Stratification is a fancy word for division of society. I am middle class according to popular media institutions. I do, however, fit into anyone of the three classes of American citizens: lower, middle and upper, depending on who is devising the classification model. Lower class would view me as upper class if they are financially destitute. Upper class probably views me as lower class because lower and middle are much more alike then any other combination of the three classes. Our entire society easily fits the stratification theory. Government, corporations, and churches all can be broken down to individual layers. The tragedy is that we do not have society that was more or less based, to a greater extent, on merit; Meritocracy. Its seems to be more about social alliances, who you know, than abilities. I have not gained much in life on my personal merit, but have reaped the benefits of good life; I owe much success to my family and friends. I am beginning to see how i am fortunate, and other are at a disadvantage. Packers001
I do agree with you Packers001 because our society has told us where we are placed based on our income stature. Each class does view the other class differently because they are all from different classes and have different view points. For instance, some people are good friends with the same class because they share morals and share other expectations. This video was interesting to watch and made me relaize a lot about myself. Summer001
I agree, now taking a step back I have realized how blessed and fortunate I am. Being born an American citizen already has given me so many advantages in life, like an affordable education or even freedom to get an education. I know I will not have the nicest car or the fanciest home however, I will appreciate everything I have as if it was the best. Toby001
For me I was the first one to attend college in my family and i don't come from a household of money. As an idividual I decided to better myself and my life chances to suceed greatly later on in life. But I got to this type of mind set because of my family pushing me and honoring me for what I have accomplished so far. I believe that the lower class is at this point right now because of how each person was brought up wealth wise. If you grew up with a low income family then you may grow up that way too, but there are circumstances where a person does decide to be better then that and they move their life foward. It just seems like a mess to me but if you are that person to better yourself and accomplish the things you want I belive anyone can too. Summer001
I would agree with you, i think some people get use to living poor and just accept it and don't try to succeed or go to college. I did not come from a family of wealth either and didn't have the option to go to school. When I graduated high school I had to get a job but always was on the lookout for a better one. grateful001
I really want to agree with what you said because it's sunshine and roses but at the same time, some people have to wrestle their way out of the places the come from. When there are no opportunities for a couple hundred miles, it's hard to even find a someone who can drop you off in the middle of a city where opportunities abound. arizona001
I agree if you want to better your life you have to do something about it, complaining about it won't get you anywhere. The only person that can help you is yourself. TooTall001
I agree Summer001 I can relate to your situation. Like going to college to better yourself it is very important and I realized that after high school I knew going to college was definitely something I had to do. As well as the lower class majority of the peers around them are not looking forward to going to college they want to figure out ways to make quick money doing street crimes, that is all they see growing up not someone trying to get an education. LAWS001
I wonder, Summer001, how many generations does it take for us to change our status in life. Will our great grandchildren see it if our kids follow our course. Or will it be great-great-great grandkids? I know its hypothetical, but i hope our future generations will improve their standing in life. With my parents, my mother was the only one with a college degree. In my siblings, I will soon make the third of four children with a degree. My wife has multiple degrees, and i desperately want my children to go to college. Its just interesting to imagine later generations not being mired in the dissonance of middle class America. I hope for that, and that their not trust fund baby brats too. Lol. Packers001
What about who or what defines status period? What if what we feel is our success our children don't agree with they could go down a totally different path and feel successful just the same. I do believe in making your own path and going for it. We have one life. We don't know how long we have here on earth period. I am very hopeful that people in general will go for whatever they want irregardless of their so called stratification or social standing! WonderWoman001
I think that it takes an anomaly to change our status in life. I also think it just depends on the culture. Getting an education isn't at the top of the list for many where I'm from. For me it was seeing shows on television with educated people that looked like me that motivated me. So, changing of one status can be triggered by many things and it is possible. It's now not only considered cool to be educated, but it's encouraged by many in my community now. I've seen that with this happpening, it's allowed people to get out of a status born into if they choose. Taylojj2
