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Social stratification is a system that ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on power, wealth, and prestige. Max Weber differentiated social stratification into three categories: wealth, power, and prestige. An individual's social standing can be measured based on their relative access to these three. Status refers to an individual's position in the social structure, such as government officials or salespeople. There are ascribed statuses assigned at birth, like gender or family background, and achieved statuses earned through accomplishments. Societies can be open or closed. Open systems allow social mobility while closed systems restrict mobility and assign occupations regardless of ability. The document discusses social mobility between and within social classes.

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37 views3 pages

Activity 1

Social stratification is a system that ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on power, wealth, and prestige. Max Weber differentiated social stratification into three categories: wealth, power, and prestige. An individual's social standing can be measured based on their relative access to these three. Status refers to an individual's position in the social structure, such as government officials or salespeople. There are ascribed statuses assigned at birth, like gender or family background, and achieved statuses earned through accomplishments. Societies can be open or closed. Open systems allow social mobility while closed systems restrict mobility and assign occupations regardless of ability. The document discusses social mobility between and within social classes.

Uploaded by

Rudy Abelo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Subject: UCSP

Social Stratification
Social Stratification is a system by which society ranks categories of people in
hierarchy according to power, wealth, and prestige. In sociology, the term social
stratification describes the system of social standing.
Social desirables are power, wealth, and prestige or rewards of social position
statuses.
Wealth pertains to ownership or control of resource.
Power is the ability to compel obedience or control a number of people.
Prestige refers to social recognition and deference.
Karl Marx looked at it in terms wealth produced in relation to the ownership of
means of production. For example, if you are the owner of the company you get most
of the profits gained by your company’s operation compared to that of your
employees. Wealth may refer to money, properties, and similar tangible resources.
On the other hand, Max Weber, differentiates them into three: wealth, power, and
prestige. Individual’s social standing can be measured, all at once, based on their
relative access to these three. For example, a college professor may have less power
and less wealth, but he/she enjoys a lot of prestige. A government employee may
have less wealth and less prestige, but he/she may have more power.

Status is the individual’s spot in the social structure. The higher or lower positions
that come about through social stratification are called statuses. For example, some
people are prominent government officials while others are salesmen, utility workers,
etc. This does not relate to the individual themselves, but rather in the position into
which they have been placed. Status are not the same.
We get different statuses in different ways:
Ascribed statuses which are assigned or given by the society or group based on some
fixed category. Examples are sex, family background, ethnic and ethnic heritage. You
did nothing to earn these statuses.
Achieved statuses are earned by the individual. Example, you land a good job after
graduation because the quality of your performance satisfies you employer. With this
status, you establish which status you want.

Sociologists have been able to establish several strata or layers which form a
hierarchy of prestige or power in a society. Melvin M. Tumin has mentioned the
following characteristics of social stratification:

Moreover, social stratification is distinguished as three social classes. In


which, generally referred to as a number of people who are grouped collectively
because they have similar professional or occupational statuses, amount of prestige,
or lifestyle.
Upper class consists of the elite or wealthy families who are the most prolific
(productive) in their respective areas. These are the group of people who are stock
holders, investors, and who live in an exclusive neighborhood. They value heritage
most over wealth.
Middle class are mostly professional people like lawyers, doctors, managers, owners
of small businesses, executives, etc. Their income can afford them a comfortable
lifestyle. They value education most since education to them is the most vital
measure of social status.
Lower class are the office and clerical workers, skilled and unskilled craftsman, farm
employees, underemployed, indigent families. They depend on their paycheck.

Social stratification system has two types:


Open or class system means that individuals can change their social class in the
society. People are free to gain a different level of education or employment than
their parents. They can also socialize with members of another group, which allow
people to move from one class to another.
Closed or caste system people can do little or nothing to change their social standing.
People are born into it and will remain in it. People are assigned occupations
regardless of their talents, interests, or potentials. This system promote belief in fate,
destiny, and the will of higher spiritual power rather than promotion of individual
freedom.
Macionis (2012) points out that in certain societies, some people
experience social mobility. It is the act of moving from one social status to another.
Social mobility has two types:
Horizontal mobility in which the movement of a person within a social class level. For
example, a factory worker who finds a new job as a construction worker. It talks
about the same social level.
Vertical mobility is the movement of a person between social class levels or another
class that is higher or lower. For example, a factory worker who enrolls in college and
becomes a businessman.

Activity #1:
Directions: Research a certain person’s biography wherein his life changed from
“rags to riches”. Paste the article. Write how this story inspired you and how will
you apply this in your own undertaking. (50 pts)
Use A4 bondpaper
Deadline: December 8, 2023 (Friday) @ 6 pm

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