Faculty Of Law, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Sociology Assignment – Tutorial Test –

B.A.LL.B. 2nd Semester

Topic :- “Theories of Social Stratification”

Made Under The Keen Supervision Of :-

Prof. Dr. M. Kalimullah

Submitted By :- Hammad Khan

Roll No. :- 19BALLB-127
Enrollment No. :- GL-6835
Section :- B
Session :- 2020-21
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT :-

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and special thanks towards my Sociology professor,
Dr. M. Kalimullah Sir, for giving me this golden opportunity to make this assignment on the
topic “Theories of Social Stratification” under his valuable guidance. This has helped me
immensely in knowing about things which I was not previously aware of and hence has boosted
my knowledge to a great extent regarding the particular subject. I would also like to mention my
gratitude towards my batchmates as well as my parents who helped me in completing this
assignment within the required period of time.
 SYNOPSIS :-

 Introduction
 Theories of Social Stratification
 Weber’s Theory
 The Dialectical Theory
 Marxist Theory
 The Functional Theory
 Dahrendorf and Coser’s Theory
 Conclusion
 Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION :-

Social stratification is a process through which groups and social categories in societies are
ranked as higher or lower to one another in terms of their relative position on the - scales of
prestige, privileges, wealth and power. A distinction could be made between the criteria which
place emphasis upon the ascribed or innate qualities with which the strata are relatively endowed
and those which are acquired by the strata though their own achievement. Ascription and
achievement are, therefore, two types of scales which generally define the normative principles
which work as determinants of social stratification in all societies.
 THEORIES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION :-

Issues related to concepts and theories of social stratification have essentially been oriented
towards the relationship between social stratification and social order. Max Weber made a
distinction among three orders of society: the social, the economic and the political. The
complexion of social stratification, according to him varied with the nature of the 'order' of the
society. The 'social order' has its primacy in the normative principle of 'honor' and its
institutional structures are influenced by it. It is Located in the 'status groups'. The institution of
feudalism, aristocracy, the formation of different 'estates' in traditional European society were its
example; hereditary rights and patrimony and various forms of ascribed privileges and
authorities followed in this kind of social order. In India, the caste social stratification reflects
this principle. It is operative in the principle of purity and pollution, hereditary occupation and
caste privileges or sanctioned forms of discrimination; it can also be found in the principle of
endogamy. Castes also constitute unlike class social communities. The 'economic order' is based
on the normative principle of rationality and market situation. It manifest in the form of interest
groups. Class, according to Max Weber is a product of market situation; it is competitive, it
comprises social categories which do not constitute communities and one's social mobility in the
class situation depends upon achieved skills or merits governed by the laws of supply and
demand. Its manifestation as a institution could be seen in the rise of capitalism, which gives rise
to the market situation. 'The third order of society is 'political'; it is based on the pursuit of
'power' It makes institutional manifestation in the organized system of political parties and
various associations which are orientated to its acquisition . The political order of society and its
institutional processes have a tendency to extend to the social institutions of other orders, such as
the social and political orders.

1. Weber's Theory :-

The conceptual and theoretical approach of Weber is primarily interpretive and systemic.
He considered that theoretical advancement in sociology could be achieved both for
understanding and explanation of social phenomena by uses of the 'ideal type' concepts
These concepts are not based on empirical induction from observed reality, but are
abstraction from the 'historical individual' or a configuration of historical events over a
period of time from which the sociologists constructs concepts by interpretive
understanding. Ideal type concepts are thus not red types although they are derived from
a certain understanding of reality. Even though ideal they are not nonnative (either
desirable or undesirable: good/bad) but ideational or mental constructions. Weber
believed, that sociological theories do have explanatory significance but still they did not
have law-like power of generalization. His theory of social stratification should,
therefore, be treated as such; it is based on comparative understanding of the typical
manifestations of the principles of social stratification over a period of time. It makes
significant contribution to both understanding of social stratification as system, as well as
its processes of change.
2. The Dialectical Theory :-

The theory of 'dialectical and historical materialism' enunciated by Karl Marx is another
very established theory of social stratification. Just as Weber uses the basic notion of
'order' to locate the type concepts for the understanding of social stratification, Marx uses
terms of 'mode of production' and 'relations of production' for classification of the
conceptual categories of social stratification. The important modes of production are:
primitive, feudal and capitalist, These distinctions are based on modes of uses of or
nature of labor power and means of technology for production of commodities The
primitive mode was characterized by communal or collective mode of labor with
elementary tools as in the food gathering and hunting communities. The institutions of
social stratification could not have evolved at this stage. It institutional organs begin to
develop with the rise of feudalism; accumulation of wealth and productive resources
developed by this time; it led to the stratification in society with feudal landlord or
aristocrat at the top, who exercised control over his estate (land and all other productive
resources), and those dependent upon it which was indeed very inclusive The peasants,
serfs and traders and artisans were other social strata who were part of the system but
entirely dependent upon the means of production and labor power which remained under
the control of the landlord. Most these strata were in fact attached to the estate of the
feudal lord. Feudalism evolved its own typical political, economic, social and cultural
institutions but most of these were based on the principle of hereditary privileges and
patrimonial authority. The feudal lord had a control on the means of productions and this
led to a form of relationship between him and other social strata which was based on
status obligations and privileges.

