GCSE Sociology Revision
Social Stratification
What is Social Stratification?
social stratification – the way society is structured, grouping people into strata depending on their socio-
economic class, gender or ethnicity.
These strata are affected by privilege and power. The difference between the elite and the bottom of the
hierarchy is social inequality, involving status and wealth.
social inequality – the uneven distribution of resources, eg. money, and opportunities, eg. education.
Types of Social Stratification:
These depend on whether status is ascribed or achieved, and whether they are open or closed systems,
whether social mobility is possible.
slavery
people claim others as property - (ascribed status)
existed in Ancient Empires
abused by the Transatlantic Slave Trade
involved extreme brutality
slaves regarded as inferior
a reason behind modern racism
modern slavery involves exploiting vulnerable individuals
eg. migrant workers
Caste System
based on Hinduism beliefs and reincarnation - (ascribed status + closed
system)
in traditional India
Feudal System
existed in Medieval England
(ascribed status+ closed system) prevented the monarch being threatened
involved different estates, social groups, based on the ownership of land
from aristocracy gentry peasants
socio-economic class
existed in Medieval England
(ascribed status+ closed system) prevented the monarch being threatened
Functionalism & Crime:
Davis & Moore (1945)
Social stratification is a ‘universal necessity’. For every society to survive and operate
efficiently:
all roles in society should be allocated to those best able to perform them
necessary training should take place
all roles must be performed conscientiously
The ‘mechanism’ allowing this attaches unequal rewards and privileges to the different
Positive Effects of Crime:
boundary maintenance - crime unites people against ‘wrong-doers’
causes social solidarity / strengthens the collective conscience
eg. Cohen (1972): ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’ (see later)
the media creates ‘folk devils’ to condemn
adaption and change - all change starts with deviance
new ideas and behaviours challenge norms
these gradually become accepted and normal
Criticisms of the Functionalist Theory:
Functionalism ignores how crime might affect different groups:
crime doesn’t always promote solidarity - can divide communities, eg. Islamophobia after terror
attacks
crime doesn’t have a positive function for victims
it is hard to determine the ‘correct’ extent of crime, that is beneficial - it is vague
Merton’s Strain Theory (1938)
, People commit crime as they struggle to achieve socially. This is because of the two types of strain on
society and anomie.
cultural strain
society places a strong emphasis on success, ie. wealth, but not on how it is gained
structural strain
society provides unequal opportunities or barriers to success for some groups, eg. religions
anomie – a state of normlessness, or lack of values and social cohesion
When society fails to provide enough ways for people to succeed this leads to: Double check anomie
explanation
feeling of ‘disenchantment’
resulting in anger and crime
An example of this strain is the ‘American Dream’:
individual - sold the American Dream
→ desire to achieve - through cultural strain from the pressurising media
→ failure to be successful - due to inadequate socialisation, inefficient education, anomie and structural strain
→ resorts to crime
Individual’s Adaptions to Strain:
financial goal? means? crime?
conform ✓ ✓ ✗
ist
innovat ✓ ✗ ✓✗
or eg. growing cannabis
(links to
rebel)
ritualist ✗ ✓ ✗
retreate ✗ ✗ ✓✗
r eg. drug dealers
(passive)
rebel ✗ ✗ ✓
(more eg. rioters
oppressive)
Subcultural Strain Theories:
status frustration - Cohen (1955)
WC boys do not achieve legitimate status due to cultural deprivation and lack of skills
instead, they seek success in peers or delinquent subcultures, their way of climbing a hierarchy
thus, they get involved in crime due to status frustration
regarding Merton’s Strain Theory:
agrees crime is mostly a WC issue
unlike Merton, doesn’t ignore non-financial crimes
subcultures - Cloward & Ohlin (1960)
different neighbourhoods offer alternative opportunities for young people
eg. gangs, where you can learn deviant norms and values
depending on the area, there are three types of subculture:
criminal subcultures
established hierarchy
offers criminal careers
role models provide training
eg. drug dealing → addiction + cash-in-hand
conflict subcultures
loosely organised gang structure
some opportunities for status progression, often through violence
eg. assault → peer pressure
retreatant subcultures
crime not an aspiration
fail to get well-paid job and give up
eg. theft, drug using → addiction - financial
Interactionalism & Crime:
Interactionalism is a perspective that focuses on small-scale human actions.
Interactionalists believe crime is a social construct and not a fixed concept.
Labelling Theory: check, is this a summary?
and
They look at what or who is labelled as a crime or a criminal.
is labelling Becker?
