SOCIAL stratification

What is Social Stratification?Social stratification refers to the system of ranking

people into groups according to one or more criteria deemed important to society. These include race, colour and wealth among others. It can also be defined as the process by which society is divided in terms of hierarchy where one social group is placed higher than another group. This hierarchy is a rank order of groups and is linked strongly to perceptions of ethnicity, colour, class and even gender.

It is based on four principles:-Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a

reflection of individual differencesSocial stratification carries over from generation to

generationSocial stratification is universal but variableSocial stratification involves not just inequality but

beliefs as well

How is Social Stratification divided?Social stratification is divided into three

categories. They are:-Upper classMiddle classLower class

Social stratification under the plantation societyThe plantation society in the Caribbean during the seventeenth,

eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was a closed system of stratification based on the criteria of race and colour. During the slavery period, Caribbean social structure was basically a hierarchical one in which Amerindians, blacks, and browns were subordinated to white control. While the lighter-skinned classes were generally spared the more burdensome plantation work, the system routinely dehumanized Amerindian and black labour through a regime of constant brutality to ensure absolute obedience.

Levels of brutality were publicly displayed to the others. Such violence defined the very nature of plantation life.

Few Amerindians survived plantation enslavement and those who did, particularly those in the mainland territories such as Guyana, were eventually restricted behind institutionalized and remote reservations.

The distribution of resources within Caribbean plantation society was along racial and ethnic lines. Black slaves were regarded as cheap labour necessary to replace an earlier white indentured labour, which had proved to be unreliable. Such cheap labour policies influenced the maintenance of low wages, which continued with the immigration of indentured servants after emancipation.

Unlike the lighter-skinned indentured servants, the black ex-slaves were denied credits and loans to go into more lucrative self-employment and business ventures. Compared to blacks, lighter-skinned ethnicities were given more favours and facilities by the colonial office to succeed in wealth creation, while every opportunity was taken by the planter classes to force blacks back into plantation labour.

Pictures of social stratification

Pyramid showing social stratificationWHITES-planters

formed the plantocracy. They were overseers,

agents and so on.COLOURED AND FREE BLACKS-they aspired

towards the values of the whites. They were

lawyers, shopkeepers and so on.

BLACKS- THE ENSLAVED-slaves were chattel

Table showing social stratificationCLASS COLOUR STATUS

Upper class/caste/ruling elites

Traditionally white Own wealth, means of production and political power

Intermediate class/caste

Mulatto/browns Usually educated ,own some wealth, desire but lack political power

Working class/caste Blacks Slaves, uneducated, lack wealth and political power

SummaryThe upper class in the Caribbean continues

to be considered whites. They continue to own and control a significant proportion of the territory’s wealth, and as such possess great economic, social and political power. The non-white populations continue to be situated at the lower end of the social strata. They constitute the public servants and unskilled workers in the society.

Concepts Plantocracy-is a ruling class, political order or government composed of

plantation owners. Bourgeoisie-they were the capitalists and owned the means of

production. It is used to culturally identify the man or woman who is a member of the wealthiest social class in capitalist societies.

Intelligentsia-those who had the benefit of higher education. Middleclass-is a group of people who falls between the upper and

working class. Underclass-is defined as those who belong to the lowest social stratum

and although some may be employed, for the most part they live below the poverty level.

Working class-is a term used to describe those employed in lower jobs (as measured by skill, education and lower incomes), often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes.

Caste-a hereditary social group limited to persons of the same rank, occupation and economic position, distinguishing it from other groups.

Social mobilitySocial mobility refers to the upward or downward movement

of individuals and groups from one social class to another of the social hierarchy.

In closed systems of social stratification, mobility was not possible however, in the modern times membership in a social class is open and depends on a person’s wealth, status and prestige. In this case upward mobility will take place.

The main ways of achieving upward social mobility are by marrying someone with money, becoming educated allowing you to secure a well-paying job and so on. Persons who are already in the higher social class have more ot less inherited family wealth. They are the owners and managres of business or it could have been that they worked hard to achieve what they have.

The most popular way of achieving social mobility is through education especially for those of lower social classes. In modern times, education has been more easily accessible to everyone in all income groups.

Education is responsible for entirely new class formations for example, the intelligentsia and workforce involved in new occupations involving technology and micro-electronics.

Education and training up to secondary and post-secondary levels opens up access to opportunities and represents a path to upward social mobility for those in lower income groups.

The structure of Caribbean societies shows that many descendants of Africans and Indians are in the higher social classes however large number of persons in these groups have not been successful in achieving social mobility.

They continue to exist as the poorest groups in society and are at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

The wealthier and more powerful groups such as the whites, near whites and coloured continue to be at the higher social classes and do not seem to have encountered downward social mobility.