economic, and social landscape of this nation. There is one major transition point that played a critical roles in the said transformation.

This is the transitions from an economy dependent on manual labor to an economy based on mechanization and other forms of technology that resulted in the industrialization of the nation. These transitions on the other hand were aided by the effective expansion and development of the education system in this country.

Before the United States became a geopolitical nation, it was a colony controlled by the British Empire. In that period of time before America was a sovereign state, the British introduced slave labor. Therefore, the social stratification during this period was simplified into farmers, plantation owners and slaves.

The farmers will be considered poor by todays standards but they are better off if compared to the Negro slaves. The economy was based on agriculture. It was also a male dominated society. Women played minor roles in nation building and focused on domestic work.

The industrialization of the United States coincided with the emancipation of the Negro slaves. Beginning in the latter part of the 19^th century the issue of race became a major bone of contention in different social spheres. Former Negro slaves were no longer forced to work under a slave master or a plantation owner. However, they were treated second-class citizens.

More importantly the former slaves did not own any property; have very little money; and mostly illiterate. The Southern states can be characterized by extreme poverty especially if one considers the plight of the former slaves. In the Northern states, the social, gender and economic stratification was affected by industrialization.

Farmers who used to work in the farms migrated to the cities. Industrialization created new social classes because the workers are paid on an hourly basis. They have no share of the profits and those who had the capital to establish factories raked in the majority of the income of the said enterprise.

Industrialization was not only limited to the Northern states, factories began to sprout all over America. Industrialization proved to be an efficient way to harness resources and it did not take long before the economic benefits trickled down to the masses. A new social class was created in the 20^th century and these are:

1. Upper class;
2. Corporate class;
3. Middle and working class;
4. Those who are poor (Andersen & Taylor, 2011).

Technology enabled many to achieve greater economic success. Based on the new social order and economic power of individuals, many Americans were able to access higher education. As a result the feminist movement succeeded in promoting gender equality in the workplace and the homes (Kendall, 2011).

Conclusion

The transformation of the economic, gender and social stratification in this country was brought about by changes in the political, economic and social landscape. The highpoint was the transition from manual labor to industrialization as well as the rapid changes in technology that paved the way for new social classes in the 21^st century.

It has to be pointed out that when America was still a colony of the British empire, the socio-economic stratification was simple. The upper class was comprised of plantation owners and the rest were farmers. The introduction of Negro slaves created another social class, nevertheless, the stratification was simple. But the advent of industrialization, coupled with significant changes in the economic and political spheres paved the way for greter social mobility.

References

Andersen, M., & Taylor, H. (2011). Sociology: The essentials. OH: Cengage Learning.

Kendall, D. (2011). Sociology in our times. OH: Cengage Learning.

Tischler, H. (2011). Introduction to sociology. OH: Cengage Learning.

Social stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control over basic resources (Kendall, 2022, p. 209). The way in which a society is stratified, that is, arranged from top to bottom, can have a significant influence on the position of an individual within the established social structure. Therefore, since stratification exists in all societies, researchers suggested that inequality is not only bound to occur but is also necessary for their ongoing functioning.

An example of social stratification in my local community is gender groupings that are formed under the pressure of patriarchal conditions. In the community, women at large assumed the role of mothers and homemakers, relying on their husbands to provide for them. While there is nothing wrong with making such a choice individually, there is also a pattern of only men holding administrative positions in the local community as well as running businesses. This means that due to patriarchal pressure, women do not get the same personal development opportunities, which is a sign of gender inequality.

The sociological explanation of gender inequality in the United States is linked to the continuous reinforcement of pre-set gender roles and stereotypes that starts in childhood. The main message that is being conveyed is that girls are less important or intelligent than boys and, thus, should have fewer ambitions and aspirations. In terms of treating boys, there is a continuous reinforcement of competition rather than collaboration. Finally, mass media has a longstanding history of portraying men and women in their stereotypical roles, which furthers gender inequality and diminishes womens roles in society even though they are fully capable of facilitating positive change.

Reference

Kendall, D. (2022). Sociology in our times (12th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Social stratification refers to the hieratical arrangement of persons according to the amount of wealth, power and position they have in the society. This relates to the criteria used to grade individuals worthiness and discrimination made based on gender, religion, age, generation and ethnicity. This varies depending in the order of societies stratification or slavery history. In most industrialized nations, the gap between the poor and the rich is evidently seen (Exploration in Social Inequality, n.d.)

The future of a child is largely determined by the status or the environment (Exploration in Social Inequality, n.d.). The circumstances in which a child is born does affect it in that, a child from a rich family has a high potential of getting employed and earn a good income easily than one from a poor family because of the social ranks of the parents.

