Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byAlberta Morrison Modified over 5 years ago
1
Society Society is a large grouping that shares the same territory and is subject to the same political authority dominant cultural expectations
2
Types of Societies Pre-Industrial Hunters and Gather Pastoral
Horticulture Agriculture Fiefdom
3
Types of Societies Industrial Post-Industrial
4
Social Structure in the Macro Level Perspective
Social structure is a stable pattern of social relationships that exist within a particular group or society Structure is provided by status and roles, groups, and social institutions
5
Social Structure in the Macro Level Perspective
social structure creates boundaries that define which persons or groups will be the insiders and which will be the outsiders social marginality is the state of being part insiders in part outsider in the social structure
6
Social Structure in the Macro Level Perspective
social marginality results in stigmatization a stigma is any physical or social attribute or sign that shows a person's social identity that disqualifies that person from full social acceptance
7
Components of Social Structure: Status
A status is a socially defines position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations rights and duties Ascribed status is a social position conferred at birth or received involuntarily later in life Achieved status is a social position in person assumes involuntarily as a result of personal choice merit or direct effort
8
What is Social Stratification?
For tens of thousands of years, humans lived in small hunting and gathering societies. These bands of people show little signs of inequality. As societies became more complex, major changes came about, these changes elevated certain categories of the population by giving them more power, money, and prestige. Social Stratification- a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy.
9
1. Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.
Children born into wealthy families are more likely than children born in poverty to experience good healthy, achieve academically, succeed in life’s work and live a long life. 2. Social stratification persists over generations. To see stratification as a trait of society rather than one of individuals, we need to only look at how inequality persists along generations. In all societies, parents pass their social position on to their children.
10
3. Social stratification is universal but variable.
In some societies, inequality is mostly a matter of prestige; in others, wealth or power is the key dimension of difference. More importantly some societies display more inequality than others. 4. Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs. Any system of inequality gives some people more than others and the society also defines the arrangements as fair.
11
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
Refers to persistent patterns of social inequality in a society Is perpetuated by the way wealth, power, and prestige are distributed and passed on from one generation to the next Exists in all societies* Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd
12
FEATURES OF SOCIAL HIERARCHIES
Status: Rank or position in a social hierarchy Statuses may be: Ascribed (assigned at birth), or Achieved (earned by performance)* Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd
13
TYPES OF STRATIFICATION SYSTEMS
Open stratification system: Stratification system in which merit rather than inheritance (ascribed characteristics) determines social rank Allows for social change Is reflected in a meritocracy: Positions are achieved, not ascribed Characterized by equal opportunity and high social mobility (movement up or down a social hierarchy)* Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd
14
TYPES OF STRATIFICATION SYSTEMS
Closed stratification system Stratification system in which inheritance rather than merit determines social rank Little social change possible Reflected in a caste system: Positions are ascribed, not achieved Characterized by little social mobility Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd
15
Kin, clan, tribe, ethnicity
Many small-scale societies are made up of groups that take kinship, i.e. marriage, descent and filiation as the primary principles of membership. Descent groups, i.e. groups that define their membership through descent from a common ancestor are very common in small-scale societies. They can be patrilineal, matrilineal, or consanguineal, i.e. descent is traced from either mother or father. A descent group formed from unilineal descent, and to which a common ancestor can be traced is called a lineage. A descent group formed through unilineal descent, and to which a common ancestor cannot be exactly traced, is called a clan. A tribe is a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader. An Ethnic group is a community or population made up of people who share a common cultural background or descent. Kinship, clan, tribe, ethnic groups etc
16
Caste and Class Systems
A Caste System- is a social system based on ascription, or birth. A pure caste system is closed because birth alone determines one’s destiny, with little or no opportunity for social mobility based on effort.
17
Caste Feature of the South Asian subcontinent.
