Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 30 views

    Social Stratification - PA

    Uploaded by

    mghijkl7
    Pakistani society has social stratification based on class, with elements of both caste and meritocracy. Social classes are defined by factors like land ownership, wealth, education level, and occupation. One's social class is often determined by family background. However, social mobility is possible through education and career achievements. Ideologies justify existing inequalities as fair based on religion, culture, or individual attributes. Overall, societal structures and limited opportunities primarily cause stratification and poverty in Pakistan.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Social Stratification - PA

    Uploaded by

    mghijkl7
    30 views25 pages
    Pakistani society has social stratification based on class, with elements of both caste and meritocracy. Social classes are defined by factors like land ownership, wealth, education level, and occupation. One's social class is often determined by family background. However, social mobility is possible through education and career achievements. Ideologies justify existing inequalities as fair based on religion, culture, or individual attributes. Overall, societal structures and limited opportunities primarily cause stratification and poverty in Pakistan.

    Original Title

    Social Stratification_PA

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Pakistani society has social stratification based on class, with elements of both caste and meritocracy. Social classes are defined by factors like land ownership, wealth, education level, and occupation. One's social class is often determined by family background. However, social mobility is possible through education and career achievements. Ideologies justify existing inequalities as fair based on religion, culture, or individual attributes. Overall, societal structures and limited opportunities primarily cause stratification and poverty in Pakistan.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    30 views25 pages

    Social Stratification - PA

    Uploaded by

    mghijkl7
    Pakistani society has social stratification based on class, with elements of both caste and meritocracy. Social classes are defined by factors like land ownership, wealth, education level, and occupation. One's social class is often determined by family background. However, social mobility is possible through education and career achievements. Ideologies justify existing inequalities as fair based on religion, culture, or individual attributes. Overall, societal structures and limited opportunities primarily cause stratification and poverty in Pakistan.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 25

    Social Stratification

    What is Social Stratification (SS)?


    • Social Stratification – a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a
    hierarchy.
    • Based on 4 basic principles:
    SS is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.
    • Did rich people survive the crash of the Titanic because they were better
    swimmers?
    SS stratification carries over from generation to generation.
    • Social Mobility – a change in position within the social hierarchy; can be upward or
    downward; rare – usually horizontal.
    SS is universal but variable.
    • Found everywhere, but what is unequal and how unequal it is varies .
    • Hair Color in the UK
    SS involves not just inequality but beliefs as well.
    • Why people are unequal varies.
    Ideology: The Power Behind Stratification
    • Ideology – cultural beliefs that justify a particular social arrangement,
    including patterns of inequality
    • Ex: Rich are smart and poor are lazy.
    • Supports inequality by defining it as fair.
    • Major reason that social hierarchies endure.
    Systems of Social Stratification
    • Caste System – social stratification based on ascription, or birth (closed)
    • Rigid categories assigned, no possibility for change.
    • Dictates work and relationships and rests on powerful cultural beliefs.
    • Typical of agrarian societies.
    • Meritocracy – social stratification based on personal merit (open)
    • Rewards individual performance.
    • Pure form would mean social position is entirely dependent on a
    person’s ability and effort.
    • No true meritocracies exist.
    Systems of Social Stratification
    • Class System – social stratification based on both birth and individual
    achievement (open)
    • Social mobility is possible.
    • Freedom to select work and relationships.
    • Typical of modern economies.
    • Class systems have some elements of meritocracy to promote
    productivity and efficiency, but keep caste elements (like family) to
    maintain order and unity.
    • Caste + Meritocracy = Class
    • Example: USA
    Systems of SS
    • Status Consistency – the degree of consistency in a person’ social
    standing across various dimensions of social inequality
    • Caste = Low Social Mobility, High Status Consistency
    • Class = High Social Mobility, Low Status Consistency
    • Classes are, thus, harder to define than castes.
    • Status Consistency Illustration
    • Personal Income: <$35,000/Year → Middle
    • Car: 2010 Hyundai Sonata → Middle
    • Neighborhood: Bellaire/Meyerland → Upper
    • Education: Master of Arts (Graduate Degree) → Upper
    • This person has LOW status consistency!
    Inequality in the US
    …
    •Unemployment data for different professions.
    Social Mobility
    Social Mobility
    • Upward - getting a college degree, landing a higher paying job, or
    marrying someone wealthy
    • Downward - dropping out of school, losing a job, or getting divorced
    • Structural Social Mobility - changes in society or national economic
    trends that impact everyone
    • Intragenerational Mobility - change in social position during one
    person’s lifetime
    • Intergenerational Mobility - upward or downward movement that
    takes place across generations within a family
    Social Mobility: Myth vs. Reality
    Is there as much social mobility as we think?
    • Four Major Conclusions from Research:
    1. Social mobility over the course of the past century has been fairly
    high.
    2. The long-term trend in social mobility has been upward.
    3. Within a single generation, social mobility is usually small.
    4. Social mobility since the 1970s has been uneven.
    Poverty
    Extent of Poverty
    • Poverty: 2 Types
    • Relative Poverty refers to the standard of living compared to
    economic standards of living within the same surroundings.

    • Absolute Poverty is used to describe a condition where an individual


    does not have the financial means to obtain commodities to sustain
    life.
    Explaining Poverty
    • Blame the Poor
    • The poor are mostly responsible for their own poverty.
    • Culture of Poverty produces a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty due to
    hopelessness.
    • Blame Society
    • Little opportunity for work is what has led to poverty.
    • Individual ability and personal initiative both play a role in poverty.
    • However, sociologists believe that society is the primary cause of
    poverty.
    The Functions of Social
    Stratification
    Davis-Moore Thesis
    • Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a
    society.
    • The greater the importance of a position, the more rewards a society
    attaches to it.
    • Egalitarian societies offer little incentive for people to try their best.
    • Example: Doctors must complete years and years of schooling and take
    on massive student loan debt. In order to motivate the most talented
    and qualified people to make these sacrifices, we reward doctors with
    lots of social prestige and high incomes.
    Cont.…..
    • Critical Evaluation:
    • Societies differ across time and place.
    • How is the importance of an occupation determined?
    • Do rewards actually reflect the contribution someone makes to society?
    • Social Stratification can prevent the development of individual
    talent.
    • Social inequality promotes conflict.
    Stratification & Interaction
    Stratification & Interaction
    • People’s social standing affects their everyday interactions.
    • People generally socialize with similar people.
    • Live with similar people due to SS.
    • Spend time with similar people due to SS.
    • Conspicuous Consumption - buying and using products because of
    the “statement” they make about social positions
    • The way we dress, the car we drive, and even the food we order say
    something about our budget and personal tastes.
    What patterns of social stratification
    do you in Pakistani society? What are
    the possible causes/explanations?
    Class activity

    You might also like