Social StratificationSocial Stratification

Types of Stratified SocietiesTypes of Stratified Societies

StratificationStratification:: Egalitarian societyEgalitarian society: when all members of an age-sex : when all members of an age-sex

category have the same access to economic resources, category have the same access to economic resources, power, and prestigepower, and prestige

Rank societyRank society: equal access to economic resources & : equal access to economic resources & power, but there are social groups with unequal access to power, but there are social groups with unequal access to status positions and prestigestatus positions and prestige

Class societyClass society: social groups have unequal access to : social groups have unequal access to economic resources, power, and prestigeeconomic resources, power, and prestige Open ClassOpen Class:: Closed Class/CasteClosed Class/Caste::

Why has stratification Why has stratification emerged?emerged?

Stratification is relatively recent (last 7500 years)Stratification is relatively recent (last 7500 years) Stratification began when:Stratification began when:

Agriculture became popularAgriculture became popular Fixed settlements and villages were populatedFixed settlements and villages were populated Money became usedMoney became used Politics became used morePolitics became used more Some specialized jobs surfacedSome specialized jobs surfaced

Egalitarian SocietiesEgalitarian Societies Mbuti Pygmies of Central AfricaMbuti Pygmies of Central Africa

Not all pygmies are the same, but have Not all pygmies are the same, but have the same chance to gain resources, the same chance to gain resources, power, and prestigepower, and prestige

Status (prestigeStatus (prestige) is gained by ) is gained by performing certain tasks such as success performing certain tasks such as success in a hunting partyin a hunting party

Success in hunting provides prestige, but Success in hunting provides prestige, but no power—no leaders in hunting partiesno power—no leaders in hunting parties

All economic resources (food from the All economic resources (food from the hunt) is hunt) is communallycommunally shared shared

NO ECONOMIC BENEFITSNO ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Rank Societies Rank Societies Swazi of South Africa: provided Swazi of South Africa: provided

unequal chance to gain unequal chance to gain prestige to some people (often prestige to some people (often chiefs) through heredity chiefs) through heredity

The farther your family is from The farther your family is from the chief’s genealogy, the less the chief’s genealogy, the less prestige your family hasprestige your family has

Chief recognized as Chief recognized as descendant of first tribal chiefdescendant of first tribal chief

Mother of chief also gains titles Mother of chief also gains titles and respect and dresses in and respect and dresses in royal fashionroyal fashion

Members of chief’s lineage Members of chief’s lineage called “Children of the Sun”called “Children of the Sun”

•Swazi grant “ownership” of the Swazi grant “ownership” of the land to the chief, but he does not land to the chief, but he does not run the land—food grown and run the land—food grown and raised cooperativelyraised cooperatively•All Swazis do the same work, All Swazis do the same work, live in same types of homes, and live in same types of homes, and eat same foods regardless of eat same foods regardless of rankrank

Swazis (continued)Swazis (continued)

Only power of the chief is to Only power of the chief is to redistribute resources and redistribute resources and food to members of tribe and food to members of tribe and to order work parties to be to order work parties to be createdcreated

Prevents members of tribe Prevents members of tribe from accumulating too many from accumulating too many cows or foodcows or food

Class Societies Class Societies

Yankee City case study (1941): six classes emerged after Yankee City case study (1941): six classes emerged after studying 17,000 citizensstudying 17,000 citizens

Open class systemOpen class system Prestige of family is often attributed to the career and wealth of the Prestige of family is often attributed to the career and wealth of the

head of familyhead of family Other factors of class: area of residence, school, church, clubs, & Other factors of class: area of residence, school, church, clubs, &

sportssports Most common tool used to move up in class is a university educationMost common tool used to move up in class is a university education

Lower-class persons “Lower-class persons “resocializedresocialized” to distance themselves ” to distance themselves from parents and learn skills, speech, attitudes, and manners of from parents and learn skills, speech, attitudes, and manners of higher classeshigher classes

Often leads to shame in family or original friendsOften leads to shame in family or original friends

% of % of PopulationPopulation

Type of ClassType of Class Characteristic Traits of ClassCharacteristic Traits of Class

1.4%1.4% Upper UpperUpper Upper ““Old family money”; Old family money”; Endogamous Endogamous

1.6%1.6% Lower UpperLower Upper ““Nouveau Riche”; long to marry into Nouveau Riche”; long to marry into upper upper classupper upper class

10.2%10.2% Upper MiddleUpper Middle Professional men or storeowners; Professional men or storeowners; respectable; wish to be accepted by respectable; wish to be accepted by upper class, but never will beupper class, but never will be

28.1%28.1% Lower MiddleLower Middle White collar workers such as teachers; White collar workers such as teachers; respectable homeowners; looked down respectable homeowners; looked down upon; often 1upon; often 1stst generation immigrants generation immigrants

32.6%32.6% Upper LowerUpper Lower Poor but honest workers—spend all Poor but honest workers—spend all money on food and rentmoney on food and rent