Modern society today gives a lot of respect to those who have high ranks in the system. The poor continue being poor while the rich continue being more rich. Its estimated that in most of the countries the percentage of those living below the poverty line are many compared to those of higher level.

Social stratification is caused by the imbalance in income distribution among the rich and the poor (Turner &Lowith, 1867). This is mostly demonstrated when there is inequality in education, health opportunity for social and political participation, employment and gender. This inequality brings about a greater marginalization in the society. The rate of growth in these areas is rampant in economically powerful nations. Migration of people from original countries to a new settlement in a different country also causes social difference. The language barrier they face in the new country usually limits the Immigrants.

The differences between this nations or people can be reduced by introduction of organizations that will encourage people to interact and promote social understanding. Introducing major sporting activities, events and international tourism can be a way of making people work in harmony. Inequality faced in wealth distribution, political participation, water and energy distribution, education and healthcare services will be reduced by having a common resource and market. By observing this, good and peaceful relations will be fostered among nations and individuals.

Sports

A healthy socialization in sports was defined by the questions dealing with being able to overcome status differences, a decreased feeling of social alienation, improved ability to work with a team, bonding with teammates and ability to interact.

Ahola (1980) defines leisure socialization as a process through which individuals acquires knowledge, attitude, values skills, and motives about leisure.This allowed students and other participants to have a social emotional development, which gave them space to interact and learn new things. As per Austin (1984) extensive involvement in sports activities should lead to an enhanced social emotional development, knowledge, norms and values which can be transmitted through sports. Socialization through this way leads to either the stratification/differentiation or acceptance/integrations of the minors and those with high status.

According to McPherson, Curtis and Loy (1989) sports does not fully promote social value, moral development, good personality and moral development, as it is widely believed to be. However, sports require team members to work towards achieving the same goal and this forces them to unite in order to reach this objective.

Sporting is highly encouraged to allow access to those who have been traditionally undeserved to participate in sports and physical activities. It also aids in improving the health status of those involved in the sporting activity. It assists in the development of infrastructure and preparation of Olympic Games that brings socializations between countries of the world. It helps to create safe, strong and sustainable communities by reducing youth crimes/anti-social behavior and through community engagement and capacity building (Bull, 2005)

The growth in equality should be discouraged from countries because it divides nations, which increases the distance between the rich and the poor. It inhibits mobility between generations thereby hindering the talented and hard working people from getting what they deserve. By looking at the positive effects of social interaction between different nations, we are able to develop and reduce social differences. Organization of international games will foster peacekeeping and even encourage tourism among different nations. This will eventually lead to a developing nation free from any discrimination and stratification (Bull, Hoose &Weed, 2003).

References

Ahola , I.1980.The social benefit of intramurals sport. NASPA Journal [Online] 43.70-73. Web.

Austin, A W. 1984. Student involvement: A development theory for higher education. Journal of college student personnel, (25), 297-308.

Bull ,C.,Hoose, J. &Weed, M.,2003.An introduction to leisure studies. Yunan: Yunan University Press

Bull, C.J. ,2005.Sports Tourism Destination Resource Analysis in Higham. Sport Tourism Destinations: Issues, Opportunities and Analysis, Oxford: Elsevier (Butterworth Heinemann).

Exploration in Social Inequality. (n.d) 2010. Web.

Mcpherson B.D,,Curtis, J.E., Loy, J.W.,1989. The social significance of sports. Web.

Turner,B.S.,Lowith, K.,1867.Max Weber and Karl Max. New York: Roufledge.

Introduction

Social stratification (SS) is among societys greatest issues resulting in a monopoly of power and diverse socioeconomic groups unequal access to wealth and the attributes of well-being. The phenomenons detrimental consequences cannot be overstated and range from differences in the quality of life to mental health challenges, including depression and enormous stress. This essay addresses key questions regarding SS, its burden in the U.S., and global influences.

Social Stratification: Definition and Major Theories

As an unjust system of social standing, SS is explored by means of three theoretical perspectives, including economic determinism, functionalism, and a multidimensional approach. Regarding the definitions, SS refers to the division of society into various strata, with individuals social status influencing their access to wealth, blessings of society, and opportunities in life. Systems affected by SS can be open or closed based on whether positions are subject to change or ascribed, such as in the caste system. Based on Marxs economic perspective, SS results from unequal access to the means of production and could be resolved by enabling the working majority to control them, thus eliminating the cause of the bourgeoisies existence.

In Webers multidimensional theory, SS stands on three pillars, including economics, power, and prestige, but not all three must be present to give rise to division. Next, according to functionalist theories, SS is an essential consequence of situations in which society encourages extensive work and professional development to make sure there are individuals capable of fulfilling responsible roles requiring specific preparation. Thus, diverse theories aim to explain the phenomenon of SS to comprehend its root causes.

