Social Stratification
1. (A) Choose the correct alternative and complete the statements.
(1) Social stratification is ___. (local, national, universal)
Answer: universal
(2) Class is a ___ form of stratification. (open, closed, rigid)
Answer: open
(3) Gender based stratification has led to ___ in society. (justice, exploitation, equality)
Answer: exploitation
(4) Social stratification of ___ is based on the principle of purity and pollution. (class, gender, caste)
Answer: caste
1. (B) Correct the incorrect pair.
(1) (i) Ownership of wealth – Economic capital
(ii) Membership and involvement in social network – Social capital
(iii) Gained through education – Cultural capital
(iv) Prestige, status and social honour – Economic capital
Answer: (iv) Prestige, status and social honour – Symbolic capital
1. (C) Correct underlined words and complete the sentence.
(1) Caste is based on wealth.
Answer: Class is based on wealth.
(2) A hierarchical system where women are given a lower social status is stratification based on class.
Answer: A hierarchical system where women are given a lower social status is stratification based on gender.
2. Write short notes.
(1) Principles of social stratification
Answer: Social stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals or groups in a society based on unequal access to resources, power, and prestige. Its key principles include:
- Social nature: Stratification is governed by social norms, not biological differences, and is linked to political, economic, and religious systems.
- Persistence over generations: Social status is often inherited, maintaining patterns of inequality across generations.
- Universality with variability: Stratification exists in all societies, but the nature and degree of inequality vary.
- Inequality: It involves unequal distribution of resources, justified by societal norms.
- Consequentiality: Stratification impacts life chances (access to opportunities) and lifestyles (cultural preferences).
(2) Characteristics of caste according to Dr. G. S. Ghurye
Answer: Dr. G. S. Ghurye outlined the following characteristics of the caste system:
- Segmental division: Society is divided into hereditary castes, with membership determined by birth, restricting mobility.
- Hierarchy: Castes are ranked based on the concept of purity and pollution, creating superior and inferior statuses.
- Restrictions on feeding and social intercourse: Castes enforce rules on food and social interactions to maintain separation.
- Differential privileges and disabilities: Higher castes enjoy privileges, while lower castes face restrictions.
- Restricted choice of occupation: Occupations are hereditary, tied to specific castes.
- Endogamy: Marriage is restricted within the caste or sub-caste, reinforcing group boundaries.
(3) Types of mobility
Answer: Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups between social strata. Its types include:
- Horizontal mobility: Changing jobs or residence without altering social status, e.g., a doctor becoming a medical professor.
- Vertical mobility: Moving up or down the social hierarchy, e.g., a clerk becoming a manager (upward) or a manager losing status (downward).
- Intergenerational mobility: A change in social status between generations, e.g., a laborer’s child becoming a doctor.
- Intragenerational mobility: A change in an individual’s status within their lifetime, e.g., a teacher rising to a principal’s position.
3. Write differences.
(1) Caste and Class
Answer:
- Basis: Caste is based on birth and hereditary status, while class is based on achieved factors like wealth, occupation, and education.
- Mobility: Caste is a closed system with no mobility, whereas class is an open system allowing vertical mobility.
- Hierarchy: Caste hierarchy is rigid, based on purity and pollution, while class hierarchy is fluid, based on economic and social factors.
- Occupation: Castes have hereditary occupations, while class allows freedom to choose occupations.
- Marriage: Caste enforces endogamy, while class has no strict marriage rules.
(2) Intragenerational mobility and Intergenerational mobility.
Answer:
- Timeframe: Intragenerational mobility occurs within an individual’s lifetime, while intergenerational mobility occurs across generations.
- Example: A clerk becoming a CEO is intragenerational; a farmer’s child becoming a CEO is intergenerational.
- Scope: Intragenerational focuses on personal career changes, while intergenerational involves family status changes over time.
- Impact: Intragenerational affects the individual directly, while intergenerational impacts the next generation’s opportunities.
4. Explain the following concept with an example.
(1) Vertical mobility
Answer: Vertical mobility refers to a change in an individual’s or group’s social, economic, or political status, leading to a higher or lower position in the social hierarchy. It can be upward (ascending) or downward (descending).
- Example: A factory worker studies part-time, earns a degree, and becomes a corporate manager, moving from a lower to a higher class (upward mobility). Conversely, a business owner who faces bankruptcy and takes up a low-paying job experiences downward mobility.
(2) Intergenerational mobility
Answer: Intergenerational mobility refers to a change in social status between one generation and the next, where the younger generation achieves a different status than their parents.
- Example: A tailor’s daughter receives higher education and becomes a software engineer, achieving a higher social and economic status than her parents, demonstrating upward intergenerational mobility.
5. (A) Complete the concept map.
Answer: Caste stratification
- Segmental division of society
- Hierarchy
- Restriction on feeding and social intercourse
- Differential civil and religious privileges and disabilities
5. (B) State whether the following statements are True or False with reasons.
(1) There is no mobility in the class system.
Answer: False.
- Reason: The class system is an open form of stratification that allows social mobility. Individuals can move between classes through achievements like education, wealth accumulation, or career advancement. For example, a person from a lower class can become middle class by gaining higher education and a better job.
(2) Education has led to women’s empowerment.
Answer: True.
- Reason: Education has played a significant role in empowering women by providing access to better jobs, financial independence, and awareness of rights. For instance, educated women are more likely to challenge gender stereotypes, participate in decision-making, and secure leadership roles, reducing gender-based stratification.
6. Answer the following question in detail (about 150-200 words).
Discuss class and gender as forms of social stratification with suitable examples of your own.
Answer: Class and gender are significant forms of social stratification, creating structured inequalities in society. Class stratification divides society into groups based on wealth, occupation, education, and prestige, forming an open system where mobility is possible. For example, a person born into a lower-class family may become a doctor through education and hard work, moving to the middle or upper class. However, class affects access to resources, with the upper class enjoying better healthcare and education compared to the lower class, as seen in urban slums versus affluent neighborhoods.
Gender stratification ranks individuals based on gender, often placing men above women in terms of power, wealth, and opportunities. This is evident in workplaces where women may earn less than men for similar roles, such as female teachers receiving lower pay than male counterparts in some private schools. Gender norms also dictate roles, like women being expected to prioritize domestic work over careers, limiting their upward mobility. Both class and gender stratification shape life chances and lifestyles, reinforcing inequalities, though education and social reforms are gradually reducing these gaps.
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