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Social Stratification

Notes 2. Class is an essential object of analysis for
(a) Sociologists (b) Anthropologists
(c) Political historians (d) All of these
3. Social class has a two-class system as per
(a) Karl Marx (b) Max Weber (c) Persons (d) None of these
4. India embarked on a process of economic reform in
(a) 1991 (b) 1995 (c) 1985 (d) 1950

14.3 Summary

• Social classes are the hierarchical arrangements of people in society as economic or cultural
groups. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, anthropologists, political
economists, and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in
terms of ‘social stratification’.
• The middle class are any class in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-
economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who
fall socio-economically between the working-class and upper class. In Marxist terms, middle-
class commonly refers to either the bourgeoisie before or during capitalism, or some emergent
new class within capitalism. In common parlance, middle-class refers to a set of culturally
distinct contemporary Western cultures that emphasize consumerism and property ownership
within capitalism.
• The concept of middle class, as the name suggests refers to the middle stratum of the hierarchy
but this concept is not restricted to locate the stratum in the hierarchical order. But it have far
reaching consequences too. This concept developed in India in response to industrial
developments here. Middle class forms a composite intermediate layer with a common life-
style and behavioural pattern. They stood for certain liberal democratic values. Stability of
political democratization and social mobility are identified with middle class. In India middle
class has contributed a lot for the political modernization, nation building and economic
development of our country in post independence period. Thus we need to understand the
Indian Middle class and their importance.
• Britishers introduced modern education which was secular, utilitarian and open to get
educated Indians as staff for their administrative institution. The intention was to create a
native middle class that would become the carrier of western culture in India and act as
interpreter. With expansion of education professional middle class emerged they included
doctors, lawyers, teachers, journalists etc. Their size grew in late 19th and early 20th century.
The western educated youth brought the new liberal values of democracy, equality, liberty
etc. They started reforming Indian society. All those reform movements in 19th century were
led by these western educated middle class individuals.
• These English educated middle class themselves questioned the legitimacy of British rule in
India. They played a very crucial role in bringing social reforms and creating a sense of
Indian nationalism. The Indian National Congress, initially was dominated by professional,
English educated middle class only. Majority members of the Congress were lawyers,
journalists, teachers and educationalists. Mahatma Gandhi who put effort to transform the
National Congress into a mass movement was a lawyer and typically belonged to professional
middle class. The freedom movement in India in its course was guided by the middle class
leader only. They forced the Britishers for industrialization in India, expansion of educational
institutions and social reforms.

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