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BSOC-110: Social Stratification

BSOC-110: Social Stratification

IGNOU Solved Assignment Solution for 2021-22

If you are looking for BSOC-110 IGNOU Solved Assignment solution for the subject Social Stratification, you have come to the right place. BSOC-110 solution on this page applies to 2021-22 session students studying in BASOH courses of IGNOU.

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Assignment Code: BSOC 110/ASST/TMA/July 2021-22

Course Code: BSOC 110

Assignment Name: Social Stratification

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor


There are three Sections in the Assignment. You have to answer all questions in the Sections.

 


Assignment – I

 


Answer the following in about 500 words each.

 

1. Explain the functionalist theory of social stratification. 20

Ans) 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 Basic Concepts 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 an analogy between social order and organism; both have internal mechanisms for self-regulation and self-corrections. Social stratification from a functional viewpoint 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 much as, processes of socialization, education, empowerment by democratic participation etc. through which aspirations for social mobility are or can be realised and contradiction arising out of asymmetrical opportunities of various strata in society resolved with a meaningful degree of social consensus.


Most studies of class structure and peasantry in India have employed Marxist theory of historical materialism and attempted to adapt it to the Indian historical conditions. Weberian perspective on stratification theory has also influenced many studies of rural and urban systems of social stratification. Caste, class and power have been used as conceptual typologies in many studies to measure the changes in social stratification arising out of the forces of social mobility, parti clearly education, policies of democratic participation, positive discrimination favouring SCs, STs and OBCs, industrial and entrepreneurial developments etc. of sociological interest in particularly the observation that due to processes of social mobility and policy of empowerment, the traditional congruence among factors such as economic status, ritual status and power status of strata within the caste system has broken down In other words, higher castes no longer enjoy high economic status or power status only because they by tradition have been accorded a higher ritual status in the caste system. Sociologists have used in this context, class to define economic status, power to define political status and ritual to define caste status and have concluded that due to social mobility during to past decades following Independence, social development policies have broken the summation of status principle in the caste mode of social stratification. The emergence of class and ethnic mobilization of caste and religion are new dynamic processes which today challenge the traditional forms and institutions of social stratification.


Davis and Moore's argument is based on the functionalist premiss that social order rests on consensual values which define collective goals that are in the general interest. In order to encourage those who are best able to realize these goals it is necessary to offer unequal rewards. Both of these propositions have allegedly been found empirically wanting. Critics have also suggested that the theory is simply an apologia for inequality. Some also maintain that it is tautological (circular), since it proposes that the occupations and other social roles which are most highly rewarded are most important to social stability, and then cites the high levels of reward as evidence of their social importance.

 

2. Discuss major organizing principles of social stratification. 20

Ans) The major organising principles of social stratification are:


Status

The earliest principle of social stratification is that of status. Status in the language of social stratification means ranking of groups in a society based on their relative position in terms of honour or respect. Honour is a qualitative attribute which members in a status group enjoy by birth. Any such attribute which is inherited by birth is ascribed and cannot be acquired by effort. Therefore, status principle of social stratification is also termed as the principle of ascription. In our country, caste is a very appropriate example of status groups.


Wealth

The second organizing principle of social stratification is wealth. Wealth is generated in societies only when technologies advancement takes place and there is a change in the mode of production. Examples are change from hunting and food garnering economy to settled agriculture, change from agriculture-based economy to one based predominantly upon manufacturing and industry. Such changes, not only brought about the institution of social stratification, but in course of time also altered the principles of organization of social stratification. Economic advancement led to generation of more wealth in society, more accumulation of markers of wealth be it in the form of food grains or cattle, or metals and minerals or money. At this stage, the groups which had greater control over the economic resources and wealth, or which possessed more wealth were ranked higher in society than groups which controlled less of it, or groups which had little or negligible access to wealth.


Power

The third organizing principle of social stratification is power, unlike status and wealth which can be clearly linked with group characteristics of ranking the societies, the principle of power is a relatively diffused attribute because it is not exclusive in character. It is always possible that a group with higher status in society or that which enjoys greater wealth, also exercises more power in society. Nevertheless, one could make a distinction between say, principle of privileges whereas the latter tends to be based on the group’s ability to use coercive means for other group’s conformity with actions, values and beliefs determined by it. The concept of power as Max Weber has discussed in his treatment of social stratification rests on the fact that it endows the persons or groups which have power to impose their will on other groups by legitimate use of coercive method. In this sense, state offers us a good example of an institution which has maximum power. It has sovereign authority to impose its will on citizens of the society.


