Page 14 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Unit 1: Understanding Social Stratification

Characteristics of Social Stratification Notes

According to M.M. Tumin the main attributes of stratification are follows:
1. It is Social
Stratification is social in the sense it does not represent biologically caused inequalities. It is
true that such factors as strength, intelligence, age and sex can often serve as the basis of strata
are distinguished. But such differences by themselves are not sufficient to explain why some
statuses receive more power, property and prestige than others. Biological traits do not determine
social superiority and inferiority until they are socially recognized and give importance. For
example the manager of an industry attains a dominant position not by his strength nor by his
age but by having the socially defined traits. His education, training skills, experiences,
personality, character etc. are found to be more important than his biological qualities.
Further as Tumin has pointed out, the stratification system
(i) is governed by social norms and sanctions,
(ii) is likely to be unstable because it may be disturbed by different factors and
(iii) is intimately connected with the other system of society such as practical family, religious,
economic, education and other institutions.
2. It is Ancient
The stratification system is quite old. According to historical and archaeological records,
stratification was present even in the small wandering bands. Age and sex were the main
criteria of stratification then, women and children last was probably the dominant rule of
order. Difference between the rich and poor, powerful and humble, freemen and slaves was
there in almost all the ancient civilizations. Ever since the time of Plato and Kautilya social
philosophers have been deeply concerned with economic, social and political inequalities.
3. It is Universal
The stratification system is a worldwide phenomena. Difference between the rich and the poor
or the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ is evident everywhere. Even in the non-literate societies
stratification if very much present. As Sorokin has said, all permanently organized groups are
stratified.
4. It is in Diverse Forms
The stratification system has never been uniform in all the societies. The ancient Roman society
was stratified into two strata-the partricians and the plebians. The ancient Aryan society into
four Varnas the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Sudras, the ancient Greek society into
freemen and slaves, the ancient Chinese society into the mandarins, merchants, farmers and
the soldiers and so on. Class, caste and estate seem to be the general forms of stratification to
be found in the modern world. But stratification system seems to be much more complex in the
civilized societies.
5. It is Consequential
The stratification system has its own consequences. The most important, most desired, and
often the scarcest things in human life are distributed unequally because of stratification. The
system leads to main kinds of consequences.
(i) Life chances and
(ii) Life-style refers to such things as infant mortality, longevity, physical and mental illness,
childlessness, marital conflict, separation and divorce. Life-styles include such matters as
the mode of housing residential area, ones education means or recreation relationship
between the parents and children, the kind of books, magazines and TV shows to which
one is exposed ones mode of conveyance and so on. Life chances are involuntary while
life-styles reflect differences in preferences tastes and values.

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