Explain the difference between social inequality and social stratification. How do the nature and forms of the social stratification system influence social mobility.

Relevance: Sociology: previous year: Paper I: Stratification

Answer: According to ANDRE BETEILLE, Inequality is the product of differences, which can be broadly divided into:

Natural Differences: Color, age, sex, weight etc.

Social Differences: When societal meanings get attached to natural differences becomes social differences like caste, class, etc.

Durkheim never saw institutionalized form of inequality rather he maintained that there are present differences among people & society. More the differences more the dependence on society, hence complementary relationship exists in the form of organic solidarity.

Marx saw institutionalized form of inequality present in society. According to him, there exists conflicting relationship between classes. Thus, inequality has different forms & degree of intensity in which differences are present. People react to each other & relate to one other, equally and unequally on the basis of differences on the basis of relationship is conflicting, functional etc.

There are different outcomes of inequality in society. When Inequality becomes Structural Inequality or when differences are ranked by society it becomes social stratification. Giddens has defined Social Stratification as: “Structured inequalities between different groupings of people”. Crompton defined it as, “A hierarchical system of inequality (material and symbolic), always supported by a meaning system that seeks to justify inequality”.

Thus, Social Stratification is how people are placed in different social categories by society based on:

1. Inequality- income, status, power are hierarchically placed
2. Difference- i.e. visible variation among people in terms of language, religion, gender etc.

Sociologists see society as a stratification system that is based on a hierarchy of power, privilege (honor and respect), and prestige (income, wealth, and property), which leads to patterns of social inequality whereas, Inequality is about who gets what, how they get it, and why they get it.

How do the nature and forms of the social stratification system influence social mobility

The existence of stratification has led to the centuries old problem of social inequality. In societies that have closed stratification systems, such inequalities are institutionalized and rigid because in these types of societies, social mobility is not possible. For example: Ancient Indian caste system which was rigid in nature, did not allow people from lower strata to move upward in hierarchy. An individual born into a particular economic and social stratum or caste, remains in this stratum until he dies.

However, most modern industrial societies have open or class stratification systems. In open stratification systems, social mobility is possible, although some members of the population do not have the opportunity to fulfill their potential because of lack of skills, education qualification etc.

According to Russian sociologist Sorokin, there are certain primary factors that affect mobility in all societies and secondary factors that are specific to particular societies at particular societies at particular times. Primary Factors mentioned by Sorokin are:

Demographic factor

The abilities of parents and children i.e. talent and ability

The faulty distribution of individuals in social positions and

The change in social environment of various kinds, economic, social, political, legal etc.

On the other hand conflict theory argues that the basis of social stratification is found in conflict over some kind of scare resources. Conflict theory contends that stratification is not necessary, but is maintained to safeguard the ruling class’s privileges. Those who find social class beneficial are those who have “made it” in the system.

Rather than stratification being a fluid system of upward and downward mobility based on ability, the class system is actually characterized by institutional inequalities in income and wealth. For example, only on rare occasions some people break through the class barrier. Few people actually succeed at social advancement through sheer hard work.