Social Stratification - Assignment Example

Social Stratification insert here Insert number insert insert Social Stratification Social stratification isa feature of the American condition. Social stratification refers to a social structure in which certain groups (such as racial, ethnic or religious groups) are organized in a hierarchical nature. Accordingly, American society has a shameful legacy of slavery and is a country stratified by race, gender and class. For many in America, racism is an ever-present aspect of the social condition and is built upon a rigid social code, a white/black binary which has its roots in early American settlement and the shameful tradition of slavery in the New World. Seeking to explore social stratification in a holistic manner, the following will discuss this concept with relation to major sociological theories and then relate a scholarly article to our chosen theme. Following this we will apply the issue of social stratification to modern society and conclude with an overview of the major issues discussed. We now turn to an analysis of social stratification through an exploration of the major sociological theories (Shaefer 254-266; see hooks’, 1981) Functionalism, one of oldest theoretical perspectives within sociology, focuses on the individual within society and seeks to apply scientific method to the social world. Furthermore, Functionalists argue that society is in fact an organ and espouse what is described as the organic unity of society. Thus, social systems exist for Functionalists because institutions themselves serve a variety of purposes (re: functions). Social systems are homeostatic and work to maintain equilibrium. Equilibrium is achieved, according to this theory, through socialization, where members of society are taught basic values and norms of society. Social control mechanisms – also known as sanctions – help maintain social equilibrium and keep individuals within the social unit in check. Functionalism emphasizes institutions, an organic view of society and the belief that socialization serves a variety of important social functions. From a Functionalist perspective, for society to function there must be haves and have-nots. Thus from a Functionalist perspective, social stratification is a positive force which contributes to overall social equilibrium (Erasmus 319-322). Symbolic Interactionism is another important sociological theory which focuses on the subjective meaning of human behaviour and social processes. For Symbolic Interactionists, society is negotiated and constructed by each and every individual. Symbolism is important and meaning is constructed through social interaction. Although gender and race are socially constructed, Symbolic Interactionists believe that these identities play an important role in shaping our respective realities. Since society is constructed by its constituent members and individuals interpret their world through a variety of unique lenses, social conflict is likely to exist between individuals with socially constructed identities who have varying degrees of access to power and resources. Stressing inequality and an unequal access to material goods, Conflict Theory is the final sociological theory this essay will apply to the theme of social stratification in America (Goffman 3-33). Conflict theory evolved from Marxism and focuses on what it perceives are inherent conflicts within society. Marxists perceive conflict to be endemic when resources are scarce and argue that our social system – capitalism – is the most unequal system when it comes to resource allocation and distribution. Private property, capital and social classes are all important characteristics of an inegalitarian society. An unequal division of labour and class exploitation is said to lead to conflict according to this theory. From the perspective of Conflict Theory, social stratification serves to promote inequality and the exploitation of certain groups of individuals. From this perspective, social stratification is an inherent negative concept which must be fought judiciously. We now turn to a critique of an article by The American Journal of Preventive Medicine which sought to analyze the difficult concept of racial social stratification in America and the implications of racism on health (see Wallerstein 1974). Racism in American can be explained by social stratification and the hierarchical racial binary which posits that blacks and inferior to whites and which is built upon a legacy of slavery in this country. What are the effects of racism on the lives of people today? Suzan L Carmichael and Solomon Iyasu sought to tackle this important issue in a fascinating article entitled “Changes in the black-white infant mortality gap from 1983 to 1991 in the United States”, published in the The American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 1998. According to this article, there is a definite health disparity in this country as non-whites report a lower level of overall health and access to healthcare. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine undertook a substantial quantitative analysis of the infant mortality rates between black and white infants and found that a disparity in this important social indicator does in fact exist. Accordingly, this respected journal found that the black-white infant mortality ratio has persisted for decades and has even increased in recent times. In 1960, the black-white infant mortality ratio stood a 2.0, but twenty years later this figure had risen to 2.4 (Carmichal and Iyasu 220-277). . Why such disparity? What are the causes of such dramatic differences in the likelihood that a newborn black child would not live to see his or her first birthday in comparison to a white child? This study determined that while a variety of factors can account for this disparity, low birth weight remains the most prominent cause of a higher infant mortality rate amongst black babies. In fact, black babies in America have a 300% greater likelihood of being born with a low birthrate relative to their white counterparts. This is an amazing yet often unknown ramification of social stratification and the nature of race and racism in America. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention found a variety of socio-economic causes for the phenomenon of low birth weight, including poverty, poor nutrition, a lack of knowledge about pregnancy and the challenges associated with it, and access to proper medical facilities. The disparity in black-white successful birth ratios in America thus can be attributed to social forces and socio-economic differences amongst black and white Americans. These social differences are directly related to the racial binary in American and the socially stratified nature of our society. We now turn to an exploration of social stratification in daily life and modern society. Our conceptions of race are heavily influenced by the binary racial logic which permeates our society and which subconsciously tells us that white is better than black and that African-Americans are inferior to their white counterparts. The scary thing about the social stratification of race in America is that it is pervasive, subconscious and taken for granted. We rarely challenge our comonly held-beliefs about race, gender or other social groupings and subliminally impart these beliefs to our friends, colleagues and later, to our children. We do not question the socially stratified nature of our society and that is the scariest part (Carmichal and Iyasu 220-277). The binary logic of race is inherently hierarchical and in modern American society, white people are perceived of as being superior compared to people of color, according to this subjective racial hierarchy. This hierarchy has important ramifications in the social, cultural, economic and political realms as access to social services, jobs, and political office are presumably easier for white Americans rather than black Americans (Wellman 148-165). My textbook has taught me that race is a social construct and while we subconsciously believe that racial differences are real and are written in stone, in fact most are socially-ascribed and the result of social forces. The social construction of race and gender roles has been particularly informative for me and has allowed me to view race in my community through a new lens. While stereotypes do predominate in American society, I try my best not to judge others based upon their race and treat each and every person as an equal. This brings me to the issue of racial profiling which is a topical issue which is commonly discussed when one references race in America. I have been fortunate not to have witnessed racial profiling where I live – I do notice that the police force is quite diverse and this is something which they pride themselves on – but I am sure that certain members of minority cultural communities do face racial challenges, particularly with respect to the police, which I have not encountered. Racial profiling is a “hot” issue and one which makes front-page news and headlines across the country. It is also sometimes used by political entrepreneurs (who will go unnamed) who seek to stoke racial insecurities and provoke racial disharmony in my community. I witness the social hierarchy all the time and although I am not often conscious of it, I know that it does exist. Social stratification is prevalent yet insidious and the socially stratified nature of race is often forgotten in American. The election of Barack Obama as the 42nd President of the United States has made me think about race and racism in American today and reconsider my own thoughts about race in the 21st century. His election would have been impossible with the emergence of the U.S. Civil Rights movement, one of the most important social movements of the twentieth century. Established in response to the systematic discrimination which plagued much of the United States, the U.S. Civil Rights movement sought to abolish racial discrimination in this country. Although I rarely encounter racism in my community and am not often the subject of racist attitudes of behaviors, walking through the Public Housing Projects reminds me that it is real and continues to exist. While I do believe that minority interests are represented within my community, the African-American population largely remains relegated to poor social conditions in the Housing Projects which predominate. If In a global world and in an era of multiculturalism, the rigid and constricting black/white duality is increasingly out of touch with reality and the lives of real people today. This hierarchical binary is being challenged on a daily basis by people like President Barack Obama. People of colour are in a unique position to tear down the socially constructed and inherently inhibiting walls of racial identity in America and challenge the socially stratified nature of our society. Works cited Blumer, H. Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Carmichael Suzan L. and Solomon Iyasu. “Changes in the black-white infant mortality gap from 1983 to 1991 in the United States”, American Journal of Preventive Medicine 15.3 (1998): 220-227. Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 1958. Erasmus, C.J. Obviating the Functions of Functionalism. Social Forces, 45:3(1967), 319-328. hooks, bell. Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism. Boston: South End Press, 1981. Schaefer, R.T. Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Wallerstein, I. M. The Modern World-System: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century. New York: Academic Press, 1974. Wellman, D.T. Portraits of White Racism. Boston: Cambridge University Press, 1993. Read More