When legitimacy of exercise of power, is widely accepted by groups, in other words, when it is institutionalized in society, power becomes authority. Authority as a concept could be defined as legitimate power. Power as a principle also enters the notion of social stratification when its functions or its social ramifications begin to be influenced by the political processes in society, and when state begins to take more active or direct role in influencing the principles of social stratification. A relevant example of this could be found in the policy of positive discrimination or reservation of jobs, political offices and entry into educational institutions in our country by the state in favour of castes and tribes now declared as ‘scheduled’ or as ‘other backward classes’. Max Weber, in his treatment of power as an element in the formation of social stratification has rightly emphasised the significance of politics, political parties and their role in optimizing their access to power.

 

 

Assignment – II

 


Answer the following in about 250 words each.

 

3. Give the sociological definition of race. 10

Ans) The remaining type of social stratification is the one based on race and ethnicity. Race, as a biological concept, refers to a large category of people who share certain inherited physical characteristics - colour of skin, type of hail, facial features, size of head etc. Anthropologists initially tried to arrive at a classification of races, but ran into problems, because more advanced studies of racial types showed the near absence of pure races. Thus, the latest thinking is that all humans belong to a common group. Recent genetic research indicates that 95 per cent of DNA molecules are the same for all humans. The remaining 5 per cent are responsible for differences in, appearance. Outward differences are also seen as varying within a race rather than across the races.


Thus, the classification of races floundered at the scientific level. For sociologists, a race is a group of people who are perceived by a given society, as biologically different from the others. Thus, people are assigned to one race or another, by public opinion which is moulded by that society’s dominant group, rather than on any scientific basis. In racist societies, for example South Africa, physical characteristics are believed to be intrinsically related to moral, intellectual, and other non-physical attributes and abilities. At the theoretical level, sociologists talk about race relations as forms of stratification. These are characterised by unequal access to wealth and power, based on physical characteristics. We find in this situation the presence of racial ideologies in one form or the other.


4. Write down Marx’s ideas on the division of labour. 10

Ans) Through the development of technology, human beings were able to improve agriculture and could form settled communities. As production grew, the community produced more than its requirements. There was surplus. It was now possible to support people who were not directly involved in the production of food. In earlier societies all people performed similar activities which were needed for survival, namely, food, clothing, and shelter. Once there was surplus it was possible for people to diversify their activities. Hence some produced food, which was sufficient to feed all, while others were engaged in other activities. This is called the division of labour.


This system resulted in some people gaining control over the mean of production by excluding others. Thus property, which was held by all, came under die control of only some members giving rise to the notion of private property. Hence now the interests of all people were no longer common. There were differences in interests. Thus, the interests of individuals became different from the interests of the community. Marx stated that “Division of Labour and private property are identical expressions”. It implied the contradictions between individual and communal interest.


These differences which occur in human society which are due to the existence of private property led to the formation of classes which form the basis of social stratification. In all stratified societies, there are two major groups: a ruling class and a subject class. The ruling class exploits the subject class. As a result, there is basic conflict of interest between the two classes. Marx further stated in his Marxian Theory work, Contributions of the Critique of Political Economy, that the various institutions of society such as the legal and political systems, religion etc. are instruments of ruling class domination and serve to further its interests. Let. us now examine the term ‘class’.

 

5. Outline gender stratification. 10

Ans) Every human being is a man or woman by sex. The part played by an individual during social interaction is called as “role” Men and women play different roles. Sex role is the role played by an individual due to his or her sex. Later there is the development of sex role stereotype. In a male dominated society, the men’s roles are given a higher status and whatever a woman does is rated as low. The anatomical differences were for a long time viewed as intimately related to differences in emotional and intellectual capacities, as well as differences in physical abilities. The tasks and roles assigned to men and women in our own cultural tradition were assumed to be correlated highly with anatomically based aptitudes. Patriarchy means to serve the interest of the male sex. The sex role division is such that men are for production and women for reproduction. The unpaid, unseen household work is considered lower man the work done by men outside the house. Women are sexually vulnerable; therefore, many societies put a lot of restrictions on them, and many rituals and taboos are linked to the various biological events hi life.