3. Marxist Theory :-

The rise of capitalism ushered a new period in social evolution. The dialectical process of
historical change both through the innovation of new technologies and social institutions
made feudalism obsolescent and it was replaced by the institution of capitalism. Class
structure emerges in full measure by this time by the industrial revolution. The growth in
the factory mode of production of commodities, massive migration of peasants and
worker from the rural areas to the urban centers and accumulation of capital by expanded
use of the market made possible by the new technology of transport and colonial
expansion of the European powers changed the system of social stratification. The main
classes which emerged in the new scheme of social stratification were; the capitalist
entrepreneurs and the working classes. A new form of acute antagonistic relationship
now emerges between these two classes; this relates to demand of reasonable working
hours, reasonable wages, better conditions of employment and work etc. These forces of
conflict, according to Marx should have culminated into the replacement of capitalism by
its obsolescence like in the case of feudalism by a socialist system of society, it would be,
according to Mars based on collective mode of production without private ownership of
capital and pursuit of profit. In many countries, socialist societies did come into existence
by revolution of the peasants and working classes; for example, former USSR, China,
 Vietnam etc., but as envisaged by Marx capitalism has not been rendered obsolete as yet.
On the contrary it has shown new resilience whereas many socialist economies have
either been weakened or have been replaced by capitalist institutions.

4. The Functional Theory :-

The functional theory of social stratification which is very widely followed in the studies
of social stratification, particularly among the American sociologists takes a view of
social order very different from Marxist position. Instead of treating social order as being
inherently endowed with self-annulling contradictions or conflicts based on the
inequalities of social strata, the functional theory treats social order to be endowed with
inherent capacity of self-maintenance and self-regulation. It treats society and its
institutions, including social stratification to be constituted by inter-dependent sets of
social relationships with capacity to contain to and resolve conflicts which this theory
does not deny. This theory postulates analogy between social order and organism; both
have internal mechanisms for self-regulation and self-corrections. Social stratification
from a functional view point is a dynamic system characterized by social mobility and
continual restructuring of the rules of consensus building. It acknowledges the role of
competition and conflict but also postulates the existence of institutional mechanism such
as processes of socialization, education, empowerment by democratic participation etc.
through which aspirations for social mobility are or can be realized and contradiction
arising out of asymmetrical opportunities of various strata in society resolved with a
meaningful degree of social consensus.

5. Dahrendorf and Coser’s Theory :-

In addition to the Marxist formulation, there are other theoretical perspectives in

sociology of social stratification which treat conflict as the universal feature in form of
social gradations in society. Ralph Dahrendorf and Lewis Coser are for example, a few
among many such western sociologists who accept the universality of conflict in all form
of stratification but locate these conflicts in the institutional anomalies within the system
rather than linking it with the theory of class struggle and revolution. Conflict according
to these sociologists arises out of antagonism of interests and exercise of power by one
stratum over the other which seeks upward social nobility. It represents, therefore,
internal dynamics of the stratification system rather than a movement towards its total
replacement or change of social order itself by revolutionary means as Man envisaged.
Such theories of social stratification. which are known as conflict theories do not accept
the Marxist position of historical materialism which postulates invariable stages of social
evolution through series of revolutionary movements. The notion of social order in the
conflict theory is closer to functional viewpoint rather than dialectical materialist
interpretation.
 CONCLUSION :-

Social stratification within the society is undergoing changes due to impact of technological
innovations, modernization of agriculture, industrial and entrepreneurial development, political
empowerment of the weaker sections of society and revolution in mass media. But the process of
mobility which this policy has brought about still remains highly constrained due to massive
incidence of illiteracy, malnutrition and health problem among these people. Social mobility
through positive discrimination is highly dependent upon the level of education of the concerned
groups. For this reason. the reservation policy tends to only supplement but does not function as
a decisive element in the process of social mobility. The need is for taking effective steps to
augment the process of removal of illiteracy among these sections of society.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY :-

Books :-

 C. N. Shankar Rao, Principles of Sociology (S. Chand, New Delhi, 7th Edition, 2019)

Other Sources :-

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stratification