Criteria of social stratification is education. Social stratification: concept, criteria, types. Types of social stratification

31.03.2020

The concept of " stratification» ( stratification) in Latin means "layer" or "layer". Thus, stratification should clarify the vertical sequence of the position of social strata, as well as layers in society. Sociologists agree that the basis of stratification is the social inequality of people. However, the way inequality is organized can be different. Currently, sociologists are making repeated attempts to expand the number of criteria. For example, by including the level of education. So, society reproduces and also organizes inequality, taking into account several reasons:

level of income and wealth.
The level of political power.
The level of social prestige and so on.

These types of hierarchies are important for society, as they are able to regulate social ties, as well as direct personal aspirations. Consider a vertical cut of the stratification bases. Researchers face a problem - division on the scale of social hierarchy. In other words, how many social strata need to be distinguished. Of course, one can distinguish a huge number of segments of the population with different levels welfare. Stratification structure became similar to a socio-professional structure. She split into:

Administrators are the highest class of professionals.
Mid-level professionals.
Commercial class.
petty bourgeoisie.
skilled and unskilled workers.

And this is not the whole list of social strata of society. When developing general idea about the social hierarchy of society, it is enough to single out three levels - the highest, the middle, and the lowest. The entire population can be divided into these stratifications, taking into account values and norms. For example, in Western society, the degree of freedom is determined not only by legal and political acts, but also by the size of the budget, which should provide wide access to education. Therefore, in order to be in a prestigious status group, one must take into account the criteria that provide a high income and material independence. To reach the top of the social hierarchy in the totalitarian society of the Soviet period, one had only to participate in political decisions, as well as get closer to power structures.

How can you determine specific gravity each stratum? First of all, the measurement technique depends on statistical methods that allow us to determine the income hierarchy of the population. It cannot be measured mathematically. After all, here you need to study all the norms that have developed in this society. You can use other methods for determining the social profile of society. It is necessary to emphasize the main thing - it is impossible to say with accuracy what social stratification is, if we take into account only statistical data or be based only on the data of a sociological survey. You need to use an integrated approach. First of all, social inequality is the first reason for the hierarchical structure. Every society should strive for inequality. Initially, the society had its own laws in order to maintain the social hierarchy. So, a child in the family of a slave should be a slave, in the family of a serf - a serf, and in the family of a nobleman - a representative of the upper class.

The system of social institutions consisted of the army, the court, the church. They constantly monitored the observance of the rules of the hierarchical structure of society. For example, in India, a hierarchical system was established in the form of castes. Such a hierarchical system was maintained only by force: either with the help of weapons or with the help of religion. AT modern society the hierarchical system is devoid of such cruelty. After all, all citizens have the same rights. Moreover, they are able to occupy different positions in the social space.

Thus, the profile of the vertical slice of society has never been constant. Karl Marx assumed that the configuration of the vertical section of society would change due to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. But Sorokin rejected Marx's thesis and believed that the upper part of the social pyramid rises above the rest. The stability of society is related to the profile of social stratification. The main thing is that the process of stratification should be carried out not at the expense of natural disasters, but through state policy. Stability is maintained in the social hierarchy due to a powerful middle class. Although recently the number of the poorest layers has been increasing. But even this does not prevent the development of the middle class. For example, E. Giddens described the middle class in Great Britain. He noted not only its multiplicity, but also its heterogeneity. Giddens singled out the "old middle class", which includes property owners small business and small business owners. In addition to this class, he singled out the "lower middle class", which includes teachers, employees and doctors. The middle class demonstrates the way of life to the lower stratum with some effort. Thus, the discontent of the lower strata is neutralized when they realize that it is possible to achieve a better position in society. During economic crises, the erosion of the middle class leads to serious upheavals. For example, in Russia, the main part of the people became impoverished in the conditions of price liberalization. And this led to the destruction of the social balance in society.

At the end of the article, we can summarize - the vertical section of society is mobile. After all, its main layers can not only decrease, but also increase. First of all, this is due to the structural restructuring of the economy, the decline in production and the nature of the political regime. Note that the stratification profile can never be extended indefinitely. After all, a special mechanism is being worked out for the redistribution of the national wealth of power, which is presented in the form of spontaneous actions of the masses. To avoid this, you need to regulate this process. The main thing is to take care of the middle stratum of society. In this case, the stability of society will be ensured!