Becker (1963):
Social Stratification
What is Social Stratification?
social stratification – the way society is structured, grouping people into strata depending on their socio-
economic class, gender or ethnicity.
These strata are affected by privilege and power. The difference between the elite and the bottom of the
hierarchy is social inequality, involving status and wealth.
social inequality – the uneven distribution of resources, eg. money, and opportunities, eg. education.
Types of Social Stratification:
These depend on whether status is ascribed or achieved, and whether they are open or closed systems,
whether social mobility is possible.
slavery
people claim others as property - (ascribed status)
existed in Ancient Empires
abused by the Transatlantic Slave Trade
involved extreme brutality
slaves regarded as inferior
a reason behind modern racism
modern slavery involves exploiting vulnerable individuals
eg. migrant workers
Caste System
based on Hinduism beliefs and reincarnation - (ascribed status + closed
system)
in traditional India
Feudal System
existed in Medieval England
(ascribed status+ closed system) prevented the monarch being threatened
involved different estates, social groups, based on the ownership of land
from aristocracy gentry peasants
socio-economic class
existed in Medieval England
(ascribed status+ closed system) prevented the monarch being threatened
Functionalism & Crime:
Davis & Moore (1945)
Social stratification is a ‘universal necessity’. For every society to survive and operate
efficiently:
all roles in society should be allocated to those best able to perform them
necessary training should take place
all roles must be performed conscientiously
The ‘mechanism’ allowing this attaches unequal rewards and privileges to the different
Positive Effects of Crime:
boundary maintenance - crime unites people against ‘wrong-doers’
causes social solidarity / strengthens the collective conscience
eg. Cohen (1972): ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’ (see later)
the media creates ‘folk devils’ to condemn
adaption and change - all change starts with deviance
new ideas and behaviours challenge norms
these gradually become accepted and normal
Criticisms of the Functionalist Theory:
Functionalism ignores how crime might affect different groups:
crime doesn’t always promote solidarity - can divide communities, eg. Islamophobia after terror
attacks
crime doesn’t have a positive function for victims
it is hard to determine the ‘correct’ extent of crime, that is beneficial - it is vague
Merton’s Strain Theory (1938)
, People commit crime as they struggle to achieve socially. This is because of the two types of strain on
society and anomie.
cultural strain
society places a strong emphasis on success, ie. wealth, but not on how it is gained
structural strain
society provides unequal opportunities or barriers to success for some groups, eg. religions
anomie – a state of normlessness, or lack of values and social cohesion
When society fails to provide enough ways for people to succeed this leads to: Double check anomie
explanation
feeling of ‘disenchantment’
resulting in anger and crime
An example of this strain is the ‘American Dream’:
individual - sold the American Dream
→ desire to achieve - through cultural strain from the pressurising media
→ failure to be successful - due to inadequate socialisation, inefficient education, anomie and structural strain
→ resorts to crime
Individual’s Adaptions to Strain:
financial goal? means? crime?
conform ✓ ✓ ✗
ist
innovat ✓ ✗ ✓✗
or eg. growing cannabis
(links to
rebel)
ritualist ✗ ✓ ✗
retreate ✗ ✗ ✓✗
r eg. drug dealers
(passive)
rebel ✗ ✗ ✓
(more eg. rioters
oppressive)
Subcultural Strain Theories:
status frustration - Cohen (1955)
WC boys do not achieve legitimate status due to cultural deprivation and lack of skills
instead, they seek success in peers or delinquent subcultures, their way of climbing a hierarchy
thus, they get involved in crime due to status frustration
regarding Merton’s Strain Theory:
agrees crime is mostly a WC issue
unlike Merton, doesn’t ignore non-financial crimes
subcultures - Cloward & Ohlin (1960)
different neighbourhoods offer alternative opportunities for young people
eg. gangs, where you can learn deviant norms and values
depending on the area, there are three types of subculture:
criminal subcultures
established hierarchy
offers criminal careers
role models provide training
eg. drug dealing → addiction + cash-in-hand
conflict subcultures
loosely organised gang structure
some opportunities for status progression, often through violence
eg. assault → peer pressure
retreatant subcultures
crime not an aspiration
fail to get well-paid job and give up
eg. theft, drug using → addiction - financial
Interactionalism & Crime:
Interactionalism is a perspective that focuses on small-scale human actions.
Interactionalists believe crime is a social construct and not a fixed concept.
Labelling Theory: check, is this a summary?
and
They look at what or who is labelled as a crime or a criminal.
is labelling Becker?
Becker (1963):
