Social Stratification
This is an essay to examine a few of the stratification systems of the past and present that denoted class within societies. Every society regardless of how big or how remote always has some kind of social strata connected to it. Most of these societies have been documented and analysed previously. This assignment is going to look at what sociologists, mainly Karl Marx and briefly Max Weber and George Mead had said about society and social class, and how we can interpret these philosophies into these social groups that I will be looking at. I will also try to incorporate these social strata's into modern day Britain, to see if they are relevant today or not. In this piece I will be looking at the caste system, feudalism and our own class system in modern westernised societies, also discussing how these systems have developed.
Firstly we will look at caste system.
English: social stratification in feudal Japan (12...
A portrait of Karl Marx.
Photograph of the tomb of Karl Marx at Highgate Ce...The caste system originated when the Aryans migrated from Central Europe and settled India. They implemented division of labour in their society. The cleverest members of society were selected and given the task to teach others; they were called "Brahimins". The bravest people were selected and given the task to protect society; they were named "Chetris". The group who were producers and suppliers of materials, trade and food were called "Baishyas". The dullest types of individuals; "Sudras" were able to tolerate a heavy workload were selected and given the task of supplying labour to others whenever needed. This was the beginning of the caste system. Thus, they bred four types of new generations. This social class system adopted by Hindus is unlike the social class system we know within western society because the caste system has rigid mobility. Hindus are born into these castes depending on the...