I think stratification is just another way to put labels on different classes of society's hierarchy. I think its more clear in this country than others, some people have higher statuses and power and wealth than in most of the world. Social stratification reflects in us all and stays persistent with generations it also happens everywhere but takes on different forms in different parts of society i.e. the poor, rich, middle class, upper middle class ect.. yes in some places you can do more than others but your still stuck in one of the layers regardless. grateful001
It really interesting to compare stratification with the actual social hierarchy it is meant to describe. Stratification, like the social hierarchy you described, has no actual form in reality. Stratification is simply a metaphor, a rhetorical tool; your described social hierarchy is simply a mental construct, a thought help by an individual. Both have no physical form, but both are very powerful in shaping an individual. Karma001
I also agree with grateful. There is a definate reflection on status within our community. There isn't anything fanciful in driving through lower income neighborhoods, or driving five minutes into a gated community. Social stratification touches all humans, in all walks of life. There is always a boss. There will always be management, and workers under their watch. Rosebudd001
Social stratification being the hierarchy of a society is really evident in the very short and false world of high school. For four years people are put into these superficial layers and they play a role with that layer. No matter how false it is, it is detrimental to those who can’t handle being rejected and puts a large scar on those who don’t feel accepted for the layer that they represent. Spending even one year out of that environment, you can look back and know that those layers are chains that others have tried to force on you to control you in the society that they made up. Arizona001
I could not agree more. I just graduated from high school this past Sunday, so I know there are definitely different cliques in high school that can be very mean to outsiders. This is very similar to what the speaker in the video said about the layers of the earth. One of my friends joined a clique that was very excluding to outsiders. My friend started to act different to try and fit it. By acting that way she lost the friendship of another great person. I'm glad you mentioned high school because I would have never thought about social stratification being in high school before. swimmer001
Chinua Achebe, author of the popular novel Things Fall Apart, once wrote “the poet is indeed a person who shapes our vision of the world,.... and provides us with the vocabulary, or new vocabulary, to describe it.” There is so much power in language, the ways we describe the world around us affect the way we perceive and process it. Though Achebe is speaking of the effect poetic literature has on society, I would like to correlate this to the current sociologist. By presenting a society by the metaphorical layering of stratification sociologist are indeed presenting a new rhetoric for describing a society. Now what should be called into question is the morality of doing so. What effect will this new way of describing society have on the world around us? These sociologist, whether or not they recognize it, possess great power over western society. We, as participants in this society, should be mindful of this power, analyzing how the new rhetoric presented by modern sociologist is applied to our society. Karma001
Stratification and how it can affect our personal selves is important. The fact that it does or can carry from generation to generation doesn't mean that it will either positively or negatively. I'm curious as to how divorce can affect this outcome. My parents were only married a couple years divorced when I was 2. My mom raised my brother and I alone, we were not struggling but we were poor. My dad went on to have another family and furthered his education and ended up highly successful in his eyes as he makes a lot of money and has the things he wants in life. His other children went on to further their education and got higher degrees etc. So for me I grew up in an abusive home and worked hard to get out of there became a wife and mom that was my choice...we struggled as well as neither of us were educated and I was a stay at home mom. I've been trying since I was young to change my course that I was so called destined to live. My mom is uneducated and I saw her struggle til this day she will always. I do not want to live this way. After my late husband passed away a year and half ago I decided to immediately go to college, I had the opportunity and I wasn't going to waste it. I chose to prepare for the day when I have to now become financially independent. I know I cannot make it on a minimum wage job. I want better for myself and my daughter. As well as showing her that at age 34 years old you can go back to school and make your life better. This is my hope. My point is that I believe in choices to make your life what it is. I don't want the moon and stars or big fancy things but I will work hard to get what I need in life and hopefully get to enjoy whatever life I get to live. WonderWoman001
Inequality in social stratification in some cultures not only gives some people more than others they also say this is fair. Then goes on to explain why people should be unequal in certain societies. Students can go to school for anything they want no matter what size they are, however they don't tell you that size matters and very large people won't be able to find jobs in the HVAC residential field. Over half of the jobs I've been on are in very tight crawl spaces that anyone bigger won't fit in. TooTall001
