Social Stratification Analysis Essay Example

work lead to increased labor expenses, which then result in lower wages for them as a compensatory measure. Equitable distribution of healthcare and medical insurance costs is crucial due to women's longer life expectancy and potential pregnancies. Social inequality pertains to the unequal accessibility of valuable resources, services, and positions within society, including pay gaps and discrepancies in evaluations within social structures. Social differentiation often leads to social inequality because humans tend to attach significance and value judgments based on dissimilarities.

The unequal wages across different positions may stem from social inequality, where certain roles or characteristics are valued more highly and thus offer more pay. This social differentiation can lead to some individuals having a greater share of valued goods and services, including income and wealth. Income and wealth are particularly important as they provide access to other necessities and desired commodities, as well as power and influence. Inequalities of income and wealth are thus significant considerations when examining social inequality in terms of prestige and honor.

Most Americans rely on income, which includes money earned from employment and investments, as well as timely payments. This is the primary means for them to acquire both necessities and luxuries in life. Even though investments can generate income, it's usually wages or salaries that sustain the majority of people in the US. Wealth, however, pertains to accumulated assets of valuable goods that have economic value and can be bought or sold.

The majority of Americans struggle to accumulate wealth because their wages are used for immediate necessities, according to research. Income inequality is present in the United States, with an even more disproportionate distribution of wealth (Liao, 2006). This

unequal income distribution is largely attributed to the occupational structure that most people rely on for earning a living. For detailed information on this topic, please visit Gulliver's Travels.

Several factors contribute to gender inequality, including blatant discrimination. Despite improvements in living standards and earnings in the US, income distribution has remained stagnant since the mid-1940s. Studies reveal that Depression reforms and military draft employment during World War II helped reduce income inequality in the 1930s and early 1940s. Compared to other noncommunist industrial nations, the United States typically falls around the middle of the spectrum concerning income inequality.

Barber (1957) stated that France has the highest income inequality. Income is widely recognized as the most significant type of class inequality, with the belief that individuals in working class earn below average incomes while those in middle class earn average incomes and upper middle