The Extent of Poverty and Those Getting Ahead/Falling Behind in the U.S.

In the U.S., poverty is extremely widespread and defines the current patterns of SS and opportunities for improving ones position on the social ladder. The number of U.S. citizens living below the federal poverty threshold is about 37 million people, which is more than 10% of the countrys total population. Povertys effects are all-encompassing and include limited access to housing, healthcare services, post-school education, highly skilled and well-paid jobs, and an increased vulnerability to swings in economic growth. Peculiar social mobility patterns, including the prevalence of structural change over the stories of individuals achieving a higher social status, are widespread in the U.S.

Those falling behind are typically women, the representatives of diverse minority groups, and low-income children. At the same time, U.S. citizens getting ahead are the wealthiest 20% of the population having substantial assets, including real estate and business property. Representing around 20% of Americans, this wealthy category owns more than 75% of the nations assets, which is an astounding example of inequality. With that in mind, given the current situation with poverty, the proclaimed status of the U.S. as the land of opportunity is problematic.

Global Stratification: Causes and Consequences

On a global scale, stratification creates differences between entire nations rather than individuals or specific parts of one territorys population. Global stratifications root causes are the patterns of unequal economic and scientific development, enabling richer nations to control technology and diversify economically and placing them in an advantageous position in the global market. In contrast, poorer nations with fewer physical assets or limited access to knowledge are urged to pursue the path of specialization or dedicate most of their resources to producing a comparatively narrow selection of goods or services. In this context, stratification is associated with various consequences for poor nations, including unsafe and unsanitary housing, starvation, limited access to medical services, illiteracy, child mortality, low life expectancy, and other barriers to well-being.

Conclusion

To sum up, SS still presents one of humanitys unresolved challenges. The heterogeneity of theories regarding the key sources of SS also creates a conflict regarding its inevitability and the potential of revolutions in addressing inequality. In the U.S., with its six social classes and the absence of ascribed unchangeable social positions, SS is widespread, resulting in the presence of poverty and extreme income inequality.

Social stratification, or the so-called social structure of society, is an apparent hierarchy of the public being separated into superposed classes (OpenStax, 2015). Naturally, the concept poses an unequal work value so that people who have a higher status in society are likely to earn more than those positioned lower in the social pyramid. Furthermore, the gap between employers and employees is still apparent, even though the working conditions have been enhanced. The theory suggests that this inequality benefits employers who become more prosperous day by day while the staff becomes poorer. The notion of stratification can also characterize the countries: some are more developed than others (OpenStax, 2015). Unfortunately, this global inequality is beneficial only to the states with a better status on the worldwide market, whereas other countries face challenges in their development.

The conditions of an individual can be characterized from different viewpoints: subjective, absolute, and relative. The first perception is individual, meaning that a person identifies ones material situation (OpenStax, 2015). Absolute poverty, however, is related to human needs and how much an individual is deprived of the necessities: food, shelter, education, and healthcare (OpenStax, 2015). The concept of relative poverty defines the inability of a person to participate in social activities and, consequently, benefit from these experiences.

Naturally, the concept of poverty is usually offensive to most people, so the statement of it being in the eye of the beholder makes sense. In other words, outside perception is indeed likely to harm the self-esteem of an individual (OpenStax, 2015). That is why it seems unfair to react to the homeless negatively, no matter their behavior or self-perception. If a person begs strangers for necessities, it is a personal choice whether to help one with, for instance, money, food, or clothes.

Reference

OpenStax. (2015). Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax. Web.

Social stratification means formation of classes basing on persons social and economic wealth. Melamed (2005) explains that income, level of wealth, and employment rate play a key factor in determining the strata within which an individual is defined. Stratification therefore, is the process of placing individuals within specific classes, which can be divided into lower, middle, and upper levels. Kinship ties may additionally contribute immensely to the social stratification class of a group of people. For instance, individuals who have relatives from powerful and political ruling class are considered to fit within the upper class. Same status is also granted to persons who have ties with business tycoons. Social stratification is characterized by complexity and mobility of layers within strata. As such, generation shift may occur which leads to promotional advancement of particular people to an advanced stratum.

According to Wood (2007), Karl Marx proposed a conventional production method which consists of superstructure and the substructure (p. 256). The two subsets of the economic system govern the relationship which exist within the employer-employee domain. The nature of relationship between an individual and the production mechanisms defines the social stratum in which an individual is placed. Marxs concept is vividly evident in the modern industrial society. Employers acts as owners of various production mechanisms. The other constituent of the production system is made up of employees. The limited nature of production mechanisms results into the scenario in which employers seem to own the employees. As such, economical factors contribute immensely into the modern industrial societies and pertain to social stratification.

