Social stratification is the study of class, status, and power in society.
If a city can be separated by wealthy people and poor people, and the wealthy have more power than the poor, then that society has social stratification. If, in a specific nation, more status comes with more wealth, then that society too, has stratification.
But what’s the issue with this?
The main problem with social stratification is that it creates inequality. The wealthy have power and status, but the poor don’t. In addition to that, it will be very difficult for the poor to reach a position of power.
The main reasons why are because the poor don’t have the same resources as the rich do (i.e. better education, positive extracurricular activities) and there are gatekeepers that make it difficult for the poor to rise up.
India’s Caste System
In India, there is a social stratification structure called the Caste System.
The Caste System is an arrangement of people based on their occupation (or wealth).
Via Dummies:
“Rooted in religion and based on a division of labor, the caste system, among other things, dictates the type of occupations a person can pursue and the social interactions that she may have. Castes are an aspect of Hindu religion.”
The main issue with the caste system (and how it oppresses the poor), is that it is very rigid. If you were part of the lower castes, you were prevented and discouraged from progressing. And after centuries of this, the poor left behind a legacy of being impoverished; future generations were not able to exit the cycle of poverty.
Social stratification is also part of western society.
America’s Class System
In America, if you are born into a rich family, you are more likely to be rich yourself in the future. Why? Because your family can provide you with more resources. They also place more value on education and encourage you to do well in school.
On the opposite side, if you were born into a poor family, you won’t have access to the same resources as the rich. The school you go to will likely be worst, you likely won’t have the same extracurricular activities (i.e. tutoring, test prep), and your social surroundings will likely discourage you from doing well education-wise.
However, this isn’t an excuse for keeping the legacy of poverty alive. Rather, this just shows that poor communities have to work much harder than rich communities to do well.
So what steps can you take to combat this discrimination?
This is what you would learn about in a social stratification course. You will learn different theories and events that will, hopefully, show you how to minimize stratification or economic inequality.
READ MORE: What is Sociology?
Is social stratification something you would be interested in learning about? Share your thoughts below in the comments.
Also, if you want to learn more about sociology, check out my book, SOCI 001: The Armchair Sociologist’s Guide to Sociology. It’s a beginner sociology text for those who are new to the social science and want basic explanations of the concepts. Click here to learn more about it on Amazon.