Page 271 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Social Stratification

Notes or collectivity would have to realize their will. Power is realized through the actions in which an
actor engages, and this potential is determined not only by accidental or fortuitous circumstances,
but also by the structurally defined opportunities and capacities that are available to an actor.
Superior physique, possession of an information or some contingent factors may give an individual
power over another. An individual’s power is not merely determined by contingent factors, it is
also shaped by structural factors. Systemic determinants of power refer to social distribution of
resources. Thus, power is an integral element in human action that combines both contingent and
structured determinants.
Weber refers to those forms of power that involve stable and enduring social relationships. Power
structured as such is termed by Weber as “domination”. Power is structured into distinctive forms
of domination through processes of rationalization. There are two forms of rationalization :
“instrumental rationalization” and “value rationalization”. The first implies calculations of self-
interest and expediency, whereas the second is termed as a matter of unreflective custom and
habit, and sustained by a conception of legitimacy of social order. The contrast is between expediency
and legitimacy as two diametrically contrasting types of domination. While the first type of
domination involves a rational, calculative alignment of interests, e.g., that which occurs in
competitive exchange relationships, the second type of domination is exercised “by virtue of
authority”. This is a case of authority relationship, of command and compliance. Legitimacy of
commands is claimed based on a normative framework. Besides the domination based on rationality
and legitimacy of authority, there is a third type, that is, “domination by virtue of prestige” or
“expressive rationalization”. It is rooted in communal beliefs of a “charismatic” kind, shaping
actions through influence, persuasion and example. Thus, the types of domination (authority) are :
1. Rational
2. Legal
3. Charismatic
These are ideal types, and occur rarely in their pure forms. In real life, they may occur in a
particular combination. One who holds an authority has also prestige correspondingly. Charisma
also develops a close relationship with prestige and authority. In fact, such a typology refers to
social distribution of power, and the distribution of power involves the formation of social strata
into structures of domination. “Class, status and party”, as coined by Weber, imply three forms of
domination and their interrelationships.
Peter L. Berger and Brigitte Berger consider three elements essential in Weber’s definition of
power. These are : (1) probability, (2) the habit of obedience and authority, and (3) legitimacy.
Probability refers to the “chance” factor in exercise of power, which may or may not be there, and
in a particular form. Besides habituation, legitimacy is also another crucial factor. Justness of
power is proven by legitimacy. All the three are interrelated in real life situations. Power and
legitimacy support each other and related in a complicated manner. At times, when legitimacy of
power is questioned, coercion and violence are also used to reinforce the need for authority. All
societies have the major types of authority, namely, traditional, charismatic and legal-rational,
though not in the same way and magnitude.
Pareto’s Approach to Power
Pareto’s approach to power is dominated by a simple and pervasive dichotomy of rulers and
ruled. Rulers are given the name elite by Pareto. Power, for Pareto, is a harsh and inevitable reality
of human life. A similar view of power is taken by Gaetano Mosca, a contemporary of Pareto, and
both belong to the classical tradition of Italian political thought.
Pareto distinguishes between two types of elites. He calls one the lions and the other the foxes. The
two have very different motivations and psychological characteristics - which Pareto calls - residues.
The term “residues” means recurring constellations of motives in human history. Elites of lions

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