Poverty Eradication

Poverty persists among some stratas of the American society, despite the National wealth that America is known for, and this is attributed to the lack of money among the poor people. Several ways in which money can be taken to the poor are: tax breaks, reverse taxes, food stamps and other handouts given in order stipulated by the current legislation. There is, however, a technique which had not been used before, and which could give better results.This involves ensuring a minimal living standard for everyone (Fothergill & Peek, 2004). It is possible, given the costs, which are manageable by government, given the economic power.

It is hard to determine who deserves help and who does not. Chances that free loaders will take advantage of government help are rather high, but it can be taken under control by moral stands that disapprove such behavior. Daly & Valletta (2006) claims that this technique is a promising one, and it can improve the level of income, which results in decline in crime rates, improved healthcare as well as a more educated workforce (p. 80). This, in essence, reduces the countrys expenditures on crime control, on corrective or remedial healthcare and further training of workers. This saves the country more funds, which could be invested into the economy, in a bid to fight poverty.

Crime costs the country a lot. The costs of expanding police force departments, judicial system for the prosecution of crime suspects, as well as building new prison systems for criminals rehabilitation f are some of the directions on which the country excessively wastes money. Under-insurance is due to poverty among the poor populations of the country and reduced productivity of workers is owing to poor health are equal challenges to the fight against poverty.

References

Daly, M. C., & Valletta, R. G. (2006). Inequality and poverty in United States: the effects of rising dispersion of mens earnings and changing family behaviour. Economica, 73(289), 75-98.

Fothergill, A., & Peek, L. A. (2004). Poverty and disasters in the United States: A review of recent sociological findings. Natural hazards, 32(1), 89-110.

Melamed, D. (2015). Communities of Classes: A Network Approach to Social Mobility. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 65(8), 65-67.

Wood, E. M. (2007). Democracy against capitalism: Renewing historical materialism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Introduction

The social stratification system involves the grouping of individuals in relation to social and economic status in the societal setup. The system not only adds value to the traditional influence on wealth but also influences the treatment of an individual in society. This misconception treatment to individuals makes reference in relation to their race, appearance, race, sex among other distinguishing characteristics. In the general perspective of the stratification system, both individuals and groups of people are categorically differentiated in various classes based on their general weakened characteristics or sit off the invalid characteristics.

Social stratification rarely provides a clerical account of the event involved in the formation of a real structural-functional unit considered to be of productive nature in the societal economy. Traditionally, the idea of stratification has been viewed in a crude way but with the current sociological world, stratification is well perceived based on the Marxian theory. This system generates a sense of inequality in society. The idea of social stratification is currently inevitable in ideological, political, and public moral debates and controversial scenarios based on social science.

Components of the social stratification system

The social stratification system constitutes of various components and among them includes processes that govern the institutions involved in the system. This defines certain types of desirable personality traits in society. The second component involves the distribution of the governing rules across the society to protect the desired traits and cultivate them in the societal setting. Third, the system involves the idea of a mobility mechanism that is of great linkage of different positions in the individuals in the society to enhance an aspect of inequality over the most significant element resources in the society. Based on this system, it is evident that inequality prevails in two basic matching forms that are: matching of the societal established position in the society to reward components of unequal nature. This follows the strict allocation of the society members to the society in relation to their appropriate positions to facilitate an effective rewarding process.

Forms of Social Stratification

There are various forms of social stratification, the tribal system commonly known as primitivism as a form of social stratification system has existed since the beginning of the human evolutionary process. This form that originated from the Precambrian period has existed till the Neolithic period that occurred about 1,000 decades ago.

However, societies have often assumed various stratification forms due to the total unlimited societal distribution factors of the rewards. This cut-down surplus of reward distribution has gradually imposed the relative corresponding sources to the general inequality level. Tribal societies have been treated by most of the observers as primitive in the community because most of the productive resources were basically under the ownership of the tribal class members whereby they were evenly distributed in the society. The upcoming of power-related positions in the society also played a vital role in instilling the inequality change in the society. For instance, the ownership of power in the society is only allocated to individuals based on the capability of an individual through the exhibition of leadership superiority skills and not inherited as it used to be during the pre-emergence of the social stratification system. The meritocratic system of power distribution used in modern days has been considered to be prototypically modernized in one way or the other.

However, the system may be understood on the fact that the prevailing development in the society is usually experienced at juvenile levels thus no doubt for uneven distribution of resources as a fact of the limited surplus parse. The limited surplus could not support the luxury life achievement thus improvising less adaptive forms of resource distribution. The problem of resource scarcity was solved in the meritocratic stratification systems by the emergence of the agrarian revolution that ensured plenty of surplus of economic resources.