I definitely think stratification has an effect on people. The visual that the speaker gave with the layers of the earth were very interesting. To picture the stratification of society by picturing different layers of the earth helps make stratification more easily understood. I am glad the U.S. has more of a class system compared to a caste system. My family is definitely not upper class people but more middle class. But compared to most of the world, they would probably view my family as an upper class family. That just shows the difference between higher- and lower-income countries. I think it is sad that society is divided so much by either who you were born to or how much money you make. My dream would be to see a society where all people are treated equal and are given the same rights. swimmer001
I would want to disagree with you on the part where you said you want to see a society where all people are treated equally and are give the same rights. Today just talking about United States, people are give same rights and we do practice equality here. Talking about higher and lower income it comes from the kind of education, and occupation. If people are making more money than somebody else there is nothing wrong, their upper class lifestyle is the reward of their education and occupation they are in. You cannot take away someone's ability or reward just equalize with someone whose occupation is totally different. khush001
Stratifications meaning as he explained it being layers of the earth looking the same but being up close and personal some things are the same and some the things are very much different like the layers of society. What layers should we be looking at? We can layer society by gender, age, race, sexuality, many different ways of layering. Comparing layers is a way of finding out how they are all different. Where you are in the layers may have some kind of impact on your life chances. Moving between layers that being called social mobility, achieving status. Receiving better education can help with moving between layers. LAWS001
I like the way you explained the different layers of society. I took a more broad overview when describing the layers. I think that there is so much more in a society then just a simple layer. So many factors go into a single "layer." I think stratification has an effect on people more so then I ever previously imagined. SVT001.
Thanks for explaining that a bit more. I didn't really understand when the vlogger said something similar in the video. It makes sense that there are so many different layers in society even among layers. Everyone can fit into so many different categories at the same time that it would't make sense to just push everyone into three generic layers. Delta001
I liked his metaphor about the layers of the earth. The layers represented the idea of stratification. When you look at society from far away it looks like there are even layers but upon a closer look you can see all the different little layers in-between the large layers. It is important to look at yourself in global stratification. I think it is interesting to think how we ourselves have been in a specific layer. Most people will never leave their layer. We are born into a layer and unless we do something different weather this is good or bad we will most likely stay within the same class of individuals. Until this class I have never put any thought into what social class I belong too. I think the most important thing for me is to be grateful that I was born in the USA and glad my parents strived to provide the best for my brother and I. SVT001.
I agree with you because I too feel lucky that I was born in the U.S. Unfortunately though I think the U.S. has just as much "layering" as any other country in the world. Just the difference with us is that it is easier to move up layers. Moving up can usually be done by getting a big promotion, getting a college degree, or the rarest example, winning the lottery. glassonion001
Being born in the U.S. is an advantage that most of the population of the world don't have. What everyone here has to remember is that at one point our ancestors would have had to come to america one way or the other, some more recently than others. Those ancestors of yours worked their butts off so that you could enjoy the quality of life that you currently indulge in. My grandfather came here with a little over a dozen cents to his name, worked multiple jobs throughout a rough economy in order to afford to bring my grandmother, uncle, and father over to the US, then continued working his whole life until we recently made him stop because of health issues. Everyone in this class has one thing in common: We are standing on the shoulders of giants. FreedomUnderGod001
I think labeling people by their financial or social status is wrong because, some of the poorest people I know live the richest lives. How? They are grateful for the little things they have and feel blessed even though they might have not had much luck in life. However, I believe social stratification does exist because, I know if a very wealthy person looked at the car I drove and the house I lived in they might consider me poor. Yet, if a less fortunate person looked at what I was driving and where I lived they might consider me upper middle class. I guess it all depends on how someone was raised and what privileges they are given or have earned. Toby001
I agree with what the vlogger said when he brought up how we are "layered' in society can affect our life chances. This is something that we discussed on the first day of class. Just because I have the right to go to a Princeton or Harvard doesn't mean I'll be able to if my grades are good enough. There is a lot that would be holding me back from going to a school like that, but the main drawback would be the issue of money. It's kind of hard to think that something like money or gender can hold a person in a social layer, but it is just the reality of the society we live in the U.S. and other places around the world. glassonion001
