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Social Stratification

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Social Stratification
SOCIAL SCIENCE 101
(Society and Culture with Population Education)

Unit IV. Social Stratification

Meaning of Social Stratification
When sociologists speak of stratification, they are referring to social inequality and social ranking, thus, stresses the differences among people.
Is an institutionalized pattern of inequality in which social categories ranked on the basis of their access to scarce resources. Is the hierarchy arrangement and establishment of social categories that evolve into social group together with statuses and their corresponding roles.
Is a system whereby people rank and evaluate each other as superior or inferior and, on the basis of such evaluations, unequally rewarded one another with wealth, authority, power and prestige. One result of each differentiation is the creation of a number of levels within society.

Social Stratification may be viewed may be viewed as a social structure, a social process, or a social problem. As a social structure, it may be as the differentiation of statuses and social roles into ranked orders or a system of layered hierarchy of social relationship. As a social process, it can be thought of as a division of a society into social categories that develop into social groups, which are cooperating, competing and/ or conflicting with one another for a social change. As a social problem, it involves bitter feelings of discontent and of strong demands for equality or social justice.

Inequality- refers to the unequal distribution of scarce resources such as wealth, authority, power, and prestige.

Basic Principles of Stratification
1. It is universal in nature. Some form of stratification system is found within every human society.
2. The existence of social stratification system has many consequences for individual and groups.
3. Social stratification is a characteristic of society. It is not simply a function of individual differences.
4. Social stratification persists over generation. It

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