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Inequality- a characteristic feature of any society, when some individuals, groups or layers have more opportunities or resources (financial, power, etc.) than others.

To describe the system of inequality in sociology, the concept is used "social stratification" . The very word "stratification" borrowed from geology, where "stratum" means geological formation. This concept accurately conveys the content. social differentiation, when social groups line up in social space in a hierarchically organized, vertically sequential row according to some measuring criterion.

In Western sociology, there are several concepts of stratification. West German sociologist R. Dahrendorf suggested that social stratification should be based on political concept "authority" , which, in his opinion, most accurately characterizes the relations of power and the struggle between social groups for power. Based on this approach R. Dahrendorf represented the structure of society, consisting of managers and managed. He, in turn, divided the former into managing owners and managing non-owners, or bureaucratic managers. The second he also divided into two subgroups: the highest, or labor aristocracy, and the lowest - low-skilled workers. Between these two main groups he placed the so-called "new middle class" .

American sociologist L. Warner identified as defining signs of stratification four parameters :

The prestige of the profession;

Education;

Ethnicity.

Thus he determined six main classes :

top-top class included rich people. But the main criterion for their selection was "noble origin";

AT lower upper class also included people of high income, but they did not come from aristocratic families. Many of them had only recently become rich, boasted of it, and sought to flaunt their luxurious clothes, jewelry, and fancy cars;

upper middle class consisted of highly educated people engaged in intellectual work, and business people, lawyers, owners of capital;

lower middle class represented mainly by clerks and other "white-collar workers" (secretaries, bank tellers, clerks);

upper class lower class made up of "blue collar" - factory workers and other manual laborers;

Finally, underclass included the poorest and most outcast members of society.

Another American sociologist B. Barber stratified on six indicators :

Prestige, profession, power and might;

Income level;

The level of education;

The degree of religiosity;

The position of relatives;

Ethnicity.

French sociologist A. Touraine believed that all these criteria were already outdated, and proposed to define groups on access to information. The dominant position, in his opinion, is occupied by those people who have access to most information.

P. Sorokin singled out three criteria stratification:

Income level (rich and poor);

Political status (those with and without power);

Professional roles (teachers, engineers, doctors, etc.).

T. Parsons supplemented these signs with new ones criteria :

quality characteristics inherent in people from birth (nationality, gender, family ties);

role characteristics (position, level of knowledge; professional training, etc.);

"characteristics of possession" (possession of property, material and spiritual values, privileges, etc.).

In modern post-industrial society, it is customary to single out four main stratification variables :

Income level;

Attitude to power;

The prestige of the profession;

The level of education.

Income- the amount of cash receipts of an individual or family for a certain period of time (month, year). Income is the amount of money received in the form of wages, pensions, allowances, alimony, fees, deductions from profits. Income is measured in rubles or dollars that an individual receives (individual income) or family (family income). Incomes are most often spent on maintaining life, but if they are very high, they accumulate and turn into wealth.

Wealth- accumulated income, that is, the amount of cash or embodied money. In the second case, they are called movable (car, yacht, securities, etc.) and immovable (house, works of art, treasures) property. Usually wealth is inherited , which can be received by both working and non-working heirs, and only working ones can receive income. The main wealth of the upper class is not income, but accumulated property. The salary share is small. For the middle and lower classes, the main source of subsistence is income, since in the first case, if there is wealth, it is insignificant, and in the second it is not at all. Wealth allows you not to work, and its absence forces you to work for the sake of wages.

Wealth and income are unevenly distributed and signify economic inequality. Sociologists interpret it as an indication that different groups people have unequal life chances. They buy different quantities and different qualities of food, clothing, housing, etc. But in addition to the obvious economic advantages, the wealthy have hidden privileges. The poor have shorter lives (even if they enjoy all the benefits of medicine), less educated children (even if they go to the same public schools), and so on.

Education measured by the number of years of education in a public or private school or university.

