9th week posting : Hyewon Lee (이혜원)

MAIN TOPIC : Stratification

2016.10.29 / Hyewon Lee (이혜원)

1_What I learned with ninth week Wikipedia link.

https://grrrgraphics.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/the-crony-capitalis
t-pyramid/

  Stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of people in a society. This link was handling economic stratification especially. There are many ways to measure socioeconomic status such as educational attainment, income, wealth, and occupational prestige. These measures reflect three factors: power, property, and prestige.

-Power : Someone's ability to get others to do his/her will, regardless of their mind. 

-Property : The sum total of not only one's possessions but also one's regular income.

-Prestige : The reputation or esteem related to one's position

 

  Inequality is embedded in our society in many ways. But it didn't just drop down from the sky. Inequality stemmed from the transition from hunter/gatherer societies to horticultural/pastoralist societies. There was very little trading between the groups in hunter/gather societies. So there were not many inequalities between groups. But In horticultural/pastoralist societies, the groups traded with each other. This brought inequality because some people got more possessions than others.

2_Mention & Question about this week study.

  In Korea, words related to inequality are in fashion today: a gold spoon, a silver spoon, a dirt spoon . These words compare the parent's economic position to the spoon. While I was reading this wiki article, I thought about these words.
  And as far as I know, Korea is the only country in which the word 'chaebol(재벌)' exist. 'Chaebol' means 'a large, usually family-owned, business group in South Korea' in English.

  Because of these things, I became more interested in reading this article. I am upset that Korea is not further advanced due to such inequality. I wonder why Korea can not become a more innocent and transparent country, and how we can eliminate the root of the inequality in our society. Also, I want to discuss with our classmates what we can do in our 20s to help Korea become a nation of pure and transparent nation.

Thanks for reading my post : )

W9 : Posting by Jihye Um (엄지혜)

In Wikipedia, we learned about 'Stratification'.
Stratification refers to a hierarchial arrangement of people in a hierarchical society.
These layers are differentiated based on people's wealth.

Sociology has been studying stratification for a long time.
Because stratifiaction involves various kinds of inequality.
For example, you can see economic inequality, ethnic inequality, and gender inequality.
The cause of this stratification ultimately implies inequality.

Inequality represents the differences in accessibility to resources in society.
These resources are economical or political.
The three main factors that divide Max Weber into hierarchical categories are power, property, and prestige.


Power : The ability to force others to depend on others is divided by force obtained by force and coercion obtained by others.

Property : Their general income as well as their possessions, the accumulation of income is cumulative, and the income of the social class is measured.

Prestige : Prestige or respect derived from society, for most people in developed countries, prestige is tied to their jobs.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hierarchy#/media/File:Graham%27s_Hierarchy_of_Disagreement-en.svg





I was able to view and analyze the reasons for these hierarchical views in terms of theoretical views and conflicting views.

If you look at social stratification from a functional perspective, layering is meant to maintain society.
This view does not want to change and is important to maintain the current state of things.
Thus, the stratification of layering continues to maintain layers and therefore continues to layer layering.
It is because we believe that we should place positions on individual positions in order to maintain our society.


If viewed from a conflicting perspective, the stratification of layering is viewed by the materialistic realtionship.
It is believed that there is a subjugating hierarchy which ranks the upper and lower classes in relation to the production relationship.
The dominant layers of relationships are the upper layers of production relationships.
Thus, they acquire power, property, and prestige.
The ruling class continues to keep up and sustain classes.
Subjugated class can be exploited by the ruling class and the hierarchy continues to be preserved.


#MY OPINION

When I look at stratification, my opinion is more consistent in terms of conflicting views.
Because we can easily see this phenomenon in our society.
We try hard to go to college.
Parents who hold high positions in society want their children to enter prestigious universities.
So they make a distinction between high school tuitions and prestigious schools and differentiate them from lower class children.
In addition, it is easy to spend a lot of money abroad to study abroad.
This is what controls the dominance of the ruling elite on their children's equity or power generation.

I think that the ruling class, which is easily dominated without any effort, and they exploiting lower class workers.
Stagnant water is bound to corrupt. I think society should change.






     

Posting by Ji Su Park (W9)

1. SUMMARY

 Stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of people in society by inequality of scarce resources (e.g. economic, education, jobs, property, ownership etc.), race, religion and so on. Many sociologists are interested in these inequalities. Max Weber defines three main dimensions of stratification. (class, status, party) Sociologists define stratification by using socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status can be measured by attainment, income, wealth, occupational prestige reflecting power, property, prestige. Power is ability to get loyalty of others. Property is a sum total of possessions. Prestige is the reputation related with one’s position in society.

