SOCIAL SOCIAL STRATIFICATION:STRATIFICATION:

Without exception modern Without exception modern societies such as our own societies such as our own are socially stratified. This are socially stratified. This means that they contain means that they contain social groups (i.e. families, social groups (i.e. families, classes or ethnic groups) classes or ethnic groups) that have unequal access that have unequal access to important advantages, to important advantages, such as economic such as economic resources, power and resources, power and prestige.prestige.

Such inequalities have not Such inequalities have not always existed, however. always existed, however. During most of human During most of human history, more equalitarian history, more equalitarian societies were the rule.societies were the rule.

• Such equalitarian societies have Such equalitarian societies have some differences in advantages some differences in advantages based on age, gender or based on age, gender or particular ability but all the particular ability but all the families within them have the families within them have the same access to rights and same access to rights and advantages.advantages.

• Based upon customs or rules Based upon customs or rules that confer or deny unequal that confer or deny unequal access to economic resources, access to economic resources, power or prestige, power or prestige, anthropologists have a model of anthropologists have a model of three different kinds of societies:three different kinds of societies:

• Equalitarian societyEqualitarian society

• Rank societyRank society

• Class societyClass society

• Equalitarian societies are Equalitarian societies are unstratified; no social group has unstratified; no social group has unequal access to economic unequal access to economic resources, power or prestige.resources, power or prestige.

• Rank societies are partly Rank societies are partly stratified; social groups do not stratified; social groups do not have very unequal access to have very unequal access to economic resources or power but economic resources or power but they do have unequal access to they do have unequal access to prestige.prestige.

• Class societies are stratified; Class societies are stratified; social groups have unequal social groups have unequal access to economic resources, access to economic resources, power and prestige.power and prestige.

• Such stratified societies may Such stratified societies may range from somewhat open class range from somewhat open class systems to more rigid caste systems to more rigid caste systems where caste systems where caste membership is assigned at birth membership is assigned at birth and unlikely to change and unlikely to change throughout life.throughout life.

• Slavery has existed in many Slavery has existed in many societies throughout human societies throughout human history.history.

• Although slavery has taken many Although slavery has taken many forms (war captives, debt forms (war captives, debt slavery and mercantile slavery), slavery and mercantile slavery), slaves are those who at the very slaves are those who at the very least do not own their own labor.least do not own their own labor.

• Within a society composed of Within a society composed of people from widely divergent people from widely divergent backgrounds and different backgrounds and different physical features, racism is often physical features, racism is often associated with social associated with social stratification.stratification.

• ““Race” is not a scientifically Race” is not a scientifically useful device for classifying useful device for classifying humans.humans.

• ““Racial” classifications are social Racial” classifications are social categories to which individuals categories to which individuals are assigned, by themselves and are assigned, by themselves and others, on the basis of others, on the basis of supposedly shared biological supposedly shared biological traits.traits.

• In multi-ethnic societies ethnic In multi-ethnic societies ethnic differences are usually differences are usually associated with inequalities in associated with inequalities in wealth, power and prestige.wealth, power and prestige.

• Why does social stratification Why does social stratification exist?exist?

• Three hypotheses:Three hypotheses:

• Social stratification develops Social stratification develops when economic productivity when economic productivity increases and surpluses are increases and surpluses are produced.produced.

• Social stratification develops Social stratification develops when people are invested in land when people are invested in land or technology and cannot easily or technology and cannot easily move away from political move away from political leadership they dislike.leadership they dislike.

• Social stratification develops Social stratification develops when there is population when there is population pressure on resources in rank pressure on resources in rank societies.societies.