social stratification

Stratification

Social Groups

What is a social group?

A cluster of people beyond the domestic unit who are usually related to each other on grounds other than kinship

Varieties of Social Groups

Friendship Clubs and fraternities Countercultural groups Cooperatives

Two Kinds of Social Groups

Primary social group: People who interact with each other and know each other personally

Secondary social group: People who identify with each other on some basis but who may never meet each other or know each other personally

Other Characteristics

Degrees of formality/informality: Vary depending on a number of socially prescribed

factors (age, rank, gender, etc…)

Connections to modes of livelihood: Foragers have fewer forms of social groups than other

modes Industrial/informatic societies have a wide variety,

perhaps compensating for less important role of kinship

Modes of Livelihood and Social Groups

Friendship

What is friendship?

Close social ties between at least two people, usually informal, voluntary, and involving face-to-face interaction (except for new forms of “friendship” through Facebook, etc.)

Friendship

Usually between social equals

Related to microcultural factors such as

gender, age, class, ethnicity, and institutions

Maintained through balanced

exchange

May contribute to economic security

Everyday Anthropology: Making Friends

Andalucia, southern Spain

Men’s and women’s work roles shape their friendship patterns

For men, an amigo is a casual friend and this friendship is maintained in bars

An amigo(a) del verdad is a “true friend” Men have more ‘true’ friends than women do

What categories of friends do you have? Are friends in some categories “closer” or “truer” than others? What is the basis of close friendship?

Clubs and Fraternities

Definition: Social groups that define membership in terms of a sense of shared identity and objectives

Often include people of same ethnic/cultural heritage

Provide social and psychological support to members but have political and economic functions, too (connections, networking, jobs)

Male Friendship among the Urban Poor of Guyana: The Importance of Sharing Stories

Fraternities and Sororities

College fraternities and sororities in North America (the “Greek System”) are highly selective and serve a variety of functions, such as entertainment, match-making, and social service

Often serve to reinforce class and gender norms- not always positive

Countercultural Groups

Groups formed by people outside the “mainstream” who resist conforming to the dominant cultural pattern

Members desire to be identified with a special group

Youth gangs

Motorcycle ‘clubs’

Body modification groups

Youth Gangs

Refers to a group of young people found mainly in urban areas

Often considered to be a social problem by mainstream society

Variation in terms of how organized and goals

Most/all have rituals of initiation and symbols of membership such as clothing, “colors,” tattoos

Study of U.S. Youth Gangs

Finding that personalities of youth gang members have five characteristics: Intense competitiveness

Mistrust of others

Self-reliance

Social isolation

Strong survival instinct

Cooperatives

A form of economic group in which surpluses are shared among the members

One person, one vote

Agricultural and credit cooperatives the most common forms worldwide

We have seen a rise in agricultural and housing cooperatives in the US, but economic cooperatives are changing the lives of the impoverished- particularly women- around the world. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061013-nobel-

peace.html

Example: Farmers’ Cooperative in Western India

Study of co-ops in the sugar industry in the state of Maharashtra

Why successful given India’s caste system and social divisiveness? Caste system in this region simpler: Marathas are the

main caste

Solidarity across class lines supports efficient use of cane processing technology

Money goes back in to community

Social Stratification

Social Stratification: results from the relatively permanent unequal distribution of goods and services in a society No culture has ever devised a successful means of

organizing a large population without stratification and inequality

The ways this distribution takes place depends on: Cultural values

The organization of production

The access that different individuals and groups have to the means for achieving societal goals


Functionalist perspective: specific cultural institutions function to support the structure of society or serve the needs of the individuals in society Inequality and the promise of economic and social

rewards lead people to engage in difficult, risky jobs, as well as jobs requiring long and arduous training

Flaw- Not all difficult jobs are prestigious

Family background, gender, ethnicity, race, social connections, and other factors play important roles in determining the sorts of opportunities available to individuals

Although social stratification may be of some benefit, it is also a source of conflict and instability


