Stratification And Social Classes In America
Revolutionary Stratification in America Stratification and social classes can be found in the earliest of societies around the world. Throughout history, these divisions of society can be caused by a variety of factors, and can shape a nation or destroy it. In urban, but mainly rural societies, early stratification has played a large part in revolutionary overthrows of the upper classes by the oppressed. In present-day America, stratification can be seen dominating society and can be categorized by capital and labor. These social classes found in our society are slowly becoming more and more distinguished between the upper and lower classes, causing the question to rise: Is America headed towards a class revolution? Kelley and Klein’s (1977)
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Many of these revolutions have occurred in agrarian and unsophisticated societies where the working class is treated poorly by the aristocrats. Much of mankind has lived in these conditions, causing revolutions of classes to be inescapable (Burke 1971; Klein 1969). In the past, local chiefs and landlords have been overpowered and ejected from their positions when the working class has risen up against them. These large-scale revolutions can be seen throughout history, but have increased in number as society modernizes [e.g. in the Peloponnese in 227B.C., England in 1381, France in 1789, Mexico in 1910, Russia in 1917, China beginning in 1921, Bolivia in 1952, and Cuba in 1958] (Kelley and Klein …show more content…
Katz describes that class, as a term, “appears often in North American history” (583). Examples are “discussions of the role of the working class in Jacksonian politics; the existence of an upper class in the late nineteenth century; the role of the middle class in social reform; and the degree of social mobility between the working and the middle class” (Haskell 1977; Katz 584). In the last example, class is usually structured around white collar/blue collar which is perceived in many other writings on inequality as well. Race and gender can also be seen as an inequality of stratification in today’s
Many of these revolutions have occurred in agrarian and unsophisticated societies where the working class is treated poorly by the aristocrats. Much of mankind has lived in these conditions, causing revolutions of classes to be inescapable (Burke 1971; Klein 1969). In the past, local chiefs and landlords have been overpowered and ejected from their positions when the working class has risen up against them. These large-scale revolutions can be seen throughout history, but have increased in number as society modernizes [e.g. in the Peloponnese in 227B.C., England in 1381, France in 1789, Mexico in 1910, Russia in 1917, China beginning in 1921, Bolivia in 1952, and Cuba in 1958] (Kelley and Klein …show more content…
Katz describes that class, as a term, “appears often in North American history” (583). Examples are “discussions of the role of the working class in Jacksonian politics; the existence of an upper class in the late nineteenth century; the role of the middle class in social reform; and the degree of social mobility between the working and the middle class” (Haskell 1977; Katz 584). In the last example, class is usually structured around white collar/blue collar which is perceived in many other writings on inequality as well. Race and gender can also be seen as an inequality of stratification in today’s