25.2%25.2% Lower LowerLower Lower Lazy, shiftless, poor, and sexually Lazy, shiftless, poor, and sexually promiscuouspromiscuous

Social Classes of Yankee City in Social Classes of Yankee City in 19411941

Class SocietiesClass Societies Hindu Caste System (closed class)Hindu Caste System (closed class)

Found in Hindu Indian societyFound in Hindu Indian society 4 distinct castes that all are born 4 distinct castes that all are born

intointo Brahmins (teachers & priests)Brahmins (teachers & priests) Kshatriyas (kings & warriors)Kshatriyas (kings & warriors) Vaishyas (merchants)Vaishyas (merchants) Shudras (farmers & various service Shudras (farmers & various service

providers such as barbers)providers such as barbers) Members of each caste are born Members of each caste are born

into casteinto caste Perform functions of the caste you Perform functions of the caste you

are born into and that is all you are born into and that is all you may domay do

Technically illegal in India, but is Technically illegal in India, but is still practicedstill practiced

Brahmin priests

Hindu Caste System Hindu Caste System (continued)(continued)

““Untouchables”—portion of Untouchables”—portion of society considered completely society considered completely unclean and not fit to be in unclean and not fit to be in castecaste

Perform functions that no Perform functions that no “clean” person is willing to do “clean” person is willing to do (laundry, working with (laundry, working with leather, latrine cleaners, etc.)leather, latrine cleaners, etc.)

Isolated from society, not Isolated from society, not allowed in temples, and not allowed in temples, and not permitted to associate with permitted to associate with upper castesupper castes

Advantages of Being in Higher Advantages of Being in Higher Caste:Caste:

Economic resources (money, animals, property) are easier Economic resources (money, animals, property) are easier to come byto come by

Prestige and respect is given simply b/c of caste statusPrestige and respect is given simply b/c of caste status Power is granted only to higher castesPower is granted only to higher castes Sexual dominance for upper caste malesSexual dominance for upper caste males

Males may have relationships with any female of lower castes Males may have relationships with any female of lower castes (not the untouchables though)(not the untouchables though)

Females of upper castes must remain separated from filthFemales of upper castes must remain separated from filth No male of lower caste may marry upper caste femaleNo male of lower caste may marry upper caste female

Closed Class Societies Closed Class Societies (continued)(continued)

South Africa & Apartheid South Africa & Apartheid ApartheidApartheid: “separateness” in Afrikaans—system of ethnic : “separateness” in Afrikaans—system of ethnic

separation that lasted from 1948-1994separation that lasted from 1948-1994 4 distinct classes based on race:4 distinct classes based on race:

WhiteWhite BlackBlack Colored (mixed race)Colored (mixed race) IndianIndian

Education, medical care, and other services were separate for Education, medical care, and other services were separate for whites and non-whiteswhites and non-whites

All non-whites were expected to work as laborers in White All non-whites were expected to work as laborers in White industriesindustries

Blacks had no right to vote in their homelandBlacks had no right to vote in their homeland

Rwanda: 3 castes—designed by Belgians & CatholicsRwanda: 3 castes—designed by Belgians & Catholics Tutsi—ruling caste; tall, lean people (15% of population)—10 Tutsi—ruling caste; tall, lean people (15% of population)—10

COWS or EUROPEAN NOSECOWS or EUROPEAN NOSE Hutu—shorter and stockier people (85% of population)Hutu—shorter and stockier people (85% of population)

Often forced into indentured servitudeOften forced into indentured servitude

Twa—pygmy group; hunter-gatherer; forest dwellerTwa—pygmy group; hunter-gatherer; forest dweller 1960: Hutu revolution1960: Hutu revolution

Ejected most Tutsi rulers from countryEjected most Tutsi rulers from country Created democratic government but still denied rights to TwaCreated democratic government but still denied rights to Twa

Rwanda GenocideRwanda Genocide• 1990: Tutsi supported government in Uganda 1990: Tutsi supported government in Uganda

led an invasion back into Rwanda—led to led an invasion back into Rwanda—led to civil war between the groupscivil war between the groups

• Assassination of 3 Rwandan Presidents Assassination of 3 Rwandan Presidents led to Rwanda Genocide from April-July led to Rwanda Genocide from April-July 19941994

• Hutu military killed 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu military killed 800,000 Tutsis and TwaTwa

• Tutsi counteroffensive led to 2 million Tutsi counteroffensive led to 2 million Hutus fleeing to ZaireHutus fleeing to Zaire

1994-2002: successive wars involving Hutus 1994-2002: successive wars involving Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, and Tutsis in Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, Burundi, and Zaire killed over 4 million Burundi, and Zaire killed over 4 million people and displaced many morepeople and displaced many more

Today: country is rebuilding rapidly with Today: country is rebuilding rapidly with government being controlled government being controlled “democratically” by Tutsi government“democratically” by Tutsi government

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3594187.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3594187.stm