Sociological Theory of Sex Roles

According to a British sociologist Ann Oakley, sex is a biological term and gender is a cultural term. Gender refers to the sex of an individual after socialization. Oakley argues that division of labour is not universal. She disagrees with Murdock. She regards it as a myth that women are biologically incapable to carry out heavy and demanding work. She also noted that employment of mothers is not detrimental to the children’s development. According to her Parson’s explanation of woman’s “expressive role” and men’s instrumental role, is for die convenience of men. Emile Durkheim one of the founding fathers of sociology, said that in the primitive societies men and women were similar in strength and intelligence and only as civilization progressed new codes evolved which restricted women from working outside home. Thus, they became weaker and less intelligent.

 


 

Assignment – III

 


Write a following in about 100 words each.

 

6. Status 6

Ans) Weber He defined status a position in society determined by social estimation of ‘honour’. There were links between class mid status but in many cases, they were in opposition to each other. Class was associated with production of goods and services or in acquisition of the same. Status was determined by consumption. Thus, status was associated with a lifestyle where there were restrictions on social intercourse. Weber noted that the most rigid and well-defined status boundaries could be found in India’s caste system. A Brahman may belong to the working class because it was the means of his livelihood, however he would always consider himself superior to a person from a lower caste even though the class situation of both may be the same. While Brahman worker may have greater interaction with other Brahmans belonging to classes higher than his.

 

7. Vertical mobility 6

Ans) In sociological literature, most attention is given to vertical mobility, simply put an upward or downward change in the rank of an individual or group. Examples of vertical social mobility are for too many. A promotion or demotion, a change in income, marriage to a person of higher or lower status, a move to a better or worse neighbourhood-all serve as examples of vertical mobility. Essentially vertical mobility involves a movement which ensures enhancing or lowering of rank. It is important to remember that some movements may be bother horizontal and vertical at the same time. Anthony Giddens refers to vertical mobility as movement up or down the socioeconomic scale. According to him, those who gain in property, income or status are said to be upwardly mobile, while those who move in the opposite direction are downwardly mobile.

 

8. Features of caste 6

Ans) The features of the ‘caste model’ are: ‘

  1. It is based on the ideas held and expressed by certain sections of the people and not on observed behaviour, although secondary empirical materials have been used.

  2. It attaches kind of primary and universal significance to caste in India as this has been conceived in the classical texts.

  3. The entire system is viewed as being governed by certain explicitly formulated principle or ‘rules of the game’.

  4. The different castes which are the basic units in the system are conceived as fulfilling complementary functions, and their mutual relations are seen as being non-antagonistic.


Andre Beteille points out two dangers emanating from this model. Firstly, that it is so general a theory, that it can be applied to any society, and secondly, it fails to take into account the details of economic and political life.

 

9. Ethnicity 6

Ans) Ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other based on shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups such as a common set of traditions, ancestry, language, history, society, culture, nation, religion, or social treatment within their residing area. Ethnicity is sometimes used interchangeably with the term nation, particularly in cases of ethnic nationalism, and is separate from, but related to the concept of races. Oommen using the French version of ethnics, namely, ethine defines them as a people characterised by a common history, tradition, language, and lifestyle. However, he also adds the feature of ‘uprootedness from home’ to this definition. In other words, for him, ethnicity emerges when people are uprooted from their homeland due to conquest, colonization or immigration and diverse groups meet each other in a new setting. If such displaced people are away from their homeland and yet continue to follow their’ native’ lifestyle, they are ethnies.

 

10. Slavery system. 6

Ans) Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave, who is someone forbidden to quit their service for another person who treats that slave as their property Slavery typically involves the enslaved person being made to perform some form of work while also having their location dictated by the enslaver. Historically, when people were enslaved, it was often because they were indebted, or broke the law, or suffered a military defeat. The duration of their enslavement might be for life, or for a fixed period after which their freedom was granted. Individuals, then, usually became slaves involuntarily, due to force or coercion, although there was also voluntary slavery to pay a debt or obtain money for some purpose. In the course of human history, slavery was a typical feature of civilization, and legal in most societies, but it is now outlawed in all countries of the world, except as punishment for crime.

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