 The inequality is originated in the transition from hunter/gatherer societies to horticultural/pastoralist societies. In horticultural/pastoralist societies, humans settled down in one place and groups grew to be large. And division of labor led to surplus of productions. The concept of private property began to flourish in the late 15c in Europe and spreading out. The ideas that there should be equality in society emerged in the 17c and 18c by Hobbes and Locke. They suggested that inequality was result of the actions and intensions of social institutions and not the will of God. But still the question of the origin of inequality remains.

 According to Joel Charon, casus of inequality is social reproduction. Karl Marx argued that the rich and the powerful have control over the means of production, and they have great influence on government power. Culture teaches the acceptance of inequality to people and People are socialized to accept their position in life.

 About inequality, there are two classic approaches.: Structural-Functionalism and Conflict Theory. According to Structural-Functionalism, Stratification and inequalities are inevitable and beneficial to society. Contrastively, People that prefer Conflict Theory argue that stratification is dysfunctional in society.

 

2. MENTION

 

  Realistically, perfect solution of inequality is impossible. Inequality is everywhere in society. We just can reduce inequality. In recent, gender inequality is hot issue in Korea. Surely, efforts that to solve inequality are good. But cases that digress from subject are so much or occurrences of reverse discrimination are so much. Ex) 메갈리아, 워마드. What's your opinion about this?    

 

Posting by Kim DO Hyeon 김도현 (w9)

what is stratification?

Summary

 Inequality is that people unfairly own valuable and rare resources. 

This affects medical care, education, employment, real estate, economic part, the political part. 

Socioeconomic status (SES) is synthesis of social status and economic status that a specific person has in the hierarchy system. 

A compartmental hierarchical position in the social dimension is referred to as a social status.  

A compartmental hierarchical position in the economical dimension is referred to as a economic status. 

Social status and economic status are generally consistent. However, because there may not be so, we could do with synthesizing the social status and economic status.

Origin of inequality can be found in the transformation of society.

<Persistence of inequality>

1. Sociologist Joel Charon talks about the persistence of inequality. He said technology is to sustain the inequality. Rich person manages their own means of production and property through a new technology. However, the lower layer has less opportunities to such techniques. Ultimately, Existing wealth go to next generation. This is connected inequality.

2. society teach the acceptance of cultural inequality.

3. people have been socialized to accept their position in life.

Mention & Question

image source: wikimedia

 I think that duration of the layers equal the persistence of inequality.

 I am a conflict theorist. Duration of these layers and the position makes the inequality. In addition, these inequalities make the conflict. I think that we must have the opportunity to change this structure. I want to hear everyone. If you're a conflict theorist, what do you think a way to change the social structure? If you are a function theorist, what do you think about the persistence of the problem of inequality?

image source: 1.https://nephist.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/does-educational-stratification-put-toffs-at-the-top/

2. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Pyramid_of_Capitalist_System.jpg

W9 by Seung Jae Lee.

summary)
Core word of this posting is 'stratification'.
Definition of Stratification.
stratification, easy to say, is just to divide the people by their society class, wealth, etc.
Departure of stratification is inequality.
It was long that Inequality take place our world.
Inequality born since horticultural and pastoralist society.
In hunter and gatherer society that era prior to horticultural and pastoralist society. There is no Inequality, why?
because this era's way of life is just self-sufficiency society.
Needless to notice other eyes, they work only for themselves.
but come to horticultural and pastoralist society, division of labor
occurs. Now It is come that era that should work together.
therefore naturally inequality is born.

In according to Sociologist Joel Charon, Because high class, wealth people want to maintain this unfair society to protect their wealth and class, inequality of society can persist.
Dimension of this claim is similar to conflict theory about this!

There are many theory about stratification.

Structural-functionalism. This theory take a positive stance about stratification. They think stratification is universal and inevitable and contribute to society. Because they think effort is very important.
So they take for granted that a person who a lot of effort have a high class, wealth. There is saying that suited this theory. "you reap what you sow!"
This theory that seems all respects perfect, but have a limit.
Once, Determining importance of each job is very ambiguous.

and conflict theory. This theory take a negative stance about stratification. They think stratification is phenomenon that depress social development by realized by vested interests. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. in this theory effort is needless. Anyway social class is determine.

my opinion)
Should stratification only bad..? After I read this week post, very confused. When only I saw Structural functionalism, I think stratification is wrong. must fix it!
but if see conflict theory, It seems so. Rather conflict theory explain limit point of structural functionalism. But, We students attend university and learn more things. because all study hard at school.
"you reap what you sow!".....
But recently In Korea, The daughter of some powerful person go to university very easy than ours. and in university, she had never study!
but her grades is perfect. In these phenomenon, we live in place that conflict,structural function mixed.

question)
In your point of view, Structural functionalism and conflict theory.
Which near the Korean society's stratification?
Then, why did you think?  

