SOCL 2001 Chapter : Ch 7
October 13, 2016
Chapter 7: Social Stratification
• Stratification- inequality. By money, education, and jobs. Inequality is the single
most important concept in sociology.
o Stratification is more of a macro society
o Inequality is more general. Can be applied to both. Inequality is universal.
Every single society has inequality, rich people, poor people etc.
o Historical development of inequality: Lenski’s wrote a textbook of
historical view-4 stages and now we have 5.
▪ Most primitive is hunting and gathering society-moved around all
the time.
▪ Horticulture is cultivated by hand and it didn’t use machines
▪ Agrarian- a lot of peasants
▪ Industrialized-
▪ Post industrialized- computers came about. This is the difference
between industrialized society.
o Surplus- more than you can consume. Rich people get people to work for
them and get to monopolize. Inequality began with surplus which was
made possible by agriculture which was made possible by iron
o Difference b/w horticultural and agrarian is bigger than agrarian and
industrialized
• Technology: defines the people. What they have
• Division of labor: who does what and how they do it
• Key concept is surplus- we have much more than we can consume. It was first
developed in an agricultural society and not an industrialized society. It made
some people rich and at the same time some people poor. It made inequality and
stratification
o “Origins of Family, Private Property, and States.” – a book within a family
no private property, you share everything. This is communism and it is
then applied to a larger group. Ex: the video that Kamo showed in lecture.
o As a result of surplus, we have private property. Private property was
possible as a result of surplus. Then all of a sudden nations and states
developed.
o Max Weber- analyzed inequality and said there are three elements
▪ 1. Class- rich, poor, people in the middle.
▪ Status- some people have a higher status. Ex: all the family names
in a particular area. Some people may have been there longer and
although they might not have too much money they have been
there longer so they have a status
▪ Power- may be based on money or status. Ex: power in family.
Men have a power in women
▪ ^^^All can be related, but don’t have to be. Weber said we have to
look at these separately
• What’s the social class?
Document Summary
Inequality is the single most important concept in sociology: stratification is more of a macro society, inequality is more general. Industrialized- between industrialized society: surplus- more than you can consume. Rich people get people to work for them and get to monopolize. Inequality began with surplus which was made possible by agriculture which was made possible by iron: difference b/w horticultural and agrarian is bigger than agrarian and industrialized, technology: defines the people. What they have: division of labor: who does what and how they do it, key concept is surplus- we have much more than we can consume. It was first developed in an agricultural society and not an industrialized society. It made some people rich and at the same time some people poor. It made inequality and stratification: origins of family, private property, and states. a book within a family no private property, you share everything. This is communism and it is then applied to a larger group.
