Social Inequality and Class Stratification

Social Inequality- Class Stratification
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Social Inequality- Class Stratification
Social inequality has been one of the major concerns in society regarding the distribution of power and wealth. Notably, individuals have unequal rewards and opportunities for different social positions as a leading cause of social inequality. The heightening income inequality has been one of the significant challenges based on the variations between the rich and deprived individuals. Recurrent patterns of unequal distribution of power have worsened the social inequality across different United States areas (Steckley, 2017). Inequality in conditions entails unequal distribution of material goods, wealth, and income. While the homeless and others living in housing projects are at the bottom of the hierarchy, the people living in multimillion-dollar mansions are on the lowest level of the social order.
Literature Review
Marx Weber, a re-known sociologist, contributed significantly towards stratification theory based on a conceptualization of class, status, and power. According to Brennan (2020), Weber argues that power, prestige, and property are the major dimensions of social stratification based on society's hierarchy. Notably, social stratification entails unequal distribution of capacity of individuals in prevailing over others. Therefore, the concept is a phenomenon of power distribution. Weber emphasized that stratification involves an organized manifestation of power in the social setting. According to him, power is a chance for individuals to realize their will in joint action and even against the resistance of others. In most instances, people strive for power with the aim of economic empowerment. Prestige and social honor are the primary basis of political and economic power since status is the primary power distribution phenomenon (Brennan, 2020). Therefore, status groups, classes, and even parties are critical aspects in distributing power in society.
Tittenbrun (2018) argues that power is a form of social status, especially in the social domain. The people with the same lifestyle, prestige, and social honor fall in a similar status situation or social group. Therefore, the social estimation of honor determines the status group of the affected communities. Status honor has a close connectedness to the class situation, just like status qualification. The status group comprises individuals with the same social integrity and similar status situation. Therefore, social status is the primary basis of social groups formation, whose members have common interests. In most instances, political, social, and economic factors result in strata formation in the social setting.
Tabb (2019) avers that Karl Marx, a social thinker, developed stratification theory as the underlying concept of social inequality. According to the social thinker, modes of production are critical determinants of the well-being of individuals and the social relations in society. Feudal society, capitalist society, ancient society, and primitive society are the three major economic systems that determine forces of production. Notably, production relations entail the relations of human beings in fulfilling life amenities...