Power measured by the number of people affected by the decision. The essence of power is the ability to impose one's will against the will of others. In a complex society, power is institutionalized , that is, protected by laws and tradition, surrounded by privileges and wide access to social benefits, allows you to make decisions that are vital for society, including laws that, as a rule, are beneficial to the upper class. In all societies, people who hold some form of power—political, economic, or religious—make up an institutionalized elite. . It determines the domestic and foreign policy of the state, directing it in a direction that is beneficial to itself, which other classes are deprived of.

Three scales of stratification - income, education and power - have completely objective units of measurement: dollars, years, people. Prestige stands outside this series, since it is a subjective indicator. Prestige - respect, as in public opinion use one or another profession, position, occupation.

The generalization of these criteria makes it possible to represent the process of social stratification as a multifaceted stratification of people and groups in society on the grounds of owning (or not owning) property, power, certain levels of education and training, ethnic characteristics, gender and age characteristics, sociocultural criteria, political positions, social statuses. and roles.

Can be distinguished nine types of historical stratification systems , which can be used to describe any social organism, namely:

Physico-genetic,

slaveholding,

caste,

estate,

Etacratic

Socio-professional,

class,

cultural and symbolic,

Cultural and normative.

All nine types of stratification systems are nothing more than "ideal types". Any real society is their complex mixture, combination. In reality, stratification types are intertwined and complement each other.

basis of the first type physical-genetic stratification system – lies differentiation social groups according to "natural", socio-demographic characteristics. Here, the attitude towards a person or group is determined by gender, age and the presence of certain physical qualities - strength, beauty, dexterity. Accordingly, the weaker, those with physical disabilities are considered defective and occupy a humbled social position. Inequality is affirmed in this case by the existence of the threat of physical violence or its actual use, and then fixed in customs and rituals. This "natural" stratification system dominated the primitive community, but continues to be reproduced to this day. It is especially strong in communities struggling for physical survival or expansion of their living space.

The second stratification system - slaveholding – also based on direct violence. But inequality here is determined not by physical, but by military-legal coercion. Social groups differ in the presence or absence of civil rights and property rights. Certain social groups have been completely deprived of these rights and, moreover, along with things, have been turned into an object of private property. Moreover, this position is most often inherited and thus fixed in generations. Examples of slaveholding systems are quite diverse. This includes ancient slavery, where the number of slaves sometimes exceeded the number of free citizens, and servility in Russia during the Russkaya Pravda, and plantation slavery in the south of the North American United States until civil war 1861-1865 is, finally, the work of prisoners of war and deportees on German private farms during the Second World War.

The third type of stratification system - caste . It is based on ethnic differences, which, in turn, are reinforced by the religious order and religious rituals. Each caste is a closed, as far as possible, endogamous group, which is assigned a strictly defined place in the social hierarchy. This place appears as a result of the isolation of the functions of each caste in the system of division of labor. There is a clear list of occupations that members of a particular caste can engage in: priestly, military, agricultural. Since position in the caste system is hereditary, opportunities social mobility are extremely limited here. And the stronger caste is expressed, the more closed it turns out this society. India is rightfully considered a classic example of a society with a dominance of the caste system (this system was legally abolished here only in 1950). There were 4 main castes in India : Brahmins (priests) kshatriyas (warriors) vaishyas (merchants) sudras (workers and peasants) and about 5 thousand minor castes and podcast . The untouchables, who were not part of the castes and occupied the lowest social position, stood out in particular. Today, although in a smoother form, the caste system is reproduced not only in India, but, for example, in the clan system of the Central Asian states.

The fourth type is represented estate stratification system . In this system, groups are distinguished legal rights which, in turn, are rigidly connected with their duties and are directly dependent on these duties. Moreover, the latter imply obligations to the state, enshrined in law. Some classes are obliged to carry out military or bureaucratic service, others - "tax" in the form of taxes or labor duties. Examples of developed estate systems are feudal Western European societies or feudal Russia. So, class division is, first of all, a legal, and not an ethnic-religious or economic division. It is also important that belonging to a class is inherited, contributing to the relative closeness of this system.

