Social Stratification: Cross-Cultural Sociological Perspectives

Introduction to Social Stratification

There is rarely a phenomenon that cannot be defined in terms of society and social norms, because social behavior goes hand in hand with every concept associated with living things. The idea of a leader and followers is present in every society. Whether it is the boss of a multinational company with 200 employees, a president ruling a nation of billions, the Brahmins and Shudras of Hinduism's caste system, or a beggar and a common citizen in any country, distinct class differences have been prevalent for a very long time. Class stratification is understood as a basic reality of every society. This concept has become central to sociology because of its importance and connection to the world's economy, politics, culture, and the overall well-being of individuals. Sociology is the study of society and the social behavior of individuals; sociological perspectives analyze the different aspects that govern the social world.

There are three major sociological perspectives that help us understand the different aspects of society. The Symbolic Interactionist perspective focuses on the minor details of life. This theory is based on the idea proposed by Weber that people interpret things on the basis of the meaning they attach to symbols — meaning that usually arises through social interaction and communication with others. Words or music, for example, can be referred to as symbols interpreted differently by every individual.

Three Major Sociological Perspectives

The sociological perspective known as functionalism adheres to the idea that a society has several interrelated structures that collectively affect its functioning and structural well-being. The basic elements constituting the overall structure include customs, beliefs, traditions, institutions, and sectors. The judiciary, the economy, and the peaceful environment of a city, for instance, are all interlinked.

The third important sociological perspective is the conflict view, which is typically based on the ideas generated by Karl Marx. This theory incorporates the socio-political and economic inequality present in every society. The conflict view promotes social change by continuously stressing the rule of the dominant class and how the working class is exploited at the hands of the elite ruling class (Brown K, 2006).

Defining Social Class and Inequality

Class stratification is not a new concept. It refers broadly to the way a society is divided into different socioeconomic classes or income groups. The term class can be understood in a number of ways. It can be defined as a characteristic that ranks individuals on the basis of economic division — a definition applicable to occupations as well as to group descriptions associated with income levels. Despite the subjectivity of the phenomenon, class can also be understood on the basis of material identification and standard of living, revealing the graded levels of lower, middle, and upper class. Additionally, class can be defined in terms of the relationship between people and their means of earning. Although the term is defined in numerous ways, it is most often understood as a concept of inequality (Giddens A, 2001). Sociological perspectives help clarify how a structured society operates on the basis of social class and stratification.

The Marxist view addresses the concept of social class in association with the class inequality present in a capitalist society. Marx focuses on the exploitation of the working class (the proletariat) by the ruling class (the bourgeoisie). For this reason, Marx regards poverty among the lower socioeconomic class not as a natural phenomenon but as a result of human activity. The Marxist view holds social institutions responsible for poverty and consequently encourages the transformation of those institutions — that is, the importance of social change — as a means of controlling class inequalities.

The Marxist View of Social Class

While explaining exploitation, the Marxist view highlights problems in the means of production that ultimately become the basis for ruling over the working class. This arises not only because of what people possess in terms of resources, but also because of the way they utilize those resources — ultimately resulting in class conflict. Marx thus describes social class in relation to the link between people and their means of production. This class difference is further governed by the material interdependence between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat: the material welfare of the ruling class is directly connected to the economic imbalance faced by the proletariat. The ruling class benefits additionally because the working class does not own the means of production, and because the bourgeoisie takes advantage of workers' labor.

For this purpose, the Marxist view promotes social change and envisions a revolution in which society would be run on fair principles and everyone would own the means of production. This would be the moment when the oppressed class would collectively rise against the oppressors. This idea has been adopted by communist and socialist countries that do not favor a system of class stratification (Wright E, 2003).

The Interactionist perspective, as pioneered by Max Weber, offers a different account of social class. Weber defines it as follows:

Conclusion

No matter how different sociologists perceive the idea, social stratification coexists with the creation of every society. It divides the whole of society into different classes and groups that can clearly be distinguished on economic, social, and political grounds. All three sociological perspectives discussed above — Marxism, Weberian interactionism, and functionalism — offer views that reflect the true and complex nature of society, each illuminating a different dimension of how and why class hierarchies persist across cultures.