Social stratification
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Transcript of Social stratification
Stratification
Social Groups
What is a social group?
A cluster of people beyond the domestic unit who are usually related to each other on grounds other than kinship
Varieties of Social Groups
Friendship Clubs and fraternities Countercultural groups Cooperatives
Two Kinds of Social Groups
Primary social group: People who interact with each other and know each other personally
Secondary social group: People who identify with each other on some basis but who may never meet each other or know each other personally
Other Characteristics
Degrees of formality/informality: Vary depending on a number of socially prescribed
factors (age, rank, gender, etc…)
Connections to modes of livelihood: Foragers have fewer forms of social groups than other
modes Industrial/informatic societies have a wide variety,
perhaps compensating for less important role of kinship
Modes of Livelihood and Social Groups
Friendship
What is friendship?
Close social ties between at least two people, usually informal, voluntary, and involving face-to-face interaction (except for new forms of “friendship” through Facebook, etc.)
Friendship
Usually between social equals
Related to microcultural factors such as
gender, age, class, ethnicity, and institutions
Maintained through balanced
exchange
May contribute to economic security
Everyday Anthropology: Making Friends
Andalucia, southern Spain
Men’s and women’s work roles shape their friendship patterns
For men, an amigo is a casual friend and this friendship is maintained in bars
An amigo(a) del verdad is a “true friend” Men have more ‘true’ friends than women do
What categories of friends do you have? Are friends in some categories “closer” or “truer” than others? What is the basis of close friendship?
Clubs and Fraternities
Definition: Social groups that define membership in terms of a sense of shared identity and objectives
Often include people of same ethnic/cultural heritage
Provide social and psychological support to members but have political and economic functions, too (connections, networking, jobs)
Male Friendship among the Urban Poor of Guyana: The Importance of Sharing Stories
Fraternities and Sororities
College fraternities and sororities in North America (the “Greek System”) are highly selective and serve a variety of functions, such as entertainment, match-making, and social service
Often serve to reinforce class and gender norms- not always positive
Countercultural Groups
Groups formed by people outside the “mainstream” who resist conforming to the dominant cultural pattern
Members desire to be identified with a special group
Youth gangs
Motorcycle ‘clubs’
Body modification groups
Youth Gangs
Refers to a group of young people found mainly in urban areas
Often considered to be a social problem by mainstream society
Variation in terms of how organized and goals
Most/all have rituals of initiation and symbols of membership such as clothing, “colors,” tattoos
Study of U.S. Youth Gangs
Finding that personalities of youth gang members have five characteristics: Intense competitiveness
Mistrust of others
Self-reliance
Social isolation
Strong survival instinct
Cooperatives
A form of economic group in which surpluses are shared among the members
One person, one vote
Agricultural and credit cooperatives the most common forms worldwide
We have seen a rise in agricultural and housing cooperatives in the US, but economic cooperatives are changing the lives of the impoverished- particularly women- around the world. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061013-nobel-
peace.html
Example: Farmers’ Cooperative in Western India
Study of co-ops in the sugar industry in the state of Maharashtra
Why successful given India’s caste system and social divisiveness? Caste system in this region simpler: Marathas are the
main caste
Solidarity across class lines supports efficient use of cane processing technology
Money goes back in to community
Social Stratification
Social Stratification: results from the relatively permanent unequal distribution of goods and services in a society No culture has ever devised a successful means of
organizing a large population without stratification and inequality
The ways this distribution takes place depends on: Cultural values
The organization of production
The access that different individuals and groups have to the means for achieving societal goals
Social Stratification
Functionalist perspective: specific cultural institutions function to support the structure of society or serve the needs of the individuals in society Inequality and the promise of economic and social
rewards lead people to engage in difficult, risky jobs, as well as jobs requiring long and arduous training
Flaw- Not all difficult jobs are prestigious
Family background, gender, ethnicity, race, social connections, and other factors play important roles in determining the sorts of opportunities available to individuals
Although social stratification may be of some benefit, it is also a source of conflict and instability
Social Stratification