Posting by JI SOOGEUN - W9

Summary)

 

Stratification affects our lives. It is hierarchical society that is arranged by economic, ethnic, gender and so on.

Max Weber defined stratification as socioeconomic status. And there are three measure way: power, property, prestige.

Inequality and private property are very important concept to understand stratification. The origins of inequality can be found in term from hunter/gatherer societies to horticultural/pastoralist societies. In hunter/gatherer societies, there are no inequality. However in horticultural/pastoralist societies, inequality was created because surplus of goods was occurred so some people accumulated more possessions than others. Private property was begun in Europe, in 15th century, and spreading around the world.

Inequality have continued in society. Because first, rich and powerful protect the system of inequality to protect resources they have. Second culture teaches the acceptance of inequality so members of society believe that inequality is justice. Third, members of society accept their position in life.

According to the way to approach stratification, stratification can be explained differently.

There are three level of analysis on stratification: Micro-level, Meso-level and Macro-level.

In Micro-level, stratification occurs in small groups and face-to-face interaction. In Meso-level, our positions lie within the stratification system. Somethings that exist around us (parents, teachers and friends) make us cognize our positions. In Macro-level, our positions in the society shape our opportunities.

 

Mention & Question)

 

To me, interest thing is that something that exist around me make me take inequality for granted.

And I wonder that in these writing, just as resources and race make inequality. So, there are no inequality any country that have one race and operated by communism?

Stratification (Week 9) - Conan Chua

1. Summary

Economic stratification refers to the differentiation in social status or class based on wealth, and in some related sense, power. Sociology focuses on how this type of stratification brings about inequality, not just in spending power but also in access to valued resources, such as health care, education, jobs, or even having a voice as a citizen.

The measure of a person’s Socioeconomic Status (SES) can be broken down into 3 elements; Power, Property and Prestige. Power can be in the form of authority, or coercion (force). Property refers not only to one’s home, but to their possessions and income. Prestige refers to one’s reputation within a society, which can come from their family name or occupation. These three elements usually affect each other, such as when one has a lot of Power, Property and Prestige often follow suit.

Inequality and Private Ownership’s origins date back to the earliest developments of society, back when hunter/gatherer societies transformed into horticultural societies. Groups of humans grew very large in numbers as they settled in one place for a long time, and people began making things instead of collecting things from nature. Trading began and some people started to have more possessions than others.

Inequality is very persistent, as the people who benefit most form it often have the greatest influence on society because of it. Technological advancements also create channels in which these people are able to keep their benefits within the family and pass them down the generations. The rich who benefit from inequality also have the power to instill certain cultural idea about inequality in order to justify it, making people accept inequality as a part of their lives.

Structural functionalism view inequality as an important cog in a properly functioning society, where the harder and more important jobs are filled by the most qualified people. There is also a need for less qualified people to fill other important but much easier jobs. Arguments against this idea state that it is hard to put a value to a job’s importance in society; for example, how is a society supposed to function without garbage collectors? Why do we pay sportspeople so much more than teachers, who seem to contribute much more to society?

Conflict theory argues against stratification, referring to a skewed flow of benefits towards the rich at the expense of the poor. Conflict theorists are pushing for a more cooperative society, where everyone does their best for the society and receives rewards based on their needs, not their contributions.

At a global scale, inequality is created in a few ways. The modernization of a society that is more willing to embrace new ideas will progress quicker than a more traditional one. Those more developed countries then exploit the less developed countries in order to stay on top and benefit more. Resources that could have helped develop the poorer countries flow out and into the richer countries, further hindering their development. Poorer countries start to become dependent on the richer countries for what little rewards they believe they deserve, and hit a road block where they have no choice but to accept their fate.

2. Something of interest to me

I feel that inequality will probably never be completely abolished. It will only be controlled to a certain extent, with the best case scenario being that everyone is given enough to live comfortably. People at the top tier of society often possess much more than they need, and it is only human to try and gather more, grow larger and become stronger than before. Maybe there exists a way that we haven’t found out yet, that allows the world to provide for everyone’s needs, while still preserving the drive for people to progress, because without the “carrot on a stick” in front of us, it is hard to think of a way to motivate people to work harder, even if it is for the greater good of society.

3. Discussion point

I don’t think that abolishing inequality will do any good for society. I feel that if inequality were to be abolished, we would have generations of people fighting to take back power, property and prestige. Even if society starts to accept equality as a part of their lives and everyone is able to live comfortably, humanity’s development might start to become more and more stagnant. People do not see the need to do anything more than is required of them.