Unit 7 Introduction
Reading: Chapter 8 in Macionis, pp. 205 - 241
Unit 7 covers the basics of social stratification, way of viewing social structure that highlights the differences among social groups and the conflicts that difference can produce. The conflicts are not necessarily violent; rather, it is the conflicting views among groups that gives society form and holds society together, according to this perspective.
 Fig. 7-1: Rocinha Favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Stratification emphasizes that society is structured in hierarchies, where some groups get more of what society values (e.g., money, power, prestige, property, access, toys) while other groups get less. Who gets what is controlled by an opportunity structure that increases the life chances for some and closes off opportunities for others. In Unit 7 we will consider different systems of stratification, different theoretical perspectives on stratification, and how stratification operates in the U.S. We will present characteristics of different social classes, in particular the poorest and least powerful, and we will consider ways in which movement between classes is enhanced or prevented.
Unit 7 will help you appreciate why we have rich and poor, and how these categories are perpetuated through time.
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