Conflict theory: social stratification is a result of the struggle for scarce goods and services (Karl Marx)

Inequalities exist because individuals and groups who have acquired power, wealth, and prestige use their assets and their power to maintain control

Focusing on conflict enables us to understand some of the hidden motivations of social actors and to access institutions by their outcomes, as well as their stated intentions

Conflict theorists may sometimes ignore the very real mechanisms that promote solidarity across caste, ethnic, and class lines

Criteria of Stratification

The social stratification system of any society depends on a complex interaction of the three main dimensions of stratification: Power: the ability to control resources in one’s own interest

Analyze the sources, channels and goals of power in each culture

Wealth: the accumulation of material resources or access to the means of producing these resources Not all wealth is a source of prestige

Prestige: social honor or respect Ascribed Status: social position into which a person is

born. (sex, race, kinship group) Achieved Status: social position that a person chooses or

achieves (professor, criminal, artist)

Stratification systems

Class system- a form of social stratification in which the different strata form a continuum and social mobility is possible

Class: a category of persons who all have about the same opportunity to obtain economic resources, power, and prestige and who are ranked relative to other categories

Closed system- A system of stratification based primarily on ascription (caste system)

Open system- A system of stratification based primarily on achievement

Social Class in the United States

The U.S. is said to have an open class systemStatus depends on occupation, education, and lifestyle“The American Dream,” is based on the democratic

principle of equality and opportunity for all

However:

educational achievement, levels of indebtedness, income, and wealth accumulation are linked to class, “race” and ethnicity, and also social mobility

Studies show moving out of poverty or the working class is likely to take five generations

Poverty often perpetuates itself through generations

Social Mobility

Social Mobility: movement from one social strata to another Factors that effect social mobility include:

Life chances:

Opportunities people have to fulfill their potential in society

chance of survival and longevity

opportunities to obtain an education

opportunities to participate in cultural life

opportunities to live in comfort and security

Social Classes as Subcultures

Many studies demonstrate that social class correlates with differences in attitudes, behavior, lifestyle, and values

A social class has aspects of a subculture: Members tend to share similar:

life experiences occupational roles values educational backgrounds affiliations leisure activities buying habits religious affiliation and political views

Race: A Cultural Construction

Race is a culturally constructed category based on perceived physical differences

Racial stratification: Occurs in societies with different culturally-

constructed views of race:

In the US this is defined as binary opposition between black and white

Apartheid in South Africa: system of exclusive racial groups – black, white, colored, and Asian – that were formally segregated and treated differently in law and life

“Race” as Ascribed and Scientifically Invalid

“We conclude that the concept of “race” has no validity as a biological category in the human species. Because it homogenizes widely varying individuals, it impedes research and understanding of the true nature of human biological variations.”

American Anthropological Association’s Statement on Race, 1996

Ethnicity

Sense of group membership based on a shared sense of identity Shared history Territory Language Religion Or combination of the above

Diaspora population: A dispersed group living outside their original homeland

Culturama: The Roma of Eastern Europe

Also known by the derogatory term “Gypsies”Europe’s largest minority population (7 – 9 million)Roma are 10 percent of the population of Eastern

EuropeHistory of mobility and marginalitySettled Roma live in marginalized areas that lack

decent housingIn different countries, the status and living

conditions of Roma varySituation in Slovakia is among the worst

One-third of Roma live in osada, ghetto-like enclaves with poor housing, sanitation, and schools

Roma Population in Eastern Europe

Largest Numbers in Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Slovakia

Caste

Social stratification system linked with Hinduism

Based on a person’s birth into a particular group

Varnas: 4 major social categories Please see video link in Week 7

India’s Varna System: Classification Underlying the

Caste/Jati System

Civil Society

Diverse interest groups outside the government that organize aspects of life, and often work on behalf of underrepresented groups

Variation in terms of how free from government they actually are Case in China of the Chinese Women’s Movement;

overseen by the government, so not truly “civil society”

http://www.civilsoc.org/whatisCS.htm