Another prominent form of social stratification is the Asiatic mode commonly known as a precursor of agrarian advancement. This form is basically portrayed by the classes of individuals that are poorly developed and the most powerful elite that is liable to facilitate agricultural surplus distribution. This could only be achieved through heavily imposed taxes and rents. This form best explains how inequality can be affiliated by the dictatorship of the officials to the less fortunate individuals in the society as a result of the institutionalized property absence. The Asiatic mode is predominantly influenced by political swings compared to the feudalism impact of the western culture. The major outstanding component that distinguishes feudalism from other forms of stratification system is that it was rarely owned. However, it was nobility thus owned by a minimal number of estates in addition to containing the legal power of serfs. A serf would be termed to be fraudulence if only it was fled to the other country according to Nutini with regard to social stratification. A serf is considered to be any action involving theft cases of ones own lord. The status of safe may sound to be the same as slavery but they greatly differ in a smaller perspective although slavery is of limited cases involving loss of workers control over their labor power. For greater emphasis on the system of agrarian stratification, it is clearly evident that feudalism played a major role in establishing a rigid and stable stratification of different classes.

Another form of social stratification was the caste system of India. This system was based on a few social statuses namely: first was the hierarchical classification of individuals based on the wealth, ethnic status, and economic status that basically dealt with the accessibility of both services and goods at the societal level. The second status of this system is based on the pleasure rules considered to be restrictive measures of instilling strong and permanent caste mobility. This form contracts the social stratification of caste membership to be permanent and hereditary in some social communities. Another status of caste form is the increased degree of both occupational and physical segregation encased by rituals and principles that sideline the intermittent caste in the society.

Finally, it is all about the justification of ideologies that introduce society to the extreme inequality forms. The distinctive element that enhances a mere developmental ideology based on the closure rules is the noneconomic character underlying the societal hierarchy. The development of the egalitarian conceptual elements of the social stratification is well expressed in feudalism, systems of divergent slavery status, and finally the caste form that exists in India. The most well-versed illustration believed to be of the exemplary exhibition is the ideal European revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries respectively. During this period, the egalitarian mechanisms to establish a conditional social stratification were pitted contrary to the privileged political powers based on the nobility of the stratification status.

Social stratification is a time looked at from a different perspective. At this level of establishment, the system is perceived in a different perspective whereby inequalities at both class and socioeconomic levels are focused. With regard to the elements like race, gender, and ethnicity, the system takes a different directional approach. It is during this level that most of the omissions become reflective and much of the improperly strategized changes are instilled. The level changes to be an effective state when different classes of people become secondary and tertiary affiliation forms of change.

However, the distinctive classes become more of strengthening factors to the political actions thus becoming the core determinants of social changes. The stratification class formulated to impose inequality in the society has led to the intellectual breakdown of the socioeconomic statuses thus becoming of a restrictive nature to the global economy.

The early interpersonal modification with regard to the social stratification system has greatly intensified its interest in the social behavior of the developed classes of different individuals. By considering the group membership status, it is clearly evident that there is a closer interrelationship among the formulated groups in a given society. The concern about the grouping became intensified as a result of emerging upper classes and the American specialty based on the ethnic and racial grouping. This influenced personal activities all-round with the aim of boosting the economy thus generating personal stress in the sense of developing political action in their extremity. Currently, the old dimensional technicalities have been scrubbed off and encased by the new variants patched on the front intellect. Marginalized variants have been commonly in use with an allegation of creating essential classes in society. The commonly used variant is the postmodernist that emphasizes the theories that are analytical with the aim of achieving a stabilized classical affiliation.

In some postmodern regulatory forms, status such as race, gender, and ethnicity are of little significance and in fact, may end up diminishing based on the societal approach. The reason behind the diminishing of such statuses is the fact that they are not recognized parse, instead all members involved usually encounter presumptive congeries nature in response to politically imposed forms. They mostly emerge as evoked and dismissal statuses in society as a result of the effective social stratification process. In the past few years, the reckoning social stratification sociologists have focused basically on ethnicity, race, and gender with an aggregate focus on the essential subdued changes in socioeconomic activities globally. The new literal subject concerning the mentioned elements has been developed and these are racial relation studies, studies in gender, and finally the political conflict study.

To come up with an effective working schedule of these studies so as to enhance a better understanding of the social stratification system, one has to have a closer look at a few distinguishing elements and these are the nature in which scriptive solidarities are addressed based on the micro and macro-research levels in relation to their strategic class formation process. Another element is the way forward to attain nature research based on the exploration of an individuals ethnicity, race, and gender effectiveness in relation to the chances of life purposed for an individual in the society. The third element is focused in the perspective of nature in which scholars perceive the entire social stratification mechanism. The social process of enhancing stratification is perceived by scholars in different ways, for instance, there is a developed scriptive class denoted as black and white. This is perceived in the sources and influential effects of the solidarity and ethnic groups especially in the political field that is liable to causing conflict. The interlocked relations between various classes of organizations, racism, and patriarchy are looked at differently under social stratification as forms of distorted organizations that are attributed to causing inequalities.

