Stratification

If you've ever taken a geology course, you may have heard the term stratification...if you see a rock with different layers and colors, you are observing stratification. We can also observe stratification in our own society if we look close enough. First, there are separations that happen according to the social groups we are a part of, called segregation. Then, there are the layers of statuses in society, which open or close doors for us depending on where our social location is.

The stratification of society is a common sociological topic. Sociologists use the three social theoretical perspectives to generate ideas on why things are the way they are in society. Stratification by social class or socioeconomic status occurs in many arenas, including the workplace, neighborhoods, educational systems, and recreational activities. Socioeconomic status is a sociological term that means collectively your income, education level, and occupation. Different income levels enable acquiring more resources, including education, and your occupation gives you a certain level of prestige. In our country, school teachers have low prestige, but in Japan, they have high prestige. Context matters!

So what do the there sociological theories tell us about the societal factors in having a class system of social stratification? Symbolic interactionism is a framework that considers our perceptions and the meanings behind our behavior. A theorist from this camp might suggest that we do not associate with others outside of our social class because of our perception of what this means. We have labels that are associated with social class, that further show our perceptions and stereotypes. Phrases like "white trash" or "capitalist pig" convey opinions about different groups. This may help explain why we keep to our socioeconomic status in large part. Functionalism looks at other social institutions such as the economy, education, the family, region, etc. A functionalist would explain stratification by saying that from the get go, our schools separate us, and then further separate us into different jobs, then different neighborhoods, etc. A functionalist would say that we need a class system in order to fill all of the jobs we need done. Finally, conflict theory suggests that those with social power affect the social systems so that the powerful keep their resources. Essentially the rich benefit from keeping some people poor, in part by exclusion both socially and economically.

What social class do you resonate with? Why don't people tend to associate with or marry outside their social class (on average?) Do we have a "class system" in America?

How does economic inequality and stratification harm a society?