Determining Social Class: Occupational Prestige and Socioeconomic Status

There is no agreement amongst social scientists as to not only the number of classes in existence but also the standards that determine who belongs to which class. The categories used by researchers to pigeonhole people into social classes are arbitrary and artificial.

Historically, a number of approaches have been used to determine social class. Today, however, most researchers use one of two. In the occupational prestige approach, researchers ask people which occupations and sources of income are the most prestigious. This approach depends on a large sample, usually on a national scale. Occupation determines the amount of money that is earned, which in turn determines, in many cases, the amount of power wielded and the prestige held. But money alone does not determine social class. Some occupations are rated very high even though the monetary rewards are relatively low and vice-versa.

A more common methodological device is based on an index that combines a number of dimensions relevant to stratification. One such index measures socioeconomic status. Such an index shows at a glance the position of individuals in the social and economic pecking order. The development of such an index is possible despite instances of status inconsistency because of the related nature of the dimensions of stratification.

Gender and Social Stratification

Gender is one of the most profound examples of stratification. Even before class as a marker of social stratification began gender inequalities existed. An individual’s gender, like that of his/ her class, caste and others determine his/her life chances and opportunities. Individuals belonging to the feminine gender have unequal access to resources and institutions which determines their status in the society as compared to that of masculine gender. Gendered stratification is maintained in a patriarchal society through the process of gender socialization. This process socializes men and women to occupy dominant and subordinate positions respectively. As in other stratification system some of the main agents of gender socialization are family, religion, education, and peer group. However, it is to be taken note that in everyday life it is the intersection of several markers of stratification that operates to determine the status of an individual and not just class, caste, gender or others.

Race and Ethnicity and Social Stratification

Albert Einstein once stated in a profound manner: ‘Racial superiority is a myth.’ The social construction of race and ethnicity refers to a process by which people come to define a group as a race and ethnicity based in part on physical characteristics but mostly on historical, cultural, religious, regional and socioeconomic factors. Social stratification based on race and ethnicity encourages inequality in an institutional manner. It encourages institutional discrimination, affects gender, racial and ethnic groups and other communities on the margins. It is characterized by denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals or groups that result from the normal operations of a society.

All these forms of stratification occur at the same time, with varying intensity at different places. It is important to understand to what extent and in what ways various forms of stratification affect discrimination against minority groups and/or women in the labour market. Stratification also occurs across spaces – cross-national stratification of rich and poor countries.

Social scientists often tend to not only interpret social differentiation and social stratification but also strive to remove such malaise of society. Further, they also strive to bring about social change by dismantling social differentiation and social stratification. In the next lecture, we shall discuss social change and the factors influencing it.

Reference

Gupta, Dipankar, ed. 1992. Social Stratification. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.