Global Stratification

Examples of Global Stratification in the following topics:

• Stratification

  • Global stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in societies around the world.
  • Global stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in societies around the world.
  • Second, dependency theory blames colonialism and neocolonialism (continuing economic dependence on former colonial countries) for global stratification.
  • Globally, the poorest 20% of the population, or lowest tier of the stratified economic order, makes a disproportionately small percentage of global income and lives off of a meager amount.
  • Analyze the three dominant theories that attempt to explain global stratification

• Global Stratification and Inequality

  • Global stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in societies around the world.
  • Classic sociologist Max Weber analyzed three dimensions of stratification: class, status, and party.
  • Modern sociologists, however, generally speak of stratification in terms of socioeconomic status (SES).
  • Stratification is generally analyzed from three different perspectives: micro, meso, and macro.
  • Macro-level analyses of stratification can include global analyses of how positions in the international economic system shape access to resources and opportunities.

• Industrialized Countries

  • In terms of global stratification, industrialized countries are at the top of the global hierarchy.

• Industrializing Countries

  • While Brazil has not fully developed its industrial base and its economy has much room for expansion, it is a more powerful player in the global market than less developed nations, such as Haiti.
  • While Brazil has not fully developed its industrial base and its economy has much room for expansion, it is a more powerful player in the global market than nations that are less developed, such as Haiti.
  • Considering global stratification, industrializing nations are at the middle of the hierarchy.

• Power and Inequality

  • Social inequalities exist between ethnic or religious groups, classes and countries, making the concept a global phenomenon.
  • Theories of social stratification are based on four basic principles:
  • Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences.
  • In modern Western societies, stratification is broadly organized into three main layers: upper class, middle class, and lower class.
  • Social stratification has been shown to cause many social problems.

• Points of View: Micro-Meso-Macro

  • Stratification occurs in small groups and face-to-face interaction.
  • At the beginning of the chapter, we looked at how stratification begins when we are young.
  • The police, courts, and prisons reinforce the stratification system.
  • All of these institutions support the stratification system by favoring the rich and powerful.
  • Besides being in debt to countries of the North, (the U.S. and Europe) Cape Verde is part of the global economy in other ways.

• Introduction

  • Stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of people in a society.
  • This chapter focuses on economic stratification; meaning how people are differentiated based upon their wealth (and/or power).
  • Statistics on United States and global inequality are widespread and alarming.
  • The chapter then turns to dominant theories on stratification, and explores class, race, and gender inequality in more detail.
  • We end with consequences of inequality and theories explaining global inequality.

• The Significance of Social Inequality

  • Social stratification and inequality are everywhere and impact us throughout our lives.
  • Sociology has a long history of studying stratification and teaching about various kinds of inequality, including economic inequality, racial/ethnic inequality, gender inequality, and other types of inequality.
  • Statistics on United States and global inequality are alarming.
  • The water situation in Cape Verde, an island country in the central Atlantic, is a poignant illustration of global social inequality.

• Explaining Poverty: The Sociological Debate

  • Sociologists take two opposing approaches to explaining economic stratification: structural-functionalism and conflict theory.
  • Two classic sociological approaches to poverty and social stratification are structural-functionalism and conflict theory.
  • The structural-functionalist approach to stratification asks the question: what function or purpose does stratification serve?
  • Second, this approach assumes that the system of stratification is fair and rational, and that the ‘best' people end up on top because of their superiority.
  • In contrast to structural-functionalists, conflict theorists argue that stratification is dysfunctional and harmful in society.

• Weber's View of Stratification

  • Instead, he developed the three-component theory of stratification and the concept of life chances.
  • He noted that, contrary to Marx's theories, stratification was based on more than ownership of capital.
  • Weber differs from Marx in that he did not see this as the supreme factor in stratification.
  • Using Weber's theory of stratification, members of the U.S.
  • Recall the three components of stratification in Weberian theory, including their definitions