SOCA01H3 Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Notes
Document Summary
Social stratification - a society"s hierarchical ranking of people into social classes. Social class - a group who share a similar relationship to labour and who are aware of their conflict with other classes: based on birth and achievements in life. Social status - an individual"s position within the class structure. Key principles of social stratification: all societies redistribute materials and social rewards to individuals (food, money, social prestige) Society allocates its limited resources to those offering the greatest benefit to the whole. Meritocracy - a system of rewards based on personal attributes and demonstrated abilities --> reinforces the ideological assumption that people achieve what they deserve: system of social stratification is relatively stable overtime. There is some social mobility (movement between social classes), but few people move out of the social class they were born in. Social inequality - exists when certain attributes affect a person"s access to socially values resources.
