Stratification Definitions

Social Stratification shows the differences of the people in our society who have a
differed personal status, power, or wealth built off ranks and are much known in the United
States. This would separate the lower, middle, and upper class from each other, being the upper
class generally has more power, wealth and lifestyle, while the lower class suffers these three
qualities. There are four generalized stratification systems; the first being the Caste System,
which is the system that places you in society from the day you are born, this includes
merchants, outcasts, or the homeless. The second is Slavery System, or owning people, which
mostly is known for the debt, crime, or even war outbreaks that happen. The third is the Estate
System, including three groups of estates: nobility, clergy, and serfs; which is what we should
consider the upper, middle, and lower class of our given society. Nobility being the wealthy that
rule the land, Clergy being the taxers and religious leaders, and Serfs being farmers, carpenters,
and the other jobs no one would want.
Finally, the fourth Class System is public toe everyone about stratification directly
correlating to the economy and the roles in the workforce. The first two system are most likely to
be closed because of how society has adapted and the new laws that have been put into place,
while the second two resemble how society is today and how society might form to be, leaving
them open. I believe all systems in some way have achieved status, even if it was completely
immoral to do so, we learn from our mistakes. The parts that have been ascribed; however,
would have to be directly in the heads of the rulers of the lands we live in. Im not talking about
the rulers within the last few hundred years, but the ones that even until this day try to dictate
their rules on the country, which has led to ascribed progression, but also some mass hatred for
decades.

According to Karl Marx, the means of production is using technology, like machines and
tools to substitute hard labor. Marx believed that the best way for a society to change was the
technological advances in the means of production. The ownership of the means of production is
based off of the realistic economy that people can see, rather than the government or religion.
Marx believed that individuals had many abilities to change the world in ways people of higher
authority could not, and for his theory, it could have been helping the lower class realize their
potential. The bourgeoisie were the people who owned the property and the proletariat were the
people that worked in the industry. These two needed each other to stay stable in their society,
because the Bourgeoisie needed to make profit by paying the proletariat less than they should
have received, which is how classes became separated. Class consciousness refers to a person
who will always stay within their social class, which is like someone who moves to a different
continent, but moves back because they cant blend into the culture. Dominant ideology demeans
peoples attitudes and what they believe in their society, they more appreciate the meanings and
morality of the general population; this is like a having society in order without needing the, but
keeps people in their place, like the painter that knew he was a painter. False Consciousness are
people that value material, ideological and institutional views in capitalists societies; they are
faulty leaders from the proletariat.
Weber, who had different views than that of Marx, defined class as a category;
representing that everyone is born with the equal amount of chances in life, but is based from
their economic interests from the income they already possess which is reflected from the current
market. Weber did not believe that the position of the class you held had close relation to the
economy or politics; which is when he added a new category known as the status group. Weber
believed that men were classified by their consumption and not so much their production. Status

groups are the communities that form the society that stick together because of the strength of the
community. Some groups were pertained to stay away from higher groups because of many
ridiculous fears penalty. We could argue that this is where stereotyping has formed because of
people looking at each other as being some different than the person in front of them based off of
Webers and Marx given theories on class. However, party is very influenced by the power held
in politics, and can lead to the influence of men who may be power hungry or just scared to
influence decisions to the higher power to determine political behavior. In theory, the class
controls the society, the groups are already placed in society, and parts of the society level to
make powerful decisions, which would ultimately mean that no matter what economic status one
were born into, they would have the power to change any small materialistic change to the world.
Marx thought that power was rooted, exercised direct or not, and may be the consequences to the
parties that have been attempting to advance faster than normal.
Culture capital is directly related to culture class because class and cultural capital are
both directly related to education, intellect, speech impediment, attire, and appearance, which is
exactly what the generalized population is looking for when they are trying to find their trophy
citizens. It links to the power differences because the more people care about the world they live
in beyond the means of the economy, the more they will be recognized and appreciated by the
people whom are also acquiring to do the same. Culture capital relates to materials by the
economy and peoples obsession with cash and what cash can do for them. Culture capital relates
both to the society from the relationships and the communication from the resources used to keep
the society accepted and peaceful, while the cultural resources help promote the way we think,
the way we learn, our education, and the advantages that create the higher status for us to live in
our society. Parents provide this for their children almost as much as teachers provide it to their

students. Ones attire, housing, vacations, food and sport would be completely dependent based
off of the cultural capital the majority follows. The class one grows up in will determine what
they want to watch, wear and hear throughout their life, a great example would be a gangster in
the hood and a wealthy millionaire. There is a saying that people want to dress to impress
because we want to dress like the people we want to be. People that need to have the perception
of having more money will work for having more money, better clothes, a vacation to a country
no one can pronounce, and the best foods, while people that dont necessarily mind the
perceptive value they hold from people in their society might end up being homeless, or listening
to profane music doing drugs under a bridge in New York City. The faith we have in our society
leads to our personal progression that motivates us to become better as a whole, if we cannot find
the peace we need as a society to survive, we will lose the order, the class, and even the sanity.