Conclusion

The social stratification system not only adds value to the traditional influence on wealth but also influences the treatment of an individual in society by grouping individuals into different classes based on race, ethnicity, and gender. This misconception treatment to individuals makes reference in relation to their race, appearance, race, sex among other distinguishing characteristics. In the general perspective of the stratification system, both individuals and groups of people are categorically differentiated in various classes based on their general weakened characteristics or sit off the invalid characteristics. Social stratification rarely provides a clerical account of the event involved in the formation of a real structural-functional unit considered to be of productive nature in the societal economy. Traditionally, the idea of stratification has been viewed in a crude way but with the current sociological world, stratification is well perceived based on the Marxian theory. This system generates a sense of inequality in the society thus hindering socioeconomic development.

References

Gruskym, B. D. (2001). Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. Boston: Westview Press. P.501.

Hauser, R. M. & Featherman, D. L. (2001). The Process of Stratification: Trends and Analyses. New York: Academic Press. P. 71.

Herrnstein R. J, & Murray C. (2004). The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in Life. New York: Simon and Schuster. P213.

Kendall, D. (2008). Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. London: Cengage Learning.

Macionis, J. J. & Garber M. L. (2011). Sociology (7^th Ed). Montreal: Pearson Education Canada.

Nutini, G.H. (2005). Social Stratification and Mobility in Central Veracruz. Texas: University of Texas. P.17.

Saha, D. (2006). Sociology of Social Stratification. Chicago: Global vision publishing House, P.5.

The key meaning behind the concept of social stratification is the classification of people to the different social classes that possess or lack certain privileges. There is an evident pattern that displays that each society organizes their resources unequally, which leads to the unavoidable stratification (Tumin, 1953). The level of accessibility of certain privileges and resources defines social classes and differentiates them among each other. Although some people claim that classes are constructed as another means of generic labelling, the majority believes that the classes are defined by the properties and the boundaries that belong to them due to the hierarchical structure of society (Bourdieu, 1987). This way, the idea of social stratification is widely spread among the global population and is recognized to be truthful with a respect to classification of specific privileges.

In the context of structural functionalism the value of social classes is generally measured by the way they interact and work together. As the theory itself focuses on the collective work of societal structures, it evaluates any concept on a basis of its productivity within a bigger picture. Thus, following the key focus, social stratification encourages communication and competition among different classes, which makes it relevant due to the stimulation of the major interactions of the groups.

Following up the concept of the productivity of classes interaction, social conflict theory suggests that the main means of communication applied to social stratification are the rivalry and conflict. The theory focuses on the unequal distribution of resources and power, and claims that it stimulates a further gap among the classes. Therefore, it recognizes the privileges, material aspects, and power as the main classifiers that determine the belonging to a particular class.

Oppositely, symbolic interactionism highlights the subjective biases importance within the judgement of any concept. In fact, it recognizes both natural and symbolic environments as the correlated matters that depend on each other in the process of social judgment. Although the previous theories focused majorly on the conceptual aspects and material benefits while evaluating the stratification, symbolic interactionist perspective suggests that the classes separation is mainly supported by the idea of assigning subjective meaning to concepts. Hence, the association with power and privilege reinforces the conceptual strength of social recognition of the upper class in the context of this theory.

In order to evaluate the relevance of the discussed information, it is crucial to rely on the multiple sources that elaborate on the findings related to the theories. Additionally, a rational judgment of social stratification is supported by the evaluation of differing opinions and their comparison to the concepts and findings within the theories. Finally, the critical recognition of the theories is based on the assessment of the general compatibility among the introduced concepts and their relation to the social classification.

In the conclusion, the theory of structural functionalism is the most compatible to the key concepts of social stratification due to its balanced focus on the impacts of classes interactions. The stratifications evaluation through the bias of this theory provides a wider perspective on the way the classes reinforce the hierarchal structure by interacting with each other without the radical limitation to rivalry exclusively that is used in social conflict theory (Davis & Moore, 1945). Additionally, it centers on the matters of the actual interactions and its consequences rather than the theoretical judgments related to the symbolism and subjective views like the symbolic interactionism theory. This way, the theory can be considered relevant and representative of the concept of social stratification.

References

Bourdieu, P. (1987). What makes a social class? On the theoretical and practical existence of groups. Berkeley journal of sociology, 32, 1-17. Web.