Thought to have arisen through the transformation of ‘tribes’ in the transition to agricultural revolution. Elements of caste appear to have existed in the Harappan civilization, c. 3,000 BC A major feature of caste is endogamy, i.e. the requirement that people marry within their own caste, not outside it. Also religious and cosmological ranking associated with caste, found in major Hindu scriptures: earliest were the division of society into 4 varnas (colours): Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. 2nd century AD, a fifth category, the ati-Shudras, or untouchables was added. Untouchability was outlawed by the Indian constitution, 1951.
18
First, traditional caste groups have specific occupations, so generations of a family perform the same type of work. Second, maintaining a rigid social hierarchy depends on people marrying within their own categories; “mixed” marriages would blur the ranking of children. Endogamy- marriage between people of the same social category. Third, caste norms guide people to stay in the company of “their own kind.” Fourth, caste systems rest on powerful cultural beliefs.
19
Caste systems exist in agrarian societies because life long routines of agriculture depend on a rigid sense of duty and discipline.
20
The Class System Class System- social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement. The class system categorizes people according to their color, sex, or social background comes to be seen as wrong in industrial and post-industrial societies, and all people gain political rights and roughly equal standing before the law. Meritocracy- social stratification based on personal merit. People in industrial societies develop a broad range of capabilities, stratification is based on “merit,” which is the job one does and how well one does it.
21
CLASS AND CLASS STRUCTURE
Class: Position in an economic hierarchy occupied by individuals or families with similar access to, or control over, material resources (e.g., working class, professional class) Class structure: Relatively permanent economic hierarchy comprising different social classes Socioeconomic status: Person’s general status within an economic hierarchy, based on income, education, and occupation* Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd Existence of classes has been questioned recently because some scholars believe that material inequalities are decreasing Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd.
22
Nations and Nationalism
Shared heritage and historical experience the basis of a state. Common language, shared origin, unique customs are features that define a sense of nationhood. Nationalism can often arise as a result of an ethnic movement. 19th century nationalisms, formed through defining themselves as ‘one people, one language, one culture.’ Difference between territorial nationalism versus a ‘blood’ nationalism, e.g. in Quebec. Monocultural nationalisms are increasingly challenged by transnational phenomena and groups, as increasing quantities of information, cultural knowledge and people cross ‘national’ boundaries.
23
Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd
Social Mobility- change in one’s position in the social hierarchy. Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd
24
What is Social Mobility
Social mobility is defined as movement from one class/status position to another There are 2 types: Intra- generational – movement within one generation e.g. a person moves from one social class to another in the course of their life time Inter generational – movement between generations e.g. a person’s father was a Liverpool docker and he is a teacher
25
What is Social Mobility?
Definition: Movement from one class —or more usually status group—to another
26
Movement from one position to another within the same social level
Horizontal Mobility Movement from one position to another within the same social level Ex: Changing jobs without altering occupational status Moving between social groups having the same social status.
27
Vertical Mobility Movement from one social level to a higher one (upward mobility) or a lower one (downward mobility) Ex: Changing Jobs or Marrying Cultural diffusion from one social level to another Adoption by one economic class of the current fashions or formerly current in a higher class
28
Intergenerational Mobility
Movement within or between social classes and occupations, the change occurring from one generation to the next Ex: Father to Son Ex: Mother to Daughter Can be horizontal or vertical
29
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY AND STATUS ATTAINMENT
Occupational mobility: Moving up and down occupational and income ladders Intragenerational occupational mobility: Mobility within an individual’s lifetime Intergenerational occupational mobility: Process of reaching occupation location higher or lower than location held by parents Occupational status attainment: Main determinant of status of a person’s current job is status of first job (dependent on educational attainment)* Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd Represents another important feature of stratification systems in modern societies The status of one’s father’s occupation still contributes to determining who gets better jobs (more status, higher income) For a variety of reasons (e.g., more money for higher education, more well-educated role models), children from more advantaged backgrounds can build on their initial advantages Copyright © 2011 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.