Social stratification

What is social stratification?

Society divided into hierarchial layers based on class, gender, ethnicity, and age, creating unequal wealth, power, and privilege

What are the main forms of stratification?

Class - income, occupation, education

Gender - unequal pay, roles, opportunities

Ethnicity - discrimination/fewer opportunities

Age - unequal treatment

What are open and closed societies

Open = social mobility possible

Closed = status largely fixed at birth

What are the main stratification systems

Slavery - people owned

Estate - legal ranks/privileges (royals and peasants)

Caste - status by birth (India)

Class - capitalism (mainly economic, relatively open)

What are ascribed and achieved status?

Ascribed = given at birth/cannot be easily changed (sex, ethnicity, age)

Achieved = gained through effort or merit (education, career)

What are life chances and what affects them?

Weber: opportunities to improve quality of life (education, jobs, health, housing) Affected by class/background, ethnicity, gender, and laws

How can laws, attitudes, and gratification affect life chances?

Disciminatory laws can restrict opportunities (apartheid)

Fatalism can reduce ambition

Deffered gratification = delaying rewards for future success

Immediate gratification = prioritising short-term rewards

What did Marx and Weber say about stratification?

Marx: conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat

Weber: life chances depend on class, status, and power

What do feminists and functionalists argue?

Feminists: gender is a major source of inequality

Functionalists: stratification is necessary to motivate people to fill different social roles

How does stratifiaction affect modern UK society?

The UK claims to be meritocratic, and equal-opportunity laws reduce discrimination, but inequalities remain and affect education, health, jobs and life chances