This paper examines social stratification as a hierarchical system that categorizes population subsets based on property, power, and prestige. It analyzes major stratification methods including caste, class, slavery, and gender; defines characteristics of open versus closed societies; and compares stratification approaches in the United States, India, and Great Britain. The paper demonstrates how institutional and social systems create and perpetuate inequality, with different societies employing distinct mechanisms for resource allocation and social mobility.
Given the differences present in a population, it is imperative to categorize the various subsets of a population to understand the existent characteristics. The categorization of inequalities within a population is what stratification entails. According to Henslin (2014), stratification refers to a hierarchy of relativity guided by property ownership, power, and prestige. In every form of society, there lie different strata into which each member of the society is classified.
Stratification comes from a complex interaction with the social and institutional systems that give rise to the observable differences among members of a society. The institutional systems facilitate value creation and desirability of the resources within a society. Social systems define the rules for allocating resources, as well as linking individuals through mobility to positions and possession of these resources. The degree of stratification in each society is different and yields inequality within that society. The prevailing inequalities bring out social stratification, and the different measures of stratification between societies underscore the need to apply relativity when making comparisons between societies.
Different methods of stratification in a society occur naturally and through the forces of humanity. The different methods of stratification are guided by the composition of the society, resource possession and allocation within the society, the social institutions present, and people's socialization. Some of the major forms of social stratification are caste, class, and slavery—claiming ownership of people. The universal cross-cutting measure of stratification within a society is gender.
Caste stratification classifies members of the society according to their birth lineage. Caste stratification stands as the oldest form of social stratification, and it draws a line in the society by grouping individuals according to their family tree and the influential position they hold in the society. The caste stratification tends to place certain members of a society at a higher hierarchy and others at the bottom. Class stratification is primarily based on wealth possession and entitlements of the members of the society. Material possessions and entitlements present an opportunity for members of a society to move up or down depending on the wealth held. Slavery stratification defines stratification where higher-caste individuals own the lowest-caste individuals in the society. This form of stratification has been abolished in many places, although it still exists in other forms. Gender stratification is a universal cross-cutting method of stratification where members of a society are classified according to their biological makeup. Until recently, resource allocation and hierarchical placement in most societies have been biased, favoring the male gender.
In the 2013 census report for American household incomes, it is evident that the median income for Hispanic households, households maintained by persons aged 15–24 or those older than 65, and noncitizen households increased. American society's stratification according to family income incorporates the individual's origin (nativity) and citizenship status in the country, the size of the household, and region. The stratification also groups the American population according to age and household size, whether individual or comprised of other family members. According to the 2013 census report, 48,810,868 persons live below the poverty line in America. Out of the total American population, 89,190,000 men and women comprise the working class, and those in the middle class combine to make a total of 122,952,000 individuals.
In contrast, India and Great Britain's stratification excludes the various origins and ethnic affiliations of the population. The classification of households by their composition and size in India is not considered when determining the poverty threshold. In both India and Great Britain, the income of individuals is used to determine where they fall on the poverty line, rather than their purchasing power.
"Characteristics of open versus closed social systems"
"Mobility and hierarchy differences between systems"
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