SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
All societies are stratified on a hierarchical basis into social categories that is, into social strata. These strata are typically defined on the basis of socioeconomic characteristics such as family background, occupation, and income. Although all societies are stratified to some degree, they differ in two related ways. First, they differ from each other with regard to the degree of mobility between social strata. Second, they differ with regard to the significance attached to social strata in business contexts. Overall, social stratification is based on four basic principles: Social stratification is a trait of society, not a reflection of individual differences. Social stratification carries over a generation to the next generation. Social stratification is generally universal but variable. Social stratification involves not just inequality but also beliefs. Social Mobility The term social mobility refers to the extent to which individuals can move out of the strata into which they are born. Social mobility varies significantly from society to society. The most rigid system of stratification is a caste system
A caste system បបបបបបបបបបបបប is a closed system of
stratification in which social position is determined by the family into which a person is born, and change in that position is usually not possible during an individual's lifetime.
A class system បបបបបបបបបបបបបប is a less rigid form of
social stratification in which social mobility is possible. It is a form of open stratification in which the position a person has by birth can be changed through his or her own achievements or luck. o While many societies have class systems, social mobility within a class system varies from society to society. For example, some sociologists have argued that Britain has a more rigid class structure than certain other Western societies, such as the United States.
o The class system in the United States is less pronounced than in Britain and mobility is greater. Like Britain, the United States has its own upper, middle, and working classes. Significance This has been played out in British society in the traditional hostility between upper middle-class managers and their working-class employees. Mutual antagonism and lack of respect historically made it difficult to achieve cooperation between management and labor in many British companies and resulted in a relatively high level of industrial disputes. An antagonistic relationship between management and labor classes, and the resulting lack of cooperation and high level of industrial disruption, tends to raise the costs of production in countries characterized by significant class divisions.
Religious and Ethical Systems:
Among the thousands of religions in the world today, four dominate in terms of numbers of adherents: Christianity (2 billion adherents) Islam (1 billion adherents) Hinduism (1 billion adherents) Buddhism (500 million adherents) Christianity Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world. The vast majority of Christians live in Europe and the Americas, although their numbers are growing rapidly in Africa. In 1904, prominent German sociologist, Max Weber, made a connection between Protestant ethics and "the spirit of capitalism" that has since become famous. Protestantism also may have encouraged capitalism's development in another way. By breaking away from the hierarchical domination of religious and social life that characterized the Catholic Church for much of its history, Protestantism gave individuals significantly more freedom to develop their own relationship with God. The right to freedom of form of worship was central to the nonconformist nature of early Protestantism.
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Abstract
Despite close similarities between Muslim and Hindu stratification in India, anthropologists have been aware of differences. Muslim stratification is looser, purity considerations are less important, and social mobility is easier than they are among Hindu castes. The basis for these differences is found in the structure of Muslim stratification and in the Muslim view of social order. Does Muslim stratification represent "caste" in the same sense as the Hindu form? There is no simple answer. This is in part because the nature of Muslim stratification varies throughout India. A typology of forms reveals a range between true caste (comparable to the Hindu form) and organization into classes. Possible causes of this variation are suggested.
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Southwestern Journal of Anthropology © 1972
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