Introduction
In sociology, social stratification refers to the classification of people within Society based on their education, wealth, income, power, and family background. Like in geology, people with more resources are placed in the topmost layer of the social structure of stratification. The other groups with minimal resources are placed in the lower layers. According to most Americans, people control their position in the stratification because everybody has an equal chance at success (Rodriguez et al., 2019).
Besides prejudicial treatment, societal values inherited wealth, and institutional racism, that is. However, this contradicts sociologists as they view social stratification as a society-wide system that causes inequalities to be inevitable. People with the same backgrounds, identities, and locations can still be placed on different stratification layers (social classes). Contrasting what most Americans believe, sociologists attribute a person’s position within Society to its structure, which means Society creates and supports this type of system.
Social Classes and How Stratification Systems are Maintained
Every decision an individual makes, such as the kind of school to attend or job opportunities one has access to, is determined by their class. Social class is divided into the working, middle and upper classes. Social class is subject to change, with a new underclass emerging in the last few years. This class has very little prospect for full-time employment (Rodriguez et al., 2019). People grouped under the working class are involved in manual work, with most having little education qualifications. The most common jobs for this class include casual jobs in factories, such as cleaning, storekeeping, and heavy labor.
The middle class is involved in manual work and has higher levels of education. Examples of professions in this class include lawyers, engineers, professors, and doctors. The upper class, the elite class, has all the wealth and power in America under their control. Wright’s model of social class specifies social class and explains that some people may belong to multiple ones. Gilbert and Kahl provide a more detailed depiction of class structure in capitalist countries. Social stratification is often motivated by cultural beliefs of the society. Parents are one of the main points in this event, as they give their position to their children. Social classes grant their counterparts with specific subcultures that get them ready for their roles. Through social classes, society ensures role allocation, fixing people’s social responsibilities.
Social Mobility & Social Class Advancement
Occasionally, people move upwards or downwards in the social stratification system. This is known as social mobility. People who improve on their resources, causing them to move to a higher socioeconomic class, for example, by completing their studies, finding employment, or getting a pay raise, experience upward mobility. On the other hand, those that move from a higher class to a lower one due to causes such as job loss, illness, and business setbacks experience downward mobility (Manstead, 2018). Additionally, it is common to see people of different generations from the same family belonging to different social classes. This is known as intergenerational mobility.
Nevertheless, another type of mobility sees a whole group of people moving upwards or downwards in the social class because of societal changes. For instance, the industrialization that occurred in the first half of the twentieth century expanded the economy of the U.S., causing an upward shift for most people. In another instance, recessions in the twenty-first century caused a downward shift for most people as they lost their jobs.
Role of Prejudice, Discrimination &Poverty in Society
Amongst many other factors that make it harder for social mobility, prejudice and discrimination remain fundamental problems in Society. Discriminatory behaviors and norms are key players in social exclusion. While it is easy to detect what institutionally marginalized groups face, there are more subtle ones, that is, the informal barriers that make measuring discrimination and prejudice difficult (United Nations, 2018).
These barriers are directly linked to the surge in poverty levels among the people of the U.S. Poverty refers to when Society excludes individuals or a group of people in a way that makes it hard for them to meet the set threshold. Poverty can be measured as either relative or absolute poverty. The former is when one barely has enough money for necessities, while the latter refers to insufficient money for basic needs. Poverty results in such issues as homelessness, poor nutrition and underresourced schools. The despair caused by poverty may result in violent behavior, which makes it a rather concerning issue.
How Social Classes Affect Behaviors and Interactions with Others
Socioeconomic classes affect people’s behavioral and emotional decisions. For example, people are more likely to interact almost exclusively with people with the same educational background, income, and occupation (Manstead, 2018). When they interact with people from different social classes, the relationships almost always end due to misunderstandings and tension. Cross-class interactions face limitless difficulties and differences associated with a lower capacity of people to engage as friends during daily interactions. They also rarely have any emotional connections with new associates.
Conclusion
In conclusion, social stratification categorizes people into social classes that determine their lives, their access to opportunities, and whom they interact with. There are three social classes: the working class, the middle class, and the upper class. It is not uncommon for people to experience social mobility when they move upwards or downwards the economic ladder. The shift is caused by an increase or decrease in resources. One of the main barriers to upward mobility is discrimination and prejudice. They limit the potential for the already underprivileged groups, such as blacks, to access the same opportunities as those in the upper levels. It is difficult for people from different classes to interact and create meaningful relationships.
References
Manstead, A. S. R. (2018). The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts thought, feelings, and behavior. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57(2), 267–291. Web.
Rodriguez, J. M., Karlamangla, A. S., Gruenewald, T. L., Miller-Martinez, D., Merkin, S. S., & Seeman, T. E. (2019). Social stratification and allostatic load: shapes of health differences in the MIDUS study in the United States. Journal of Biosocial Science, 51(5), 627–644. Web.
United Nations. (2018). Prejudice and discrimination: Barriers to social inclusion. Web.