Stratification

Part One: Social Stratification (SS)

It is the division of a society into layers or strata whose members have unequal access to social opportunities and rewards.

People in the top strata enjoy the privileges that are unavailable to others in the society. Consequently, people in the bottom strata endure penalties that other members in the society escape.

(Think about our country: Some people get special facilities in different places because their parents are either influential or moneyed. A powerful man’s son may one day kill a person under his car on the street and yet avoid punishment. Will these happen to any ordinary citizen?)

In a stratified society, inequality is a part of the social structure. And what is interesting, this inequality passes from one generation to another.

A society can be stratified along a number of dimensions: wealth, occupation, education, power, prestige, fame, or anything that is distributed unequally. (Example: a well-off man’s child will go to schools and universities and later on get a job; a poor man’s child may get dropped out of school)

But remember, these aspects do not work in the same way, and at times can be overlapping as well. Say, a writer is educated and enjoys great prestige but has little personal wealth. A drug dealer can be wealthy but has very little prestige.

Status refers to a person’s position in the system of stratification.

A social class is a grouping of individuals who occupy similar statuses or positions in the social hierarchy, and therefore share similar political and economic interests.

Power is the ability to achieve one’s goals, despite opposition.

Prestige is a social honor and esteem.

Definitions & explanations of Social Stratification

• E. Chinoy (in his book Society: An introduction to Sociology, 1967)

In every society, some men are identified as superior and others as inferior…some rule and others obey—although the latter may possess varying degrees of influence or control over the rulers. (Guess, how does this happen.)

These contrasts between higher and lower, rich and poor, powerful and powerless—constitute the substance of social stratification.

• David Dressler

SS is a system for ranking people in different levels, or strata, or prestige or status.

• H. Raurence Ross (in his book Perspectives on Social Order, 1968)

SS refers to the differential ranking of statuses whereby some are considered higher and others lower.

• Ogburn & Nimkoff (1958)

SS is “regulated inequality” where individuals and groups are ranked in hierarchy on the basis of social roles and activities.

(Think for a while, what can the meaning of “regulated inequality”? Who regulates the inequality?)

• Bali & Bryant (in their edited book Introductory Sociology, 1969)

Borrowed from geology, the term SS in sociological use denotes a hierarchy of inequality, a system in which the population is assigned differentiated statuses of superiority and inferiority.

(Do you know why SS has been borrowed from geology? Geologists say that the soil is never the same in all parts of a country. The soil has different layers and patterns. Accordingly, the earth is structured. In the same way, humans have different layers and patterns in terms of colors, genders, education, religion, culture etc. and accordingly they structure the entire society. Think of our Dhaka city. Some are inside the cars with headphones on ears; some are on the streets begging for one taka or selling Clinton’s ‘My Life’. Think of our Bangladeshi society. Bangalees from different districts, Chakmas, Tripuras…; think of South Asia…)

Therefore, what we are getting from all these definitions are:

• SS is not a natural issue (like the earth); rather it is a ‘social issue’ (created by humans).
• All societies in the world have Social Stratification—though the styles and patters vary.
• The culture of a society reflects its Social Stratification.
• Social Stratification is the direct result of personal wealth and its distribution.

(Because, if Jodu has wealth which his school-friend Modhu doesn’t have, Jodu will create a personal and social distance from Modhu in his later life, try to grab different opportunities that will be available to him and will never want Modhu to enjoy the same—and ultimately will think of oppressing Modhu. In the same way, Jodu’s son Hedu will behave against Modhu’s son Kodu. However, if Modhu has a daughter instead of a son, the story might be different…after all sociologists cannot control the minds of Bangla cinema directors!)