Criteria for the stratification of society. Social stratification: concept, criteria, types

Social stratification: concept, criteria, types

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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 the cultural (become a recognizable cultural figure), in the social sphere (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 identifying 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

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:

1. level of income and wealth.
2. The level of political power.
3. 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:

1. Administrators are the highest class of professionals.
2. Mid-level professionals.
3. Commercial class.
4. petty bourgeoisie.
5. skilled and unskilled workers.

And this is not the whole list of social strata of society. When developing a general idea of ​​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, it was only necessary to participate in political decisions, as well as to get closer to the power structures.

How can the proportion of each stratum be determined? 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. Need to use A complex 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.

System social institutions consisted of the army, the court, the church. They always followed the rules hierarchical structure 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 identified the "old middle class", which includes small business owners as well as 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, it is necessary 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!

There is a part social system, which acts as a set of the most stable elements and their connections that ensure the functioning and reproduction of the system. It expresses the objective division of society into classes, layers, pointing to the different position of people in relation to each other. social structure forms the framework of the social system and largely determines the stability of society and its qualitative characteristic as a social organism.

The concept of stratification (from lat. stratum- layer, layer) denotes the stratification of society, differences in the social status of its members. social stratificationis 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 features.

Different sociologists explain the causes of social inequality and, consequently, social stratification in different ways. Yes, according to 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 their importance. professional activity and contribution which they contribute by their labor to the achievement of the goals of society. Supporters exchange theories(J. Homans) believe that inequality in society arises due to unequal exchange of 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 level of income), 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 creators 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).

Founder 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 social stratification criteria:

• 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 in the form of movable or immovable property);
• 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- 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 scientists distinguish three main classes: high, middle and low. 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) identified six classes in his famous Yankee City study:

• top-top class(representatives of influential and wealthy dynasties with significant resources of power, wealth and prestige);
• lower-higher 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 figures);
• 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(poor, 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 is manifested in their social life and is hierarchical. 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.

1. Social stratification contemporary Russian societies

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   In Russia; - find out features social stratification contemporary Russian societies, the comparative importance of its criteria, trends occurring in the area...

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   Formerly the main differentiator criterion was a place in ... V. V. Real Russia: Social stratification contemporary Russian societies. M., 2006. 3. Golenkova Z. T. Social stratification Russian societies M., 2003. 4. Marginalization as...

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   ... social stratification, as well as criteria estimates contemporary Russian societies and inherent stratification. The aim of this work is to determine the essence stratification ...

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Social stratification allows us to imagine society not as a chaotic heap social statuses, but as a complex but clear structure of status positions that are in certain dependencies.

To assign statuses to one or another level of the hierarchy, appropriate grounds or criteria must be defined.

Criteria of social stratification - indicators that allow you to determine the position of individuals and social groups on a hierarchical scale of social status.

The question of the foundations of social stratification in the history of sociological thought was solved ambiguously. So, K. Marx believed that these should be economic indicators which, in his opinion, determine the state of all other relations in society. Fact a person's possession of property and the level of his income he considered as the basis of social stratification. Marx came to the conclusion that the history of all societies, with the exception of the primitive and the future communist, is the history of classes and class struggle, as a result of which society rises to a higher level of development. Slaves and slave-owners, feudal lords and peasants, workers and bourgeoisie are irreconcilable in their social position.

M. Weber believed that Marx simplified the picture of stratification, and an accurate picture of inequality can be obtained using multidimensional criteria: along with economic situation needs to be considered prestige of a profession or occupation, as well as measure of power possessed by an individual or his social group. Unlike Marx, he associated the concept of class only with capitalist society, where the market is the most important regulator of relations. In the market, people occupy different positions, i.e., they are in a different “class situation”. Property and lack of property are the basic categories of all class situations. The totality of people who are in the same class situation constitutes, according to Weber, a social class. Those who do not own property and can offer only services on the market are divided according to the types of services. Property owners can be differentiated according to what they own.

This approach was developed by P. Sorokin, who also believed that the position of an individual in the social space can be more accurately described not by a single, but by several indicators: economic (income), political (power, prestige) and professional (status).

In the XX century. many other models of stratification have been created. Thus, the American sociologist B. Barber proposed a whole range of features for the stratification of society: the prestige of the profession; power and might; income and wealth; education; religious or ritual purity; the position of relatives; ethnicity.

