1.summary
Stratification means to arrange people through class in society. Sociology studies how inequality relates to stratification. Inequality means that people can't get resources equivalently, and these resources involve economic, political factors. Sociologists study where is the inequality, why it maintains, why it is justified. Modern sociologists define stratification based on Max Webber's idea. It reflects three triats of individual (power, property, fame)
The gap between rich and poor in America has worsened due to recession. Recently, the richest in America 1% earn a quarter of nation's income.
The origin of inequality has been developed through hunting, horticulture, farming. There was little inequality in the primitive society. Almost people did same works. People settled certain places when horticulture and farming was started. New labor division made surplus goods, it caused inequality.
The concept of private property flourished in the late 15th. Jean-jacques rousseau connected inequality with private property.
The land, water, and air shared by everyone around the world at one time are now traded like a product.
Sociologist Joel Charon suggested several reasons why inequality continues. First, people who have power and money support inequality. Capitalists are owners of means of product and they have enough abilities to protect their property and fames. Inequality continues because the upper-class protect their status and have an effect on other areas continuously.
And second, culture makes us accept inequality. American think inequality is fair. They think that poor people are starving because they tend to be lazy and irresponsible, also poverty is all their fault. This is ideology which remains inequality system. People tend to accept inequality, not because their circumstances are happy but people consider their situation to be natural and normal.
'America is a land of opportunity, you can earn much money if you do your best.' this phrases support the existing inequality.
Third, people accept their position in society. The rich socialize their child like them. Parents who are rich and be educated well send their child to elite school. Eduacation is helpful to strengthen the acceptions of inequality. Working class students learn obedience. Upper class students learn leadership and creativity. Middle class students learn techinical development. Lastly the police, court, prison sustain inequality system. The criminal justice system are prejudiced to the poor. Functionalism perspective argues that stratification and inequality are essential and helpful to our society. Inequality guarantees that jobs with the most important functions are filled with people who have the highest qualifications.
Garbage collectors are important to public hygiene. But they need rarely traings or instructions to perform their job. So they don't have to be paid high rewards. On the other hand doctors need a high level of efforts and hard trainings, so they are worth to be paid high rewards. It is logical that society must offer the higher rewards (pay, vacation, promotion) to the most compedent people. But this perspective has obvious problems. America elementary school teachers are paid 29,000$ per year. NBA basketball players are paid 21 million dollars per year. Is basketball player more important than teachers? Is basketball player important functionally than teachers? If NBA players or celebrities strike, they couldn't have much influence to people. But if bus driver, teacher, nurse, cleaner, waitress strike, society would be stopped. There is little correlation between the importance of jobs and incomes in society.
Second, functionalism perspective thinks stratification system is fair and reasonable. But actually the system is not perfect. President
Geroge W.Bush was not a talented man politically, but he had power by meeting the conditions of white men, male, wealthy, american, hetero male. Confirmationist claim that stratification brrings adverse effect to society and it harms. Stratification makes poor people sacrifice themselves and gets profits. Competition and inequality are not inevitable but they are continued by capitalists.
What is the reason poor country is poverty? Who has the responsibility of their poverty? Historically, rich countries brought metals and minerals they needed from poor countries. And rich countries has accumulated their wealth. Additionally poor countries have enormous debts which prevent country development.
2.Interesting
I think England has the worst stratification among the developed countries. England is a constitutional monarchy country. Also, England sorts upper class, middle class, working class certainly and treats them differently. We may think England doesn't discriminate and guarantees us numerous chances as a developed country. But it is not easy to surpass shadows of class. In particular, it can be harsher to the immigrants. England's movies and film industry have criticized this problem from long ago. In 'Kingsman',english action movie, criticizes british recognition of class. Among the british movie stars, class is big diffictulties. British actors..Eddie Redmayne, Benedict cumberbatch are from upper class. They were born from upper class parents and studied at pretigious universities like Oxford, Cambridge. England movie industry tends to hire upper class actors like them more and more. Whereas working class actors are hard to catch chances despite to they have enough talent.
But many british respond slightly about this situation, as there is widespread apathy of inequality. Many working class actors and some upper class actors are trying hard to change this situation. Insensibility and ignorance to errors inhibit development. In addition to this problem, there may be numerous failures due to stratification.
3.Discussion
How do you think about a claim that instruction deepens inequality? In case of America, that circumstance is reality and serious. Amercia has a very clear difference between those who received advanced education or not. As their Public education doesn't have power, American depend heavily on private university. Then how about us? Does Korean private university education make stratification?
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