Basis of Stratification PDF

Stratification  Basis of Stratification 1. Biological 2. Socio-Cultural 1. Economy 1. Age 2. Political 2. Sex 3. Religious  Basis of Stratification Caste and Class Gender, Sexuality and Disability Race, Tribe and Ethnicity ...

Stratification  Basis of Stratification 1. Biological 2. Socio-Cultural 1. Economy 1. Age 2. Political 2. Sex 3. Religious  Basis of Stratification Caste and Class Gender, Sexuality and Disability Race, Tribe and Ethnicity Forms of Social Stratification: There are four basic forms of social stratification: (1) Slavery, (2) Caste, (3) Estate, and (4) Class. (1) Slavery: Slavery is an extreme form of inequality in which some individuals are literally owned by others as their property. The legal conditions of slave ownership have varied considerably in different societies. There are different variants of slavery. Bonded labour is one such form of slavery in India. In all parts of world slavery, as a form of stratification has become extinct. (2) Caste: Caste system is extremely elaborate It varies in its structure from area to area So much so that it does not really constitute one ‘system’ at all, but a loosely connected diversity of varying beliefs and cultural practices, though certain principles are shared by all the castes. This form of stratification has assumed wider structural and cultural dimensions. (3) Estate: Estates are the feudal clusters with varying obligations and rights towards each other. Estates have developed both in Europe, United States and Asia. In our country jagirdars and zamindars were the traditional estate holders. With the abolition of zamindari and jagirdari systems these groups of people do not legally exist. However, the for-mer estate holders in rural society even today hold much power. They are big peasants and occupy positions of power in PRIs and legislatures. At operational level they constitute a considerable rank in both rural and urban stratification. (4) Class: Classes are not established by legal or religious provisions. Nor membership to class is based on inherited position as specified either legally or by custom. Class systems are typically more fluid than the other types of stratification and the boundaries between classes are never clear-cut. There are no formal restrictions on intermarriage between people from different classes. Some of the characteristics of class include individual’s achievement, social mobility, economic status and class consciousness. Thus, class is a large-scale grouping of people who share common economic resources, which strongly influence the types of lifestyle they are able to lead. Ownership of wealth, together with occupation, is the chief basis of class differences. The major classes that exist in India are: (1) Upper class, (2) Middle class, and (3) Working class. Thank You