Social Stratification In The US

In all societies, people differ in terms of social and biological characteristics, such as age, gender, physical strength, size, race, ethnic background and skills. When these characteristics are valued differently and rank in society, we have a system of social inequality and social stratification. In fact, individual differences are ranked and evaluated according to social values​​, and the result is a hierarchy based on degree of prestige, honor, importance, material goods, and other rewards that arise from these characteristics

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Although the social stratification systems exist in all societies, except perhaps for very small and primitive societies, the criteria used to rank people and nature of stratification systems differ from society.

Actually, in a complex society, some social stratification structures are present. For example, people can be ranked on age, race, gender, and ethnicity.

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 may have wealth but do not give prestige, and one can have power, but lacks honor.

One of the burglary of stratification in modern society is called class. Such stratification is made ​​aware of the German philosopher and theorist, Karl Marx. This is the stratification of society based on economic criteria. important point about Marx is that the conclusion of the primary discussion of his theory that the economic differences of individuals, can lead to its superiority in other areas of politics and culture.

Although this part of the theory is strongly rejected later theorists, and accused of reductionism in terms of, the reality was confirmed partially.

As far as the United States is concerned, social class is not colorful, which is located in Europe. in Europe, despite the large socialist movement, the development of left-wing mentality and partisan ship, the continuation of the academic trend that rejects the stratification of culture as high versus low culture, and authenticates with low incomes, etc. (cultural studies in Frankfurt and Birmingham), which has emerged is the disappearance of the concept of class, but only shift the stress from the two extremes of high and low class in the middle class. The concept is, however, there's more.

the United States has not experienced a "class" in his deep European form. Therefore, the communist red scare never managed to tread their way to America. One explanation is that the history of American society, from its first day of creation, was founded and developed by and for those who were middle or low class European stratification. Thus, the developed economic and cultural norms that do not provide a good subject for a Marxist movements and theories. small movements that were initiated during the first and second red scare (1917 - 1920 and 1940 o1950s), severely decreased by the U.S. government

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