Social Stratification is something that I have lived my childhood in extreme levels. Living in India up until I was 14 years old, I lived in the upper class lifestyle. Family construction business decided the kind of social interaction that we had then. The kind of education I got was the kind of education that most of students outside the country got. More like International school. where as lot of my other family didn't do so good in their income and the kind of school they went to was very indian. The kind of friends I had decided a status for me as well and stratification is something that just stays with you. khush001
Stratification seems like it just limits people to choices similar to what their parents had to choose. That it takes away options from those in the upper class as well as the lower classes. This might seem like really small ways but its a limiting of choices in the end. For example, say an upper class kid really likes antiques. He/she wants to open an antique store when they get older. However their parents have already chosen that s/he will be either a doctor or an engineer and that is final. While they still have the option to climb according to societal expectations they now lack some choices that they might otherwise have chosen. Delta001
Social Stratification could be described as layers of authority. Wealthy, middle-class, and poor tend to feed off of each other. While being born into a social status will invariably cause your social path, along with what ever mindset you learn . If your raised into a family that assumes college is a norm, most likely you will strive to make it happen, since you have first-hand knowledge that it can work out for you. I myself , am a prime example of social mobility, as I am the first one in my family to receive college degrees. I have an awesome opportunity that I am taking full advantage of. Most of my friends are factory workers along with my dad and in-laws, and that's a hard living. It was always a good thing to know someone who could help you get on a job. But the jobs that I will be doing now, will be of my own choice. People have the power to do what you want to do, with hard work, you can break the layers of Stratification. Rosebudd001
I like that he states how layering people into categories can help make general statements on how they may act. I can see this being beneficial in some cases. I like to think of it as being normal for people to categorize people, and I believe we all do it. Stratification can be negative in some societies in my opinion. For example, is it fair that there are people being born into a lower level on the cast system. Some Indians justify it with there religion by saying it's simply karma. I do get and respect their culture, but this doesn't leave the best taste in my mouth. I wasn't born into a rich family, so if I lived in India I'd be doomed to not being able to escape the level in the Caste System. This would drive me mad. I agree with sociologist that the layer in which you're placed in does have an effect. Especially if you're reminded of it constantly. Taylojj2
There is a book called Equality: The Impossible Quest, by Martin Van Creveld of the University of Jerusalem in Israel. I believe this book presents a good argument for how the drive for destratification is a futile effort because it will always be present. Ultimately all of society inherently utilizes a hierarchy. It is the logical conclusion that must occur upon the interaction of two separate human beings. It is impossible to have two human beings be exactly the same in every aspect, therefore one will always be better/worse at some aspects than the other. This problem cannot be thrown out as irrelevant due to the innate feature that their difference can be analogous in every situation. When one talks about equality, it is important that a clarification be made. Do you support equality of opportunity or equality of outcome? One leads to the inevitable freedom of all humans from any constricting authority. The other leads to the injustice that people place upon each other. Unfortunately, when people talk about equality nowadays they all have equality of outcome in mind. FreedomUnderGod001
Stratification is a fancy word for division of society. I am middle class according to popular media institutions. I do, however, fit into anyone of the three classes of American citizens: lower, middle and upper, depending on who is devising the classification model. Lower class would view me as upper class if they are financially destitute. Upper class probably views me as lower class because lower and middle are much more alike then any other combination of the three classes. Our entire society easily fits the stratification theory. Government, corporations, and churches all can be broken down to individual layers. The tragedy is that we do not have society that was more or less based, to a greater extent, on merit; Meritocracy. Its seems to be more about social alliances, who you know, than abilities. I have not gained much in life on my personal merit, but have reaped the benefits of good life; I owe much success to my family and friends. I am beginning to see how i am fortunate, and other are at a disadvantage. Packers001
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you Packers001 because our society has told us where we are placed based on our income stature. Each class does view the other class differently because they are all from different classes and have different view points. For instance, some people are good friends with the same class because they share morals and share other expectations. This video was interesting to watch and made me relaize a lot about myself.
