SOC101Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Feudalism, Social Mobility, Totalitarianism
Document Summary
Social stratification is the persistent patterns of social inequality within society. A low position in this ranking typically means having little power, little wealth, and little prestige, whereas the higher position generally implied the opposite. Changing gender roles and the slow movement of women into positions of power and authority in north america in the past few decades are really features of a changing stratification system. Inequalities in wealth might develop simply because some families were fortunate enough to have a larger number of children, providing more of the labor needed to accumulate valued possessions . And once accumulation of wealth began to be passed from generation to generation a structured and relatively permanent pattern of inequality would emerge. Status is the rank or position that a person has within a social hierarchy. Ascribed status is assigned to individuals, typically at birth race, gender, age, and other factors that cannot be chosen or earned and that cannot be changed.