Davis, K., & Moore, W. E. (1945). Some principles of stratification. American sociological review, 10(2), 242-249. Web.

Tumin, M. M. (1953). Some principles of stratification: a critical analysis. American Sociological Review, 18(4), 387-394. Web.

Equality and the American Education System

The equality in education presupposes the implication that people of different background living in the same country have the same extent of the access to education. The question of the equality in education goes beyond just the political and economic situation in a certain country. Moreover, the opportunity for the people of different gender, age, race, and class to be equal in their right to education and access to different media of knowledge reflects the cultural state of the society, the level of how civilized it is, and humanistic tendencies. Although the American education system is determined to provide the equal access to knowledge for the different people regardless of their background, there are still a certain number of issues concerning the fair conditions of education.

In the modern context, there are two major determinants of the educational equality that challenge the American system of education. The first one is the fair conditions of the education (Schmidt, Cogan, & McKnight, 2011). In other words, the academic success cannot be estimated based on any particular features of the individuals background or personal traits.

In terms of American educational system, this proposition implies that people with different economic background and financial opportunities should have an opportunity to access knowledge. Secondly, the education should be more inclusive, which is especially important in the diverse society. Thus, the objective of modern education system in America is to be fair and inclusive to everyone willing to be educated and help them to cope with vulnerabilities that stand in the way.

Social Stratification in Modern Industrial Societies

The social stratification is a way of dividing the people within a certain society into so-called social strata that are defined primarily by the economic and social status of the individual, prosperity, and power. Despite the necessity of the social hierarchy for the overall functioning of the human interactions and different social relationships, the forms that social stratification takes in modern industrial societies can sometimes be undesirable and have negative implications.

Traditionally, the three major classes (or strata) are distinguished in the social hierarchy, which includes lower, middle, and upper classes. Such classification only became possible in the modern Western industrial countries since, during the feudal and new age times, the classes were recognized on the basis of the individuals origins and nobility.

The positive aspect of the modern way of social stratification, including American society, is that it gives an opportunity for social mobility. For instance, the person who grew up in the lower class family will not be restricted by their background and can improve their social status. However, the most significant issue is that the spectrum of mobility is limited, and there is a danger of social anomie, when the individuals are rejected by all the classes and, therefore, lose the societal values (Lemel & Noll, 2002).

Therefore, in modern industrial societies, the social stratification helps to preserve the societal values by giving people the opportunity to be mobile and change their status. However, if the stratification is too strict, the individuals may experience anomie and reject the values of society.

References

Lemel, Y., & Noll, H. (2002). Changing structures of inequality: a comparative perspective (Vol. 10). Montreal, Canada: McGill-Queens Press.

Schmidt, W. H., Cogan, L. S., & McKnight, C. C. (2011). Equality of Educational Opportunity: Myth or Reality in US Schooling? American Educator, 34(4), 12-19.

The patterns of human relationships have now become one of the major subjects for scholarly discussion due to the researchers ambition to establish a theoretical basis for this communication. In order to achieve this, sociologists examine all the precedents to human behavior in certain settings and divide them into various categories, which later form sociological paradigms. However, out of all approaches established today, there is no theory or concept that would exhaustively justify human social behavior. The dissonance between the ideas and real-time actions is especially vivid in the context of the modern US society driven by multiculturalism and capitalistic values. Hence, the major aim of the following paper is to examine recent media representations of social stratification across the state as well as to conduct a contrastive analysis of this precedent in relation to existing sociological concepts.

Over the last decade, the US has become an extremely controversial state in terms of social justice and equality. However, 2020 can be marked as an absolute leader in terms of social inequality display. Recently initiated anti-racist protests have served as a catalyst for further racism patterns investigation in the state. As a result, it was found that the US, a seemingly democratic and diversity-celebrating state, has been humiliating African-Americans rights and freedoms for decades. Thus, as one of the most unbiased papers in the state, The New York Times has issued many resonant articles over the last month. One such article, called The black-white wage gap is as big as it was in 1950, displayed the statistical data of the wage gap between black and white employees and unemployment rate across the US for the last seventy years (Leonhardt, 2020). The situation represented in the article describes the dissonance between the wage gap data introduced to the vast majority of the population and the actual numbers existing in the labor market nowadays.

The story itself involves both the black and white working-class population, which already creates the dissonance presupposing that there should be no such division in the first place. Being a national issue, the income difference between Americans reflects upon a much bigger issue  the rate of African Americans incarceration rate and limited access to the labor market. The statistical data to illustrate the root of the issue represents the contrastive analysis of the wage gap over the last seventy years, including the data of institutionalized and out-of-labor black men. Hence, the following situation is a prime example of social stratification existing in the US social class system nowadays, requiring a more meticulous analysis in terms of sociological paradigms.