DeleteSummer001
I agree, now taking a step back I have realized how blessed and fortunate I am. Being born an American citizen already has given me so many advantages in life, like an affordable education or even freedom to get an education. I know I will not have the nicest car or the fanciest home however, I will appreciate everything I have as if it was the best. Toby001
Deleteyeah same here I have always been middle class and that is my label. At least here in America we have a chance to get better. I think.
DeleteHollaGurl001
For me I was the first one to attend college in my family and i don't come from a household of money. As an idividual I decided to better myself and my life chances to suceed greatly later on in life. But I got to this type of mind set because of my family pushing me and honoring me for what I have accomplished so far. I believe that the lower class is at this point right now because of how each person was brought up wealth wise. If you grew up with a low income family then you may grow up that way too, but there are circumstances where a person does decide to be better then that and they move their life foward. It just seems like a mess to me but if you are that person to better yourself and accomplish the things you want I belive anyone can too.
ReplyDeleteSummer001
I would agree with you, i think some people get use to living poor and just accept it and don't try to succeed or go to college. I did not come from a family of wealth either and didn't have the option to go to school. When I graduated high school I had to get a job but always was on the lookout for a better one.
Deletegrateful001
I really want to agree with what you said because it's sunshine and roses but at the same time, some people have to wrestle their way out of the places the come from. When there are no opportunities for a couple hundred miles, it's hard to even find a someone who can drop you off in the middle of a city where opportunities abound. arizona001
DeleteI agree if you want to better your life you have to do something about it, complaining about it won't get you anywhere. The only person that can help you is yourself. TooTall001
DeleteI agree Summer001 I can relate to your situation. Like going to college to better yourself it is very important and I realized that after high school I knew going to college was definitely something I had to do. As well as the lower class majority of the peers around them are not looking forward to going to college they want to figure out ways to make quick money doing street crimes, that is all they see growing up not someone trying to get an education. LAWS001
DeleteI wonder, Summer001, how many generations does it take for us to change our status in life. Will our great grandchildren see it if our kids follow our course. Or will it be great-great-great grandkids? I know its hypothetical, but i hope our future generations will improve their standing in life. With my parents, my mother was the only one with a college degree. In my siblings, I will soon make the third of four children with a degree. My wife has multiple degrees, and i desperately want my children to go to college. Its just interesting to imagine later generations not being mired in the dissonance of middle class America. I hope for that, and that their not trust fund baby brats too. Lol. Packers001
ReplyDeleteWhat about who or what defines status period? What if what we feel is our success our children don't agree with they could go down a totally different path and feel successful just the same. I do believe in making your own path and going for it. We have one life. We don't know how long we have here on earth period. I am very hopeful that people in general will go for whatever they want irregardless of their so called stratification or social standing! WonderWoman001
DeleteI think that it takes an anomaly to change our status in life. I also think it just depends on the culture. Getting an education isn't at the top of the list for many where I'm from. For me it was seeing shows on television with educated people that looked like me that motivated me. So, changing of one status can be triggered by many things and it is possible. It's now not only considered cool to be educated, but it's encouraged by many in my community now. I've seen that with this happpening, it's allowed people to get out of a status born into if they choose. Taylojj2
DeleteI think stratification is just another way to put labels on different classes of society's hierarchy. I think its more clear in this country than others, some people have higher statuses and power and wealth than in most of the world. Social stratification reflects in us all and stays persistent with generations it also happens everywhere but takes on different forms in different parts of society i.e. the poor, rich, middle class, upper middle class ect.. yes in some places you can do more than others but your still stuck in one of the layers regardless.
