Social Stratification in the United States
Social Stratification in the United States
“In sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of social classes, castes and strata within a society. While these hierarchies are not universal to all societies, they are the norm among state-level cultures. Social inequality is a basic aspect of all social processes.”
“Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures.”
“Most societies, especially nation states, seem to have some notion of social class. We can consider United States as a good example.
United States
Educational attainment, occupational position and income are the main determinants of class in the US. “While it is possible to create dozens of social classes within the confines of American society, most Americans employ a six or five class system.” The most commonly applied class concepts are:
· “Upper class; those with great influence, wealth and prestige.
· Upper middle class; the upper middle class consists of white collar professionals with advanced post-secondary educational degrees and comfortable personal incomes. Upper middle class professionals have large amounts of autonomy in the workplace and therefore enjoy high job satisfaction.
· (Lower) middle class; Semi-professionals, non-retail salespeople and craftsmen who have some college education who often suffer from a lack of job security.
· Working class; according to some experts such Michael Zweig, this class may constitute the majority of Americans and include those otherwise referred to as lower middle. It includes blue as well as white collar workers who have relatively low personal incomes and lack college degrees with many being among the 45% of Americans who have never attended college.
· Lower class; this class includes the poor, alienated and marginalized members of society. While most individuals in this class work, they commonly drift in and out of poverty throughout the year.”
