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Unit 2: Basic Concepts Relating to Stratification

also boosted up the idea and practice of equality by emphasizing upon universalistic social Notes
participation. The election of Barak Obama as President of America in 2009 is a secure blow to the
ethnic/racial factor in achievement of equality.

Having origin of a black African Muslim, Obama’s ascendance to the presidency of
the US is a marvel not only in the annals of American society, but it is also a
pathbreaking happening in the history of democracy and anti-apartheidism.

Equality undermines traditional distinctions of social status and hierarchy. The principle of
equality also obliterates individual differences and liberties. True equality would not coexist with
caste-based hierarchy and feudalism. No ascriptive differences or birth-based considerations would
be allowed to determine opportunities and accesses in real life. Such a principle and pattern of
equality could emerge through revolutionary movements and practice of egalitarianism. True
equality would not be antithetical to personal liberty and cultural individuality. Turner writes :
“The modern notion of equality cannot be divorced from the evolution of citizenship.” While
agreeing with R.H. Tawney and T.H. Marshall, Turner conceptualizes egalitarian citizenship in
terms of three major dimensions : (i) equality before the law, personal liberty, the right to own
property, and freedom of speech; (ii) political citizenship; and (iii) social citizenship. Political
struggles are an essential ingredient of efforts for achieving equality. For example, democratic
political systems have emerged due to (1) check arbitrary rules, (2) replace arbitrary laws with just
and rational ones, and (3) obtain a share for the underlying population in the making of rules.
Democratic systems have emerged from the destruction of political absolutism and despotism.
Karl Marx talked of revolutionary class consciousness for overthrow of the hegemonic capitalistic
system.
Equality and Social Justice
John Rawls in his well-known work A Theory of Justice (revised edition) deals with the question of
“equality” from the point of social justice than merely as a political concept. Rawls relates equality
to the basic structure of society and govern the assignment of rights and duties and regulate the
distribution of social and economic advantages. He observes :
1. Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive scheme of equal basic liberties
compatible with a similar scheme of liberties for others.
2. Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both (a) reasonably
expected to be everyone’s advantage, and (b) attached to positions and offices upon to all.
In fact, these are two principles of justice as put forward by Rawls. He further observes : “All
social values - liberty and opportunity, income and wealth, and the social bases of self-respect -
are to be distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any, or all, of these values is to
everyone’s advantage.” The second principle as outlined by Rawls is succinctly put as follows :

Everyone’s Advantage
Equally open Principle of Efficiency Difference Principle
Equality as careers System of Natural Liberty Natural Aristocracy
open to all
Equality as equality Liberal Equality Democratic Equality
of fair opportunity

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