ReplyDeletegrateful001
It really interesting to compare stratification with the actual social hierarchy it is meant to describe. Stratification, like the social hierarchy you described, has no actual form in reality. Stratification is simply a metaphor, a rhetorical tool; your described social hierarchy is simply a mental construct, a thought help by an individual. Both have no physical form, but both are very powerful in shaping an individual. Karma001
DeleteI also agree with grateful. There is a definate reflection on status within our community. There isn't anything fanciful in driving through lower income neighborhoods, or driving five minutes into a gated community. Social stratification touches all humans, in all walks of life. There is always a boss. There will always be management, and workers under their watch.
DeleteRosebudd001
Social stratification being the hierarchy of a society is really evident in the very short and false world of high school. For four years people are put into these superficial layers and they play a role with that layer. No matter how false it is, it is detrimental to those who can’t handle being rejected and puts a large scar on those who don’t feel accepted for the layer that they represent. Spending even one year out of that environment, you can look back and know that those layers are chains that others have tried to force on you to control you in the society that they made up. Arizona001
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more. I just graduated from high school this past Sunday, so I know there are definitely different cliques in high school that can be very mean to outsiders. This is very similar to what the speaker in the video said about the layers of the earth. One of my friends joined a clique that was very excluding to outsiders. My friend started to act different to try and fit it. By acting that way she lost the friendship of another great person. I'm glad you mentioned high school because I would have never thought about social stratification being in high school before.
Deleteswimmer001
Chinua Achebe, author of the popular novel Things Fall Apart, once wrote “the poet is indeed a person who shapes our vision of the world,.... and provides us with the vocabulary, or new vocabulary, to describe it.” There is so much power in language, the ways we describe the world around us affect the way we perceive and process it. Though Achebe is speaking of the effect poetic literature has on society, I would like to correlate this to the current sociologist. By presenting a society by the metaphorical layering of stratification sociologist are indeed presenting a new rhetoric for describing a society. Now what should be called into question is the morality of doing so. What effect will this new way of describing society have on the world around us? These sociologist, whether or not they recognize it, possess great power over western society. We, as participants in this society, should be mindful of this power, analyzing how the new rhetoric presented by modern sociologist is applied to our society. Karma001
ReplyDeleteStratification and how it can affect our personal selves is important. The fact that it does or can carry from generation to generation doesn't mean that it will either positively or negatively. I'm curious as to how divorce can affect this outcome. My parents were only married a couple years divorced when I was 2. My mom raised my brother and I alone, we were not struggling but we were poor. My dad went on to have another family and furthered his education and ended up highly successful in his eyes as he makes a lot of money and has the things he wants in life. His other children went on to further their education and got higher degrees etc. So for me I grew up in an abusive home and worked hard to get out of there became a wife and mom that was my choice...we struggled as well as neither of us were educated and I was a stay at home mom. I've been trying since I was young to change my course that I was so called destined to live. My mom is uneducated and I saw her struggle til this day she will always. I do not want to live this way. After my late husband passed away a year and half ago I decided to immediately go to college, I had the opportunity and I wasn't going to waste it. I chose to prepare for the day when I have to now become financially independent. I know I cannot make it on a minimum wage job. I want better for myself and my daughter. As well as showing her that at age 34 years old you can go back to school and make your life better. This is my hope. My point is that I believe in choices to make your life what it is. I don't want the moon and stars or big fancy things but I will work hard to get what I need in life and hopefully get to enjoy whatever life I get to live. WonderWoman001
ReplyDeleteInequality in social stratification in some cultures not only gives some people more than others they also say this is fair. Then goes on to explain why people should be unequal in certain societies. Students can go to school for anything they want no matter what size they are, however they don't tell you that size matters and very large people won't be able to find jobs in the HVAC residential field. Over half of the jobs I've been on are in very tight crawl spaces that anyone bigger won't fit in. TooTall001
ReplyDeleteI definitely think stratification has an effect on people. The visual that the speaker gave with the layers of the earth were very interesting. To picture the stratification of society by picturing different layers of the earth helps make stratification more easily understood. I am glad the U.S. has more of a class system compared to a caste system. My family is definitely not upper class people but more middle class. But compared to most of the world, they would probably view my family as an upper class family. That just shows the difference between higher- and lower-income countries. I think it is sad that society is divided so much by either who you were born to or how much money you make. My dream would be to see a society where all people are treated equal and are given the same rights.
