SOCIAL STRATIFICATION and System Change-Starting point of Modernity (from ideological point of view): French Revolution’s Slogans: Libert(Freedom), Egalit(Equality), Fraternit (Brotherhood)1. freedom of the individuals; main institution: the MARKET (economics)2. equality of LIFE CHANCES, or more skeptical interpretation:- aim: to decrease the inequalities of life chances3. tolerance and acceptance between different cultures, nations, ethnicities- SOCIAL (and Economic) INEQUALITIES in the center of STRATIFICATION approaches- Social Stratification: the division of a population into UNEQUAL LAYERS or STRATA based on income, wealth, gender, ethnicity, power, status, religion, age or some other characteristics.-SLAVERY system: the individuals, who are considered as SLAVES do not possess a personal physical freedom – e.g.: Antic Rome - subjugation of “inferior” barbar tribes, blacks in the United States, (first half of the 19th century)-CASTE SYSTEM: ascribed social statuses (social status at BIRTH) provide the principal bases of unequal distribution of social resourcese.g. India: Brahmin (fathers:priests, 2%), Kshatriya (warriors, 1%), Vaisya (traders, 7%), Sudra (artisans, 70%) and Untouchables (20%)- it is a CLOSED system: people have great difficulty in changing status-CLASS SYSTEM: an open system, where people can change status, in which ACHIEVED status provide the principal basis for the unequal distribution of social resources -Social CLASSES (based on ECONOMIC characteristics, such as wealth and income)1. MARXist approach: CONFLICT between two classes, e.g. in the capitalist “mode of production”: BOURGEOISIE (capitalists, owners of productive wealth) against PROLETARIAT (landless wage workers)2. WEBERian approach: in capitalist societies inequalities can be associated with the MARKET; market capacity determines LIFE CHANCES- class+ STATUS (the relative PRESTIGE of a person’s social standi...