The creators of the theory of post-industrial society, the French sociologist A. Touraine and the American D. Bell, believe that in modern society social differentiation occurs not in relation to property, prestige, power, ethnicity, but in terms of access to information. The dominant position is occupied by people who own strategic and new information, as well as the means of controlling it.

In modern sociological science, the following indicators act as the basis of social stratification: income, power, education, prestige. The first three indicators have specific units of measurement: income is measured in money, power - in the number of people to whom it applies, education - in the number of years of study and the status of an educational institution. Prestige is determined on the basis of public opinion polls and self-assessments of individuals.

These indicators determine the overall socio-economic status, i.e., the position of an individual (social group) in society. Let us consider in more detail the bases of stratification.

Income- This economic characteristic the position of the individual. It is expressed as the amount of cash receipts for a certain period of time. Sources of income can be different income - salary, scholarships, pensions, allowances, fees, cash bonuses, bank charges on deposits. Members of the middle and lower classes tend to spend their income on sustenance. But if the amount of income is significant, it can be accumulated and converted into expensive movable and real estate(car, yacht, helicopter, securities, precious items, paintings, rare items), which will amount to wealth. The main asset of the upper class is not income, but wealth. It allows a person not to work for the sake of a salary, it can be inherited. If the life situation changes and a person loses high incomes, he will have to turn wealth back into money. Therefore, high income does not always mean great wealth, and vice versa.

The uneven distribution of income and wealth in society means economic inequality. Poor and rich people have different life chances. Having a lot of money empowers a person, allows him to eat better, take care of his health, live in more comfortable conditions, pay for education in a prestigious educational institution, etc.

Power is the ability individuals or groups to impose their will on others, regardless of their desire. Power is measured by the number of people who are subject to this influence. The power of the head of the department extends to several people, the chief engineer of the enterprise - to several hundred people, the minister - to several thousand, and the President of Russia - to all its citizens. His status has the highest rank in social stratification. Power in modern society is fixed by law and tradition, surrounded by privileges and wide access to social benefits. Power allows you to control key resources. To master them means to gain dominion over people. People who have power or enjoy recognition, authority for their economic, political, spiritual activities, constitute the elite of society, its highest social stratum.

Education- the basis of general cultural and vocational training in modern society, one of the characteristics of the achieved status. As society develops, knowledge becomes more specialized and deep, so modern man spends much more time on education than even a few hundred years ago. On average, it takes 20 years to train a specialist (for example, an engineer) in modern society, given that before entering a university, he must receive a secondary education. The level of education is determined not only by the number of years of study, but also by the rank of educational institutions that confirmed in the manner prescribed by law (diploma or certificate) the individual's education: high school, college, university.

Prestige- the respect with which public opinion relates to a particular profession, position, occupation or individual for his personal qualities. The formation of the professional and job structure of society is an important function of social institutions. The nomenclature of professions eloquently testifies to the nature of society (agrarian, industrial, informational) and the stage of its development. It is changeable, just as the prestige of various professions is changeable.

For example, in medieval society, the profession of a priest was perhaps the most prestigious, which cannot be said about modern society. In the 30s.

20th century millions of boys dreamed of becoming pilots. Everyone had the names of V.P. Chkalov, M.V. Vodopyanov, N.P. Kamanin on their lips. AT post-war years and especially after the development of scientific and technological revolution in the middle of the 20th century. the prestige of the engineering profession has grown in society, and computerization of the 90s. updated the professions of computer specialists and programmers.

The most prestigious at all times were considered professions associated with access to valuable resources for a given society - money, scarce goods, power or knowledge, information. A person, as a rule, seeks to emphasize his own high prestige with appropriate status symbols: clothes, accessories, an expensive car brand, awards.

In sociological science, there is such a thing as a ladder of professional prestige. This is a scheme that reflects the degree of public respect that goes to a particular profession. The basis for its construction is the study of public opinion. Such polls are especially popular in the USA. An example of a scale built by American researchers based on a generalization of the results of public opinion polls conducted in 1949-1982 is shown in Table. 6. (The highest score awarded to the profession is 100, the lowest is 1.)

Table 6

Scale of professional prestige

Type of occupation	Points	Type of occupation	Points
		Typist
college professor		Plumber
		Watchmaker
		Stewardess
		Baker
		Shoemaker
civil engineer		Bulldozer
Sociologist		Truck driver
Political scientist
Mathematician		Salesman
School teacher
Accountant		Housekeeper
Librarian		railway worker
Specialist, on computers