ReplyDeleteswimmer001
I would want to disagree with you on the part where you said you want to see a society where all people are treated equally and are give the same rights. Today just talking about United States, people are give same rights and we do practice equality here. Talking about higher and lower income it comes from the kind of education, and occupation. If people are making more money than somebody else there is nothing wrong, their upper class lifestyle is the reward of their education and occupation they are in. You cannot take away someone's ability or reward just equalize with someone whose occupation is totally different.
Deletekhush001
Stratifications meaning as he explained it being layers of the earth looking the same but being up close and personal some things are the same and some the things are very much different like the layers of society. What layers should we be looking at? We can layer society by gender, age, race, sexuality, many different ways of layering. Comparing layers is a way of finding out how they are all different. Where you are in the layers may have some kind of impact on your life chances. Moving between layers that being called social mobility, achieving status. Receiving better education can help with moving between layers. LAWS001
ReplyDeleteI like the way you explained the different layers of society. I took a more broad overview when describing the layers. I think that there is so much more in a society then just a simple layer. So many factors go into a single "layer." I think stratification has an effect on people more so then I ever previously imagined. SVT001.
DeleteThanks for explaining that a bit more. I didn't really understand when the vlogger said something similar in the video. It makes sense that there are so many different layers in society even among layers. Everyone can fit into so many different categories at the same time that it would't make sense to just push everyone into three generic layers.
DeleteDelta001
I liked his metaphor about the layers of the earth. The layers represented the idea of stratification. When you look at society from far away it looks like there are even layers but upon a closer look you can see all the different little layers in-between the large layers. It is important to look at yourself in global stratification. I think it is interesting to think how we ourselves have been in a specific layer. Most people will never leave their layer. We are born into a layer and unless we do something different weather this is good or bad we will most likely stay within the same class of individuals. Until this class I have never put any thought into what social class I belong too. I think the most important thing for me is to be grateful that I was born in the USA and glad my parents strived to provide the best for my brother and I. SVT001.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because I too feel lucky that I was born in the U.S. Unfortunately though I think the U.S. has just as much "layering" as any other country in the world. Just the difference with us is that it is easier to move up layers. Moving up can usually be done by getting a big promotion, getting a college degree, or the rarest example, winning the lottery. glassonion001
DeleteBeing born in the U.S. is an advantage that most of the population of the world don't have. What everyone here has to remember is that at one point our ancestors would have had to come to america one way or the other, some more recently than others. Those ancestors of yours worked their butts off so that you could enjoy the quality of life that you currently indulge in. My grandfather came here with a little over a dozen cents to his name, worked multiple jobs throughout a rough economy in order to afford to bring my grandmother, uncle, and father over to the US, then continued working his whole life until we recently made him stop because of health issues. Everyone in this class has one thing in common: We are standing on the shoulders of giants. FreedomUnderGod001
DeleteI think labeling people by their financial or social status is wrong because, some of the poorest people I know live the richest lives. How? They are grateful for the little things they have and feel blessed even though they might have not had much luck in life. However, I believe social stratification does exist because, I know if a very wealthy person looked at the car I drove and the house I lived in they might consider me poor. Yet, if a less fortunate person looked at what I was driving and where I lived they might consider me upper middle class. I guess it all depends on how someone was raised and what privileges they are given or have earned. Toby001