Conflict theory: social stratification is a result of the struggle for scarce goods and services (Karl Marx)
Inequalities exist because individuals and groups who have acquired power, wealth, and prestige use their assets and their power to maintain control
Focusing on conflict enables us to understand some of the hidden motivations of social actors and to access institutions by their outcomes, as well as their stated intentions
Conflict theorists may sometimes ignore the very real mechanisms that promote solidarity across caste, ethnic, and class lines
Criteria of Stratification
The social stratification system of any society depends on a complex interaction of the three main dimensions of stratification: Power: the ability to control resources in one’s own interest
Analyze the sources, channels and goals of power in each culture
Wealth: the accumulation of material resources or access to the means of producing these resources Not all wealth is a source of prestige
Prestige: social honor or respect Ascribed Status: social position into which a person is
born. (sex, race, kinship group) Achieved Status: social position that a person chooses or
achieves (professor, criminal, artist)
Stratification systems
Class system- a form of social stratification in which the different strata form a continuum and social mobility is possible
Class: a category of persons who all have about the same opportunity to obtain economic resources, power, and prestige and who are ranked relative to other categories
Closed system- A system of stratification based primarily on ascription (caste system)
Open system- A system of stratification based primarily on achievement
Social Class in the United States
The U.S. is said to have an open class systemStatus depends on occupation, education, and lifestyle“The American Dream,” is based on the democratic
principle of equality and opportunity for all
However:
educational achievement, levels of indebtedness, income, and wealth accumulation are linked to class, “race” and ethnicity, and also social mobility
Studies show moving out of poverty or the working class is likely to take five generations
Poverty often perpetuates itself through generations
Social Mobility
Social Mobility: movement from one social strata to another Factors that effect social mobility include:
Life chances:
Opportunities people have to fulfill their potential in society
chance of survival and longevity
opportunities to obtain an education
opportunities to participate in cultural life
opportunities to live in comfort and security
Social Classes as Subcultures
Many studies demonstrate that social class correlates with differences in attitudes, behavior, lifestyle, and values
A social class has aspects of a subculture: Members tend to share similar:
life experiences occupational roles values educational backgrounds affiliations leisure activities buying habits religious affiliation and political views
Race: A Cultural Construction
Race is a culturally constructed category based on perceived physical differences
Racial stratification: Occurs in societies with different culturally-
constructed views of race:
In the US this is defined as binary opposition between black and white
Apartheid in South Africa: system of exclusive racial groups – black, white, colored, and Asian – that were formally segregated and treated differently in law and life
“Race” as Ascribed and Scientifically Invalid
“We conclude that the concept of “race” has no validity as a biological category in the human species. Because it homogenizes widely varying individuals, it impedes research and understanding of the true nature of human biological variations.”
American Anthropological Association’s Statement on Race, 1996
Ethnicity
Sense of group membership based on a shared sense of identity Shared history Territory Language Religion Or combination of the above
Diaspora population: A dispersed group living outside their original homeland
Culturama: The Roma of Eastern Europe
Also known by the derogatory term “Gypsies”Europe’s largest minority population (7 – 9 million)Roma are 10 percent of the population of Eastern
EuropeHistory of mobility and marginalitySettled Roma live in marginalized areas that lack
decent housingIn different countries, the status and living
conditions of Roma varySituation in Slovakia is among the worst
One-third of Roma live in osada, ghetto-like enclaves with poor housing, sanitation, and schools
Roma Population in Eastern Europe
Largest Numbers in Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Slovakia
Caste
Social stratification system linked with Hinduism
Based on a person’s birth into a particular group
Varnas: 4 major social categories Please see video link in Week 7
India’s Varna System: Classification Underlying the
Caste/Jati System
Civil Society
Diverse interest groups outside the government that organize aspects of life, and often work on behalf of underrepresented groups
Variation in terms of how free from government they actually are Case in China of the Chinese Women’s Movement;
overseen by the government, so not truly “civil society”
http://www.civilsoc.org/whatisCS.htm