Assessment

To begin with, in order to apply sociological paradigms to the existing and thriving issue of ethnic inequality, it is important to define which theoretical approach would exhaustively refer to the notion of racism. One of the most extensive catalysts to social inequality is the genesis of capitalism, marked by Karl Marxs ideas (Chambliss & Eglitis, 2018). With the Americans adherence to the capitalistic model of governance and lifestyle, national authorities seem to perceive the idea that there is no profit where there is equality literally. As a result, society has been mostly driven by the social conflict paradigm, aimed at finding differences between social groups instead of focusing on the things in common. In fact, the basic principles of the theory are quite applicable to the existing issue, as the elites and those in power will do everything to remain in charge. However, the cruelty behind the idea has nowadays become difficult to be justified by a plain conflict.

Closely correlated with the notion of social conflict theory, the sociological paradigm of the US labor aspect is driven by the peculiarities of capitalism and the service economy. Whereas the former presupposes a free market that evokes healthy competition among the business units, todays national environment is steadily turning into a monopoly. Such an issue is closely related to the problems discussed in the article, as the thriving of monopoly leads to an increasing rate of white privilege in the labor force, limiting African Americans abilities. Hence, it is the number of flaws tackling the capitalistic model that currently matters. Speaking of the service economy, emotional labor required behind the notion is nowadays quite limited in terms of access despite the increasing demand in the segment (Chambliss & Eglitis, 2018). Todays perception of service economy leads to a great deal of discrimination against ethnically diverse US populations, as employers tend to label workers of different cultures and ethnicities according to the socially established bias.

Another sociological aspect that contributes a lot to the aforementioned issue is the concept of symbolic interactionist paradigm. Certain symbols, serving as the fundamentals of the individualistic environment perception, have shaped the Americans attitudes to various social groups and separate people (Chambliss & Eglitis, 2018). Such an outcome was mostly developed through media representation and various educational tools. Hence, in terms of the aforementioned stratification case, the employment rate and overall economic image of African Americans were highly influenced by peoples interactions with the symbols displayed.

When dealing with racism in the context of the US labor system, one should, by all means, develop the concept of life chances available for African Americans in the state. Over the past years, with rapidly growing education quality and resources, employers across the country have started to raise their expectations from the workers. Such requirements were also justified by the increasing wage rates among the workplaces. However, in such situations, it is the average life chances data that defines the expectations in the first place. When talking about African Americans, the vast majority of the population still has no access to quality education and a healthy environment.

Moreover, if to look back at todays attitude to African Americans in terms of social life, it becomes clear that while this social group is exposed to such amount of public pressure and prejudice, their life chances will be limited. It was shown in the article that due to high incarceration rates, the part of which was mostly caused by cultural bias, African Americans do not have the opportunity to qualify for wages increase (Leonhardt, 2020). Hence, the sociological issue of inequality across the US requires much effort in terms of combating the roots of the problem shaped over centuries. In the context of the current wage gap between African and white Americans, the sociological concept of social conflict paradigm, capitalism and service economy, symbolic interactionist paradigm, and life chances were defined as crucial for the situation. However, these concepts only form the tip of an iceberg called racism in the United States.

Although the articles major message bears significant sense concerning the issue of inequality across the state, some of the authors cultural assumptions might be considered biased. When dealing with the wage gap between the working social groups, there is an impression of the authors sympathetic attitude to the African Americans current economic and social state, whereas all they need is equality and respect. In the context of the 21st century, such perception may be considered prejudiced. However, both the newspapers and the authors representation of the article was marked as opinion, which basically leaves the final word to the recipient and his/her point of view on the existing problem. The ideology of race, being a central subject of the discussion, is supportive of the currently widespread status quo of anti-racist policy. Speaking of the major gist of the article, it is important to mention that the text does not express a personal attitude to the situation, being rather an analytical article. However, when it comes to sociological issues of such significance and nationwide scope, journalism dispassion might be as well seen as a biased position.

Conclusion

Racial inequality within the US society has become old news over the last decades of systematic discrimination and injustice. In order to address the issue in the context of the latest events, The New York Times journalist D. Leonhardt published an article on the wage gap between black and white employees across the state. In the course of the discussion, the issue was regarded from the perspective of capitalism, social conflict, life chances, and symbolic interaction, resulting in the strong need for more serious intervention in the issue. Hence, while it is of crucial importance to highlight the major inequality issues in the state, more dedication to the subject should be displayed in order for people to realize the scope of the stratification.

References

Chambliss, W. J., & Eglitis, D. S. (2018). Discover sociology (4th ed.). Sage.

Leonhardt, D. (2020). The black-white wage gap is as big as it was in 1950. Web.