Some similarity with the estate system is observed in representing the fifth type of etacratic system (from French and Greek - " government"). In it, differentiation between groups occurs, first of all, according to their position in the power-state hierarchies (political, military, economic), according to the possibilities of mobilizing and distributing resources, as well as according to the privileges that these groups are able to derive from their positions of power. The degree of material well-being, the style of life of social groups, as well as the prestige they feel, are connected here with the formal ranks that these groups occupy in the respective power hierarchies. All other differences - demographic and religious-ethnic, economic and cultural - play a secondary role. The scale and nature of differentiation (volumes of power) in the etacratic system are under the control of the state bureaucracy. At the same time, hierarchies can be fixed formally legally - through bureaucratic tables of ranks, military regulations, assignment of categories government agencies, - and may remain outside the sphere of state legislation (a good example is the system of the Soviet party nomenklatura, the principles of which are not spelled out in any laws). The formal freedom of members of society (with the exception of dependence on the state), the absence of automatic inheritance of positions of power also distinguish etacratic system from the class system. Etacratic system manifests itself with the greater force, the more authoritarian character the state government assumes.

In line with socio-professional stratification system groups are divided according to the content and conditions of their work. They play a special role qualification requirements required for a particular professional role - the possession of relevant experience, skills and abilities. Approval and maintenance of hierarchical orders in this system is carried out with the help of certificates (diplomas, grades, licenses, patents), fixing the level of qualification and ability to perform certain types of activities. The validity of qualification certificates is supported by the power of the state or some other sufficiently powerful corporation (professional workshop). Moreover, these certificates are most often not inherited, although there are exceptions in history. The socio-professional division is one of the basic stratification systems, various examples of which can be found in any society with any developed division of labor. This is a system of craft workshops in a medieval city and a rank grid in modern state industry, a system of certificates and diplomas of education received, a system of scientific degrees and titles that open the way to more prestigious jobs.

The seventh type is represented by the most popular class system . The class approach is often opposed to the stratification one. But class division is only a particular case of social stratification. In the socio-economic interpretation, classes represent social groups of politically and legally free citizens. The differences between these groups lie in the nature and extent of ownership of the means of production and the product produced, as well as in the level of income received and personal material well-being. Unlike many previous types, belonging to classes - bourgeois, proletarians, independent farmers, etc. - is not regulated by the highest authorities, is not established by law and is not inherited (property and capital are transferred, but not the status itself). In its purest form, the class system does not contain any internal formal partitions at all (economic prosperity automatically transfers you to a higher group).

Another stratification system can be conditionally called cultural and symbolic . Differentiation arises here from differences in access to socially significant information, unequal opportunities to filter and interpret this information, and the ability to be a bearer of sacred knowledge (mystical or scientific). In ancient times, this role was assigned to priests, magicians and shamans, in the Middle Ages - to church ministers, interpreters of sacred texts, who make up the bulk of the literate population, in modern times - to scientists, technocrats and party ideologists. Claims for communion with divine forces, for the possession of truth, for the expression of the state interest have existed always and everywhere. And a higher position in this regard is occupied by those who have the best opportunities to manipulate the consciousness and actions of other members of society, who can prove their rights to true understanding better than others, who own the best symbolic capital.

Finally, the last, ninth type of stratification system should be called cultural and normative . Here, differentiation is built on differences in respect and prestige that arise from a comparison of the way of life and the norms of behavior followed by a given person or group. relationship with the physical and mental labor, consumer tastes and habits, manners of communication and etiquette, a special language (professional terminology, local dialect, criminal jargon) - all this forms the basis of social division. Moreover, there is not only a distinction between “us” and “them”, but also a ranking of groups (“noble - ignoble”, “decent - dishonorable”, “elite - ordinary people - bottom”).

The concept of stratification (from Latin stratum - layer, layer) denotes the stratification of society, differences in social position its members. social stratification- this is a system of social inequality, consisting of hierarchically arranged social strata (strata). All people belonging to a particular stratum occupy approximately the same position and have common status characteristics.

Stratification criteria

Different sociologists explain the causes of social inequality and, consequently, social stratification in different ways. Thus, according to the Marxist school of sociology, inequality is based on property relations, the nature, degree and form of ownership of the means of production. According to the functionalists (K. Davis, W. Moore), the distribution of individuals according to social strata depends on the importance of their professional activity and the contribution they make through their work to the achievement of society's goals. Proponents of the exchange theory (J. Homans) believe that inequality in society arises due to the unequal exchange of the results of human activity.

A number of classic sociologists considered the problem of stratification more broadly. For example, M. Weber, in addition to economic (attitude to property and income level), proposed in addition such criteria as social prestige (inherited and acquired status) and belonging to certain political circles, hence power, authority and influence.

