G&S, Week 11

GENDER & SOCIETY III.
Industrialized Societies: led to

WEEK 11 increased social stratification. The
gap between those who “have” and
Social Stratification and Social Class those who do “not have” in terms of
machinery for the production and
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION distribution of goods was evident.
Factory owners in urban places hired
Social Stratification refers to workers who came from rural areas
persistent patterns of social inequality in a and searched for jobs. The owners
society. exploited their laborers.
It is perpetuated by the way wealth, IV. Postindustrial Societies:

power, and prestige are distributed and technology-supported
passed on what they possess. information-based economy and
create further social stratification.
Stratification can be clearly understood by When production increased due to
recognizing the origins. the advent of technology, there were
few who worked as factory workers,
I. Hunting and Gathering Societies: and most of the people worked in
had little stratification–it was service industries. Global
because people during this time stratification also started in these
co-owned everything they had. Men societies because those countries that
and women hunted animals and had access to information
gathered vegetables and fruits for the technologies fared more in the global
whole group. There was a slim market than those that had not.
chance of inequality.
HISTORICAL STRATIFICATION
II. The Horticultural, Pastoral, and SYSTEM
Agricultural Societies: led to social
inequality. This was the time when All societies are stratified. In ancient
people started to stay in one place times, many forms of stratification existed,
and plant vegetables for their food. including slavery. Slavery was a system of
They domesticated animals too. The stratification because it identified the slaves
people started planting not only for as one who was subject to slave owners.
the day’s provision but for another They were being exploited by those people
day. There were those who acquired who owned them. Slaves were one of the
more and the others less; hence the lowest categories in any stratification
inequality and ranking occurred. system. They did not own any property and
had no power at all.
People became slaves because of debt that ● Is reflected in a meritocracy:
they could not pay, crimes committed,
prisoners of war, and the beliefs of inherent ➢ Positions are achieved, not ascribed
superiority. ➢ Characterized by equal opportunity
and high social mobility (movement
THE ESTATE SYSTEM up or down a social hierarchy)
This was an ancient stratification 2. Closed Stratification system

system that does not exist today anymore.
However, to illustrate the estate system, we ➢ Inheritance rather than merit
go over its three categories: the nobility, the determines the social rank
clergy, and the commoners. ➢ Little social change is possible
➢ Feature of social hierarchy
The Nobility included people who inherited
wealth. They were inclined toward cultural ● Status: rank or position in a social
endeavors like arts and music. Wealth in this hierarchy
group was transferred from generation to ● Statuses may be:
generation.
a) Ascribed (assigned at birth)
The Clergy was composed of religious b) Achieved (earned by performance)
officials who were also powerful during the c) Master status (determined by sex,
Middle Ages. They had more power than the age, race, ethnicity, economic class)
masses.
Modern stratification still holds slavery,
The Commoners were the masses. They caste system, and class system.
spent their lives engaged in hard physical
labor, with virtually no chance of moving up Slavery still exists today. Debt
in society. slavery is common, and sex slavery,
the forcing of girls into prostitution,
STRATIFICATION SYSTEM is prevalent in Asia.
1. Open Stratification system Theories of Stratification:
➢ Merit rather than inheritance First is Colonialism– this happens

(ascribed characteristics) determines when a weaker country is invaded,
the social rank and a powerful country exploits its
➢ Allows for social change resources.
World System Theory of WHICH AMONG THE THREE
Immanuel Wallerstein– it stated CATEGORIES IS THE PHILIPPINES
that as societies are industrialized, STRATIFIED?
capitalism became the dominant
economic system, leading to the Micahel Harrington also used the term
globalization of capitalism. This “neocolonialism”. The tendency of the most
globalization of capitalism refers to industrialized nations to exploit the
the adoption of capitalism by less-developed countries pushes them to
countries around the world. wallow in great debts that could hardly be
paid off. This allows the strong nations to
Caste system– is a social system control the weaker nations politically and
based on ascribed statuses, which are economically.
traits or characteristics of people at
birth. The ascribed status includes Multinational corporations– are large
race, gender, nationality, body type, corporations that do business in a number of
and age. The caste system ranks different countries. They can exploit the
people so rigidly. A person cannot weak or poor countries with cheap labor and
just change his caste any time he cheap raw materials.
wants.
These corporations often pay only a fraction
The Class system–places the of what they pay for the same goods and
individual in the social system based employees in their home countries. The
on his achieved status. This status is benefit goes to their home countries.
earned or chosen. This includes
educational level, careers, and Multinational corporations help keep the
spouses. global stratification system in place.
Societies– are stratified in relation to

one another. When these societies are
stratified from a global perspective,
we call this “Global stratification”.
Sociologists employ three categories
to denote global stratification. They
are the most industrialized nations,
industrializing nations, and least
industrialized nations.

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GENDER & SOCIETY III.

Industrialized Societies: led to

It is perpetuated by the way wealth, IV. Postindustrial Societies:

This was an ancient stratification 2. Closed Stratification system

1. Open Stratification system Theories of Stratification:

➢ Merit rather than inheritance First is Colonialism– this happens

Societies– are stratified in relation to

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