FORMS (OR SYSTEMS) OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
Social stratification refers to the arrangement of groups of people in a given society based on evaluation of their social characteristics such as occupation, status, income etc. The arrangement of social groups has various functions in a given society like organization of a division of labour and the distribution of resources and privileges. One of the characteristics of social stratification is that it can be found in diverse forms in different societies. The diversity of forms of social stratification depends on the fact that people of different societies may value different material or non-material qualities of people and groups in their respective societies differently Some societies may give more importance to income while determining the status of a person. In other societies, ritual purity may be considered more important. These differential criteria for the evaluation of status are the basis on which the social stratification system of that particular society rests. The major forms of social stratification thus constructed are race, caste, class and estate. Each of these stratification systems varies in terms of their degree of complexity, the causes of their occurrence, their functions in society, and the nature of society in which they are embedded. In the previous unit, we tried to understand the concept of social stratification. In this unit, we will discuss various forms of social stratification.
There are four basic forms of social stratification, they are as follows:
Slavery:
Slavery is an extreme form of inequality in which some human beings are regarded as property items, belonging to another individual or social group. Slaves had no civil or property right; even the marriage of two slaves was not considered legally binding. The legal conditions of slave ownership have varied from society to society, and from time to time, but a slave could always be bought and sold. Thus, it has taken different forms, depending in part on the particular economic use to which slaves have been put.
In ancient Greek, slaves were recognized as forms of investment which are acquired through conquest and trade to only well-to-do citizens. For example, slaves were the chief source of labour in small factories goods were produced from shoes to armour by the rich Athenians.
In Rome, where the ruling groups had a low opinion of trade and commerce, slaves sometimes became wealthy through their business activities and some rich slaves even owned slaves themselves.
In the nineteenth century of the Western powers slave trade which was carried on has been of great economic importance for the North American Colonies and for European capitalism. Here, most of the slaves are young Africans who were forcibly transported as slaves to the new world to exploit the rich natural resources.
Slave-labour systems broke down partly because of resistance and struggles they provoked and partly because of economic or other incentives that motivate people more effectively than direct compulsion. Slavery as a formal institution has been gradually eradicated, and today it has almost completely disappeared from the world.
Estate:
The “estates” system of medieval Europe provides another form of the stratification system. The levels of the social hierarchy were called estates and based on ownership of land. There was no legal equality between estates, and people of the higher estates had more legal rights and privileges than those in lower ones. The lower estates had obligations and duties to those higher up the hierarchy, which was backed up by-laws.
The highest estate was composed of the aristocracy and the gentry (Knights, Barons and Earls).
The second estate, the Church (Bishops, Abbots and Clergy).
The third estate was composed of the commoners – merchants, artisans, free peasants and serfs.
Among the above third estate, which comprises commoners, the serfs were most exploited and required to work for free on the master’s land once a week.
Thus, the membership of any estate status is all ascribed at birth. In general, estates were preserved by endogamy and intermarriage was rarely allowed between individuals of different estates.
Caste:
The term caste is believed to have originated from the Portuguese word casta. In India, it is usually held to be the most rigid system of stratification. The levels of the social hierarchy are called castes, and this hierarchy is fixed and clearly defined. The social position of individuals is ascribed at birth in accordance with Hindu religious beliefs and customs. The concept of Dharma legitimates the system, establishing the idea that enduring one’s lot in life with grace is the only morally acceptable way to live.
Traditional Hindu society in India was divided into five main strata:
Four varna or castes (Brahmins Kshatriya, Vaishyas and Sudras)
Brahmins – They are the priest where the members hold the highest rank that personifies purity and holiness and was the source of learning and the Hindu law's custodians.
Kshatriya – The rulers and administrators.
Vaishyas – Merchants and farmers.
Sudras – The manual workers.
The fifth group i.e., the “untouchables”, are the lowest position of all are socially outcast and are most unclean and impure; they have traditionally served as sweepers, scavengers, leatherworkers and swineherds.
Each caste is subdivided into thousands of jatis or subcastes. There are perhaps more than 3000 jatis in India and are locally defined groups within which caste ranks are organized.
Class:
In the modern industrial societies, where machine energy has replaced human and animal energy as the primary source of economic production, an entirely new set of social stratification has developed, which is known as social classes. Sociologists define classes as broad groups of people who shared common economic resources, which strongly influence their lives (such as their level of education), their status and lifestyle (for example, housing, car ownership, and leisure activities, and their power in society). Here, ownership of wealth, together with occupation, are the chief basis of class differences.
In most western societies the principal classes exist are –
Upper class: The wealthy, employers and industrialists, plus top executives–those who own or directly control productive resources.
Middle class: Which include most white-collar workers and professionals.
Working-class: Those working in blue-collar, manual occupations.
In some of the industrialized countries there exists a fourth class i.e.,
Peasants: People engaged in the traditional type of agricultural production.
In India and developing countries, peasants constitute by far the largest class. Classes thus derive from inequalities in possession and control of material resources.
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