One of the creators of the theory of stratification, P. Sorokin, identified three types of stratification structures:

§ economic (according to the criteria of income and wealth);

§ political (according to the criteria of influence and power);

§ professional (according to the criteria of mastery, professional skills, successful performance of social roles).

The founder of structural functionalism T. Parsons proposed three groups of differentiating features:

§ qualitative characteristics of people that they possess from birth (ethnicity, family ties, gender and age characteristics, personal qualities and abilities);

§ role characteristics determined by a set of roles performed by an individual in society (education, position, different kinds professional and labor activity);

§ characteristics due to the possession of material and spiritual values (wealth, property, privileges, the ability to influence and manage other people, etc.).

In modern sociology, it is customary to distinguish the following main criteria for social stratification:

§ income - the amount of cash receipts for a certain period (month, year);

§ wealth - accumulated income, i.e. the amount of cash or embodied money (in the second case, they act as movable or real estate);

§ power - the ability and ability to exercise one's will, to exert a decisive influence on the activities of other people through various means (authority, law, violence, etc.). Power is measured by the number of people it extends to;

§ education - a set of knowledge, skills and abilities acquired in the learning process. The level of education is measured by the number of years of education;

§ prestige - a public assessment of the attractiveness, significance of a particular profession, position, a certain type of occupation.

Despite the diversity various models social stratification currently existing in sociology, most scholars distinguish three main classes: higher, middle and lower. At the same time, the share of the upper class in industrialized societies is approximately 5-7%; middle - 60-80% and lower - 13-35%.

In a number of cases, sociologists make a certain division within each class. Thus, the American sociologist W.L. Warner (1898-1970), in his famous study of Yankee City, identified six classes:

§ upper-upper class (representatives of influential and wealthy dynasties with significant resources of power, wealth and prestige);

§ lower-upper class (“new rich” - bankers, politicians who do not have a noble origin and did not have time to create powerful role-playing clans);

§ upper-middle class (successful businessmen, lawyers, entrepreneurs, scientists, managers, doctors, engineers, journalists, cultural and art workers);

§ lower-middle class (employees - engineers, clerks, secretaries, employees and other categories, which are commonly called "white collars");

§ upper-lower class (workers engaged mainly in physical labor);

§ lower-lower class (beggars, unemployed, homeless, foreign workers, declassed elements).

There are other schemes of social stratification. But they all boil down to the following: non-basic classes arise by adding strata and layers that are inside one of the main classes - rich, wealthy and poor.

Thus, social stratification is based on natural and social inequality between people, which manifests itself in their social life and has a hierarchical character. It is sustainably supported and regulated by various social institutions, constantly reproduced and modified, which is an important condition for the functioning and development of any society.

Social stratification: concept, criteria, types

To get started, watch the video tutorial on social stratification:

The concept of social stratification

Social stratification is the process of arranging individuals and social groups in horizontal layers (strata). This process is associated primarily with both economic and human causes. The economic reasons for social stratification is that resources are limited. And because of this, they must be rationally disposed of. That is why the ruling class stands out - it owns the resources, and the exploited class - it obeys the ruling class.

Among the universal causes of social stratification are:

psychological reasons. People are not equal in their inclinations and abilities. Some people can concentrate on something for long hours: reading, watching movies, creating something new. Others do not need anything and are not interested. Some can go to the goal through all obstacles, and failures only spur them on. Others give up at the first opportunity - it's easier for them to moan and whine that everything is bad.

biological reasons. People are also not equal from birth: some are born with two arms and legs, others are disabled from birth. It is clear that it is extremely difficult to achieve something if you are disabled, especially in Russia.

Objective causes of social stratification. These include, for example, place of birth. If you were born in a more or less normal country, where you will be taught to read and write for free and there are at least some social guarantees- this is good. You have a good chance of being successful. So, if you were born in Russia even in the most remote village and you are a kid, at least you can join the army, and then stay to serve under the contract. Then you may be sent to a military school. It's better than drinking moonshine with your fellow villagers, and by the age of 30 to die in a drunken brawl.

