Concepts and Theories of Stratification

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Chapter 9

• Concepts and Theories of Stratification

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Most important topic in sociology?

• Titanic example
• Survival percentages 60 of 1st class, 36 of
  2nd class, 24 of lower decks
• Marx quote in Manifesto
• The history of all hitherto existing society is
  the history of class struggles

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Social Stratification ranking people in terms
of money, power, prestige

• Trait of society not primarily about individual
  differences
• We pick our place, we make our opportunities?
• Titanic lower strata did not die because of
  personal failing
• Persists over generations
• In our country, considerable social mobility, but
  clear inter-generational patterns
• varies greatly. But is universal

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Income Inequality in the US

• http//www.census.gov/hhes/income/income03/prs04as
  c.html

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Marxs Concept Of Class

• Industrialization led to increased inequality
  Marx saw this
• Predicted it would become worse
• Eventually, 2 classes bourgeoisie and the
  proletariat.
• Bourgeoisie owns the means of production.
• Proletariat must sell labor to the bourgeoisie.

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How was Marx right?

• Class struggles are relevant in the history of
  the world
• False consciousness vs. Class consciousness
  relevant in all revolutions.
• True class only comes with consciousness of
  mutual circumstances, mutual interests, common
  enemies
• most relevant dimension of stratification
• Capitalism lead to exploitation? (Are there
  negative effects of the profit motive?)

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How was Marx wrong?

• not the only way societies stratified
• 2 great classes did not emerge
• Industrialization initially produced great
  inequality, but eventually produced a middle
  class
• Revolution did not occur as he predicted (US most
  industrialized of all)
• Classless society impossible

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Webers Three Dimensions Of Stratification

• Marx shaking up the intellectual and political
  world Read Manifesto, p. 44
• Observed that strat more than . That is, life
  chances determined by more than just
• E.g., Clergy might have status and power, but
  little money
• Based stratification on three independent
  factors
• Class (, property)
• Status (prestige)
• Party (power ability to get ones way despite
  resistance)

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In all societies, people unequal in ,
prestige/status, and power. Implications????

• Parking rules the same for you and me?
• , status, power matter in life chances. In
  college admissions, for example
• Affirmative action?
• Kerry and Bush given any advantages as a result
  of the , status, power of their families?
• Daily Show Video

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Social Mobility a change in ones position

• Chap 2 we learned about Ascribed vs Achieved
  status
• Caste system position at birth determines (or
  mostly so)
• Class system like ours there is considerable
  mobility - one can achieve status, , power
• Are we a true meritocracy? (Social strat based
  solely on merit?) of course not

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2 kinds of Social Mobility

• Structural Mobility when of higher status
  positions increases, upward mobility inevitable
• Industrialization did this (Marx did not
  anticipate structural mobility)
• Mostly helpful in cross cultural
• E.g., Brought down apartheid?
• Exchange Mobility without structural changes,
  for every person who moved up, one would need to
  move down

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Classless possible?

• Marx a utopian thinker remove means of
  production result in classless society?
• Dahrendorf technically true, since Marx defined
  class as ownership of means of production
• But Marxism did not produce classless society

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Easy to see why go back to Italian sociologist
Moscas, The Ruling Class (1896)

• Human societies cannot exist without political
  organization.
• Political organization inequalities in power.
• - Societies must be stratified in terms of power
• Because human nature is self-serving, people with
  more power will use it to exploit others and gain
  material advantages.
• - Power inequalities will result in inequalities

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Functionalist Theory of Social Strat Davis and
Moore

• Positions differ in their functional importance
• Some positions more difficult to fill
• Reward system ensures that important, difficult
  positions filled

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Criticisms?

• Justify inequality?
• Societies fair in the way the identify people
  to assume important positions (race, class,
  gender do matter)
• Circular? A tautology?
• Position is functionally important. How do we
  know? Because it is rewarded. Why is it rewarded?
  Because it is important.

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Toy Society a great illustration

• Replaceability thinking this way helps with the
  circular problem
• Spaceship crashes survivors need 4 things to
  survive (food, air, water, heat)
• Ay produces all 4 only she can produce air
• Next generation must create a reward structure
  that ensures production of air.

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A Conflict Theory corrective

• Inequality inevitable reward structures
  functional yes, but something not quite right
• Conflict theory brings us back to basic
  assumption humans pursue self interest
• Ay has , status, power can exploit this
  position of power
• Gap between haves and have nots greater than
  functionalism would predict

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Politics of Replaceability can replaceability
be manipulated?

• Physicians better at healing, given a monopoly on
  healing AMA formed
• AMA controls the supply of doctors doctors limit
  supply of doctors
• AMA limits others from doing doctor related tasks
• AMA can create its own demand
• E.g., addiction model creates clients
• AMA, from this perspective, an interest group
• Unions also an attempt to manipulate
  replaceability and create demand

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• Great quote Functionalism can explain why
  doctors (or fill in the blank) make more than
  orderlies, but it requires conflict theory to
  explain why the gap is as large as it is.