Page 11 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Social Stratification

Notes understanding of class. Part of Weber’s work may be seen as an attempt to “round out” Marx’s
economic materialism by political and military materialism as observed by H.H. Gerth and C.W.
Mills. However, Weber makes it explicit that “status groups” and “classes” are not reducible to
each other. The status groups hinder the strict carrying through of the sheer market principle. In
contrast to classes, status groups are normally communities, generally of an amorphous kind. Like
a “class situation”, there is a “status situation”, characterized by social estimation of honour,
shared by a plurality. It may be knit to a class situation, and vice versa. But status honour need not
necessarily be linked with a class situation. It normally stands in sharp opposition to the pretensions
of sheer property. Both propertied and propertyless people can belong to the same status group.
However, such an equality of status between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat is unthinkable in
the Marxist paradigm. The two are polar opposites, being class enemies, and their statuses would
also differ in view of their antagonistic positions in the system of production.

“Social order” is defined by the way in which social honour is distributed in a society.
The social order and the economic order are related to the legal order.

Weber uses the expression “guarantees of status stratification” in the context of status honour,
expressed by a specific style of life. The most important point here is that there are restrictions on
“social” intercourse, and this is not subservient to economic status. “Status circle” is evident
through marriages. Visits to streets, neighbourhoods, groups, temples, specific places, etc., are
examples of encircling of status groups. “Ethnic segregation” and “caste” are best illustrations of
status circles. Stability of a system of status stratification comes from both legally sanctioned social
order and conventions and rituals. “Stylization” of life originates from status groups. Consumption
of goods and “styles of life” are indicators of stratification of status groups.
The most crucial element in Weber’s formulation of social stratification is “power”. Power is
defined by Weber “as the “chance of a man or of a number of men to realize their own will in a
communal action even against the resistance of others, who are participating in the action”. There
could be economically or socially determined power. However, power as such is different from
the economically and socially determined power. On the contrary, the emergence of economic
power may be consequence of power existing on other grounds. Man does not strive for power
only in order to enrich himself economically. Power, including economic power, may be valued
“for its own sake”. Quite often, the striving for power is also conditioned by the “social honour”
it entails. Not all power, however, entails social honour. Mere economic power or naked money
power is by no means a recognized basis of social honour. Nor is power the only basis of social
honour. Induced social honour, or prestige, may even be the basis of political or economic power.
Power as well as honour may be guaranteed by the legal order, but normally it is not their
primary source. The legal order is an additional source, and it cannot always secure power and
honour.
In the famous essay “Class, Status, Party”, Weber states that “parties” live in a house of power.
Action of “parties is oriented toward the acquisition of “social power”, that is, to say,” toward
influencing a communal action no matter what its contents may be. Power exists in any organization
or in a given context in relation to the actors/participants having interaction therein. Parties
always mean a societalization, aiming at a goal, may be due to personal reason. “Class situation”
and “status situation” may determine “parties”. But parties may not be either “classes” or “status
groups”. They are partly “class parties” and partly “status parties”. And sometimes they are
neither. Parties reflect the structure of domination within the community. Means of attaining

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