Social Stratification In The US

In all societies, people differ in terms of social and biological characteristics such as age, sex, physical strength, size, race, ethnicity and skill. When these characteristics are differentially valued and ranked within the society, we have social inequality and a system of social stratification. In effect, the individual differences are ranked and evaluated according to social values; the resulting hierarchy is based on the degrees of prestige, honor, importance, material possessions, and other rewards that accrue from these characteristics.

Although social stratification systems exist in all societies, except perhaps very small and primitive societies, the criteria that are used to rank people and the nature of the stratification system vary with the society.

In fact in a complex society several social stratification structures are present. For example, people may be ranked on age, race, sex, and ethnic affiliation.

Other rankings are based on economic factors (usually defined as social class), prestige, and power. Although these characteristics are closely related, it should be noted that a person might have wealth but not be accorded prestige, and one may have power but lack honor.

One of the outbursts of stratification in the modern societies is called class. Such stratification is made conscious by the German philosopher and theoretician, Karl Marx. This is a stratification of the society based on the economic criteria. The important point about the theory of Marx is that he has concluded from the basic discussion of his theory that, the differences of individuals economically, may lead in their superiority in other areas of politics and culture.

Although this part of the theory has been strongly rejected by later theoreticians, and accused of being reductionist in view, the reality acknowledges it partially.

As far as the United States of America is concerned, social class is not that colorful that has been and is in Europe. in Europe, in spite of the great socialist movements, the development of the left wing mentality and partisan ship, the extension of an academic trend that rejects the stratification of culture as high versus low and authenticates the culture of low income, etc (cultural studies of Frankfort and Birmingham), what has emerged is not the disappearance of the class concept, but only the shift of the stress from the two extremes of high and low classes to the middle class. The concept, however, is there yet.

The United States has not experienced the "class" in its deep European form. That is why the communist red scare never succeeded to tread its way to America. One explanation of this history is that the American society, from its first days of appearance, has been founded and developed by and for those who have been the middle or low class of the European stratification. So it developed economic and cultural norms that do not provide a good subject for the Marxist movements and theories. The little movements that were run during the first and second red scares (1917- 1920 and 1940s o1950s), were hardly declined by the US government.