Well, if you were born in some country in which statehood does not really exist, and local princes come to your village with machine guns at the ready and kill anyone at random, and whoever they hit are taken into slavery, then write your life is gone, and together with her and your future.

Criteria of social stratification

The criteria of social stratification include: power, education, income and prestige. Let's analyze each criterion separately.

Power. People are not equal in terms of power. The level of power is measured by (1) the number of people who are under your control, and also (2) the amount of your authority. But the presence of this criterion alone (even the greatest power) does not mean that you are in the highest stratum. For example, a teacher, a teacher of power is more than enough, but the income is lame.

Education. The higher the level of education, the more opportunities. If you have a higher education, this opens up certain horizons for your development. At first glance, it seems that in Russia this is not the case. But that's just how it seems. Because the majority of graduates are dependent - they should be hired. They do not understand that with their higher education they may well open their own business and increase their third criterion of social stratification - income.

Income is the third criterion of social stratification. It is thanks to this defining criterion that one can judge which social class a person belongs to. If the income is from 500 thousand rubles per capita and more per month - then to the highest; if from 50 thousand to 500 thousand rubles (per capita), then you belong to the middle class. If from 2000 rubles to 30 thousand then your class is basic. And also further.

Prestige is the subjective perception people have of your , is a criterion of social stratification. Previously, it was believed that prestige is expressed solely in income, because if you have enough money, you can dress more beautifully and better, and in society, as you know, they are met by clothes ... But even 100 years ago, sociologists realized that prestige can be expressed in the prestige of the profession (professional status).

Types of social stratification

Types of social stratification can be distinguished, for example, by spheres of society. A person in his life can make a career in (become a famous politician), in culture (become a recognizable cultural figure), in social sphere(to become, for example, an honorary citizen).

In addition, types of social stratification can be distinguished on the basis of one or another type of stratification systems. The criterion for singling out such systems is the presence or absence of social mobility.

There are several such systems: caste, clan, slave, estate, class, etc. Some of them are discussed above in the video on social stratification.

You must understand that this topic is extremely large, and it is impossible to cover it in one video tutorial and in one article. Therefore, we suggest that you purchase a video course that already contains all the nuances on the topic of social stratification, social mobility and other related topics:

Sincerely, Andrey Puchkov

Social stratification involves the division of people into groups that are characterized by certain characteristics. There are special criteria of social stratification that allow us to determine how classes are formed in a modern state and how differences between people affect the development of society.

The main criteria for social stratification

The concept of a criterion in this case carries the meaning of a sign, on the basis of which the definition of social strata in the structure of modern society is given.

The main criteria for the division of society are:

Income

All are meant cash that a person receives for a certain period of time. Income stands out as a criterion, since it is not the same for all people.

a large income that allows you to satisfy all needs and accumulate funds, purchase luxury goods;
the average income that is spent exclusively on meeting the needs of a person and his family;
insignificant income, which is not enough even to support life.

Power

Opens opportunities for managing society. Depending on the level, it can apply to a different number of people.

Education

This criterion is measured by the number of years that a person has spent studying in an educational organization.

This indicator is also not the same for all people: if a professor of philosophy can have more than 20 years that he spent on education, then an electrician or a driver - only 12.

Prestige

Prestige is understood as society's respect for the position a person occupies. There are things that people strive to have in order to be respected. For example, in modern society it is highly valued if a person has his own expensive car. Professions can also be prestigious. Now these include a lawyer, a doctor, a manager, a pilot. And vice versa, such professions as a driver, janitor, plumber and others are not popular and respected.

According to research, in Russia the prestige of those professions that allow you to receive high salaries and provide great opportunities to make a career (lawyer, manager) is growing, and the prestige of professions that require high qualifications and a level of education (engineer, teacher) is noticeably declining.

The peculiarity of society is that most often representatives of the upper classes concentrate in their hands all the top positions of these criteria: wealth, power, prestige and quality education. Although some indicators may not match.

The division of society into groups

Thus, the following are distinguished in society group types :

by income level;
if possible, influence the policy of the state, control the actions of other people;
by level of education;
by prestige.

What have we learned?

Criteria of social stratification are signs by which special groups of people with common features can be distinguished in society. There are four such criteria: income, power, education, prestige. All people do not have the same access to these phenomena and objects. For example, the income received by citizens of our country is not the same.