ReplyDeleteI agree with what the vlogger said when he brought up how we are "layered' in society can affect our life chances. This is something that we discussed on the first day of class. Just because I have the right to go to a Princeton or Harvard doesn't mean I'll be able to if my grades are good enough. There is a lot that would be holding me back from going to a school like that, but the main drawback would be the issue of money. It's kind of hard to think that something like money or gender can hold a person in a social layer, but it is just the reality of the society we live in the U.S. and other places around the world. glassonion001
ReplyDeleteSocial Stratification is something that I have lived my childhood in extreme levels. Living in India up until I was 14 years old, I lived in the upper class lifestyle. Family construction business decided the kind of social interaction that we had then. The kind of education I got was the kind of education that most of students outside the country got. More like International school. where as lot of my other family didn't do so good in their income and the kind of school they went to was very indian. The kind of friends I had decided a status for me as well and stratification is something that just stays with you.
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Stratification seems like it just limits people to choices similar to what their parents had to choose. That it takes away options from those in the upper class as well as the lower classes. This might seem like really small ways but its a limiting of choices in the end. For example, say an upper class kid really likes antiques. He/she wants to open an antique store when they get older. However their parents have already chosen that s/he will be either a doctor or an engineer and that is final. While they still have the option to climb according to societal expectations they now lack some choices that they might otherwise have chosen.
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It is captivating to learn about different cultures and how every individual is different. And unique. HollaGurl001
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Social Stratification could be described as layers of authority. Wealthy, middle-class, and poor tend to feed off of each other. While being born into a social status will invariably cause your social path, along with what ever mindset you learn . If your raised into a family that assumes college is a norm, most likely you will strive to make it happen, since you have first-hand knowledge that it can work out for you. I myself , am a prime example of social mobility, as I am the first one in my family to receive college degrees. I have an awesome opportunity that I am taking full advantage of. Most of my friends are factory workers along with my dad and in-laws, and that's a hard living. It was always a good thing to know someone who could help you get on a job. But the jobs that I will be doing now, will be of my own choice. People have the power to do what you want to do, with hard work, you can break the layers of Stratification. Rosebudd001
ReplyDeleteI like that he states how layering people into categories can help make general statements on how they may act. I can see this being beneficial in some cases. I like to think of it as being normal for people to categorize people, and I believe we all do it. Stratification can be negative in some societies in my opinion. For example, is it fair that there are people being born into a lower level on the cast system. Some Indians justify it with there religion by saying it's simply karma. I do get and respect their culture, but this doesn't leave the best taste in my mouth. I wasn't born into a rich family, so if I lived in India I'd be doomed to not being able to escape the level in the Caste System. This would drive me mad. I agree with sociologist that the layer in which you're placed in does have an effect. Especially if you're reminded of it constantly. Taylojj2
ReplyDeleteThere is a book called Equality: The Impossible Quest, by Martin Van Creveld of the University of Jerusalem in Israel. I believe this book presents a good argument for how the drive for destratification is a futile effort because it will always be present. Ultimately all of society inherently utilizes a hierarchy. It is the logical conclusion that must occur upon the interaction of two separate human beings. It is impossible to have two human beings be exactly the same in every aspect, therefore one will always be better/worse at some aspects than the other. This problem cannot be thrown out as irrelevant due to the innate feature that their difference can be analogous in every situation. When one talks about equality, it is important that a clarification be made. Do you support equality of opportunity or equality of outcome? One leads to the inevitable freedom of all humans from any constricting authority. The other leads to the injustice that people place upon each other. Unfortunately, when people talk about equality nowadays they all have equality of outcome in mind. FreedomUnderGod001
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