copyright © allyn & bacon 2008 social groups and social stratification (miller chapter 7)

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008

Social Groups and Social Stratification

(Miller Chapter 7)


The BIG Questions

What is the range of cross-cultural variation of social groups?

What is social stratification, and what are its effects on people?

What is civil society?


What is a social group? A social group is a

cluster of people beyond the domestic unit who are usually related on grounds other than kinship, although kinship relationships may exist between people in the group


Social group and responsibilities Members of all social groups have

a sense of rights and responsibilities in relation to the group which, if not maintained, could mean loss of membership


Categories of social groups Primary group – consisting of people

who interact with each other and know each other personally

Secondary group – consisting of people who identify with each other on some common ground but who may never meet with one another or interact with each other personally


Types of Social Groups

Friendship Clubs and fraternities Countercultural groups Work groups Cooperatives Self-help groups


Friendship Friendship refers to close social ties

between at least two people that are informal, are voluntary, and (usually) involve personal, face-to-face interaction

Friends are mutually supportive of each other, psychologically and sometimes materially


Friendship Vary cross culturally

e.g. Racial segregation, gender segregation may limit possibilities for friendships

Influenced by technology Cell phones, internet

May play important roles in economic survival In low income communities Sharing, swapping goods (food and clothing),

baby sitting, lending money between individuals Often refer to each other by kin terms to signify

the importance and significance of these relationships


Friendship

Usually between social equals

Related to microcultural factors such as gender, age, class, ethnicity, and institutions

Maintained through balanced exchange

May contribute to economic security among the poor


Clubs and Fraternities Clubs and fraternities are social groups that

define membership in terms of a sense of shared identity and objectives

May comprise of people of the same… Ethnic heritage Occupation or business Religion Gender

Often some sort of initiation to be accepted Anything from paying monetary dues to gang rape


Clubs and Fraternities Have a variety of functions

Sociability Psychological support Economic and political roles

Sponsoring special events Responding to emergencies Collecting food or money to distribute to those

less fortunate Volunteering in the community in other ways etc.


Clubs and Fraternities


Countercultural Groups People who resist conforming to the

dominant cultural pattern – are outside the “mainstream” of society Hippies Youth gangs Body modification groups

Importance of bonding through shared initiation and other rituals


Youth gangs Youth gang refers to a group of young

people, found mainly in urban areas, who are often considered a social problem by adults and law enforcement officials

Are not always violent May be very formally organized or

informally organized


Street gangs Street gangs are a formal variety of a

youth gang, often involved in unlawful activities Have leaders and a hierarchy of

membership roles and responsibilities There are a variety of theories for why

individuals join street gangs


Body Modification Groups Include people who have a sense of

community strengthened through forms of body alteration

Doing something that sets apart from others, to identify with a certain body modification group

Often not accepted by the “mainstream”


Work Groups Work groups are groups organized to

perform specific tasks Prominent in horticultural and agricultural

communities Building homes, roads, land preparation,

harvesting, or repair of irrigation canals require large inputs of labor that exceed the capability of a single household unit

May provide labor for chiefs Often made up of youths Can be informally or formally organized


Work Groups


Cooperatives Cooperatives are a form of

economic group with three key features Co-ops are owned and controlled

by their primary users Surpluses are shared among the

members Decision making follows the

democratic principle of one vote per person

May be beneficial economically and may provide a source of mutual strength and support


Self-Help Groups

Self-help groups are groups formed to achieve specific personal goals Coping with illness or bereavement Lifestyle change Trying to exercise more or lose weight

Numbers have proliferated in recent years

Can occur in person or online http://dailystrength.org/support-groups


Self-Help


Social Stratification Social stratification consists of

hierarchical relationships between different groups – as though they were arranged in layers or strata


Social Stratification A person’s position

or standing in society is referred to that person’s status


Social Stratification All social stratification systems have several

commonalities1. People in groups in higher positions have

privileges not experienced in lower-echelon groups

2. Those with greater entitlements are dominant those with lesser entitlements

3. Members of the dominant groups tend – consciously or unconsciously – to seek to maintain their position

4. In spite of efforts to maintain systems of dominance, instances of subversion and rebellion do occur, indicating the potential for agency among the oppressed


Social Stratification


Social Stratification Status in society may be…

Ascribed Based on qualities of a person gained through

birth More “closed” in terms of mobility within the

system “Race” Ethnicity Gender Age Physical ability

Achieved Based on qualities of a person gained through

action More “open” in terms of mobility within the

system Class


Social Stratification

Achieved Status Ascribed Status

Class “Race”

Ethnicity

Caste

Hierarchical relationships among different groups including outright discrimination.


Social Class Social class refers to a person’s or

group’s position in society defined primarily in economic terms

In many cultures, class is a key factor in determining a person’s status, whereas in others, it is less important than, for example, birth into a certain family

Is a secondary group


Social Class Prevailing ideology in U.S. is that of

meritocratic individualism The belief that rewards go to those who deserve

them Individual has the option of moving up in class if

they work hard Structurists point to the power of economic

class position in shaping a person’s lifestyle and his/her ability to choose a different one Lack of money and other economic resources

Leads to inability to easily afford higher education Leads to inability to easily overcome poverty


“Race”, Ethnicity, Gender, and Caste Are secondary groups Highly determined at birth (ascribed),

but there is a slight degree of maneuverability within the system Degree of maneuverability often depends

on the cultural-context Degree of discrimination against these

groups differs depending on the cultural context


“Race”


Problem with the Traditional Concept of “Race” Racial categories have no basis in

biology Biologically, race is not a valid concept,

especially from a genetic perspective Impossible to tell biologically where one

race ends and another begins Genetic variation within racial groups is

much greater than the genetic variation between racial groups


Modern Day Understanding of Race in Everyday Life Race has been traditionally used as a

biological term, but it has enormous social significance. Influence social identity (along with age

and gender) Plays a huge role in how someone is

initially perceived and judged by others Still a widespread perception that

certain physical characteristics are associated with various cultural attributes


Modern Day Understanding of Race in Everyday Life Racial classifications based on skin

color, depth of skin tone, skin texture, hair color, facial features, other physical features

Levels of income, levels of education, amount of money may influence racial categorizations “Money whitens” in many areas

People with the same physical features may be considered to be in different “races” depending upon how much money they have


Racism Based on false belief that intellect and

cultural factors are inherited with physical characteristics.

Uses culturally defined variables to typify all members of particular populations.

Assumes that one's own group is superior.

Racism is a cultural phenomenon (not a biological one) that is found worldwide.


Racism Pretending that racism doesn’t exist

may allow it continue 1994 – end of apartheid in South Africa

Official end of laws supporting segregation Existence of racism is denied Led to lack of public discussions about racism Allows racial discrimination to continue in subtle

but often just as harmful ways http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/global/civil_

human_equal_rights/SouthAfricaUFS.asp


Racism


Example: post-apartheid recovery in South Africa


Racism Racism exists not only between

different “races” Racism exists even within “races”

There has been a debate within the last few years on whether Obama is black enough… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VyDNug2W

EI


Ethnicity Ethnicity is a sense of group membership

based on a shared sense of identity Often self-defined versus categorizing people

in a particular “race” which is defined by others

May be based on the perception of shared history, territory, language, religion, or a combination of these

May experience discrimination based on ethnicity In extreme cases may experience ethnocide =

the annihilation of the culture of an ethnic group by a dominant group


Gender and Sexism Gender inequalities are based on

perceived differences between people born male or female or somewhere in between

Varies cross culturally Patriarchy – male dominance in

economic, political, social, and ideological domains Common but not universal cross culturally Varies in severity and results

Honor killings are an extreme case Killing a woman whose behavior dishonors her

family


Gender and Sexism Matriarchy – female dominance in

economic, political, social, and ideological domains Much more rare

Found among the pre-colonial Iroquois Minangkabau


Caste System The caste system is a social stratification

system linked with Hinduism and based on a person’s birth into a particular group Is an ascribed system Most associated with India Divided into four varnas (their term for their

major social categories) Brahmans - priests Kshatriya - warriors Vaishya - merchants Shudras – laborers

Within each of these varnas are hundreds of locally named social categories called castes


Caste System There is a fifth group of people called the

dalits, or untouchables. There are about 150 million dalits living in India

today Are the lowest grouping Sometimes placed outside the varnas system

because they are seen as not even being human

Discrimination based on caste is illegal in the Indian constitution, but in practice discrimination persists


India’s Varna System: Basic of the Caste/Jati System


Brahmin priests of India


Civil Society Civil society consists of diverse interest

groups that function outside the government to organize economic, political, and other aspects of life Can either support or oppose the state

Activist groups Are formed with the goal of protesting certain conditions

such as political repression or human rights violations


Interaction between Civil Society, Government, and Business


New Social Movements New social movements refers to activist

groups of the late 20th and early 21st century Often formed by oppressed minorities

Indigenous peoples Ethnic groups Women Poor

Many use cybertechnology to involve networks wider than their immediate social group Use cybernetworking to…

Broaden their membership Exchange ideas Raise funds


The BIG Questions Revisited

What is the range of cross-cultural variation of social groups?

What is social stratification, and what are its effects on people?

What is civil society?

copyright © allyn & bacon 2008 social groups and social stratification (miller chapter 7)

Documents

copyright allyn bacon

group slide

poor slide

social equals

countercultural groups

fraternities clubs

loss of membership slide

gang rape slide