Study Unit 8.1

By C Settley

Learning Outcomes•Explain the concept social stratification•Explain the concept social class•Describe the six (6) basic social classes in

a society•Discuss wealth, power and prestige (as

classified by Max Weber as categories of importance in social stratification)

•Critically discuss the effect of social stratification on health and life expectancy of an individual

Social Stratification DefinedDu Toit & Van Staden (page 104)

•Johnson (1986:315) describes SOCIAL STRATIFICATION as the social structures which provide wealth, power and status unequally among the members of different social classes.

•It is a process in the sense that people classify themselves with regard to different status groups and associate themselves with the relevant wealth, power and prestige.

•See rankings page 105

Social ClassDu Toit (page 108)

•Layer of people who share similar values, family prestige, occupational/educational/income status, personal professions, residence and social etiquette (Cohen, 1979:111; Steward & Glynn, 1979:131).

•The members of a social layer accept each other as equals

GENERAL: Broad Schematic Representation of the Social Class

Upper

Socio Economic

Class

Middle Socio Economic

Class

Lower Socio Economic Class

Social Class - 6 Basic

Classes with subclasses

- Varies according to societal dynamics

The Upper Class

The Upper Middle Class

The Middle Class

The Lower Middle Class

The Working Class

The Lower Class

6 Basic Social Classes:THE UPPER CLASS•1-3% of a population•Richest people•Great status and power•Wealth traced back a few generations or

amazed their wealth in their own lifetime (Stokes, 1984: 173-174)

6 Basic Social Classes:THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS•10-15% of population•Emphasis on occupations•Professional people who occupy high

positions in government and military sector

•Includes business people who live comfortably in attractive neighborhoods

•Children of this class of people enjoy elite education which enables them to follow similar occupations (Stokes, 1984: 206)

6 Basic Social Classes:THE MIDDLE CLASS•20-25% of a population•Differentiated from the lower class on the

basis of university education•Occupations are less influential and

financially less rewarding than those of the upper middle class (Stokes, 1984: 175)

6 Basic Social Classes:THE LOWER MIDDLE CLASS•30-35% of population•Occupations include lower level business

management, certain professional and semi-professional occupations, sales and clerical positions

•E.g. teaching, nursing•Families in this class have more than one

breadwinner in the home (Stokes, 1984: 175) or more than one occupation to generate more income.

6 Basic Social Classes:THE WORKING CLASS• 25-30 % of population• Skilled and semi- skilled blue- collar workers• Major difference between the lower middle and

working class is members of the lower middle class have usually had some form of higher education

• However, their income is frequently higher than that of the lower middle class e.g. electricians, plumbers as they earn relatively higher income

• Characterized by the fact that these workers usually work away from home for a wage (Stokes, 1984: 176)

6 Basic Social Classes:THE LOWER CLASS•Unskilled workers•Usually an oversupply of laborers, which

means their wages are relatively low•They share a characteristic with the

upper class, namely that socially it is a very closed class

•It is just as difficult for the members of the lower class to rise above their class as it is for outsiders to enter the upper class (Stokes, 1984: 176)

Nb!!!!!!!!In analyses on Social stratification Max Weber(1946) highlighted 3 categories of importance

•PAGE 110

WEALTH, POWER &

PRESTIGE

Wealth

•Refers to collection of all assets that an individual accumulates/own – stock shares properties investments homes and land

•Uneven distribution of wealth between inhabitants of the world

•The few richest of the population own most of the wealth -80% of multitudes of poor own virtually close to nothing - 20%

•Social stratification is determined by wealth• NB: Income wage and salaries

Power•Refers to the ability to control or

influence others•Power need not necessarily rewarded –

usually associated with status for it to work

•Difficult to measure•Usually unequally divided in all societies

Prestige

•Criteria is unequal distribution of prestige.•Comes in many forms:-public recognition

and fame, respect and admiration, honour and esteem.

•Determined in many cases by occupational status, in other words an important position in society has a high prestige value.

•Often different from class division- may be positive or negative

•Subjective and personal

Effects of stratification on health & life expectancy Du Toit (p.115)

• In S.A. one should guard against generalisation and speculation.

•Members of upper class tends to be healthier and live longer than those in the lower classes.

•Lower class exhibits higher morbidity and mortality rate than upper class

Effects of stratification on health & life expectancy

Ascribed to several factors :1. Exposure to dangerous working conditions, overpopulation, poor living conditions, poor sanitation, malnutrition, alcoholism, air pollution, unhygienic conditions and poor to no antenatal care influence the health and life expectancy of the lower classes.

2. Lower class receive less health care.• Frequently do not have money for

medical funds to consult doctors.• Medical therapists with prejudice.• Communication gap between medical

staff and lower socio-economic groups.

Effects of stratification on health & life expectancy

Effects of stratification on health & life expectancy

3. Lower socio-economic status associated with high BP, HPT, cancers of lungs, stomach, oesophagus.

• Professionals and upper-class pay attention to regular exercise, diets, rest and regular medical examinations.

4. Sufferers of chronic diseases also experience a lowering of status if they loose their job as a result of their illness.

• upward mobility is hampered.

5. Chances of becoming a victim of violence are twice as high for people in the lower class than those in the middle class.

THEORIES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATIONPAGE 113•The functional theory

•The Marxist theory of social stratification

•Lenski’s theory of social stratification

Reference •Du Toit, D. & le Roux, E. (2014). Nursing

sociology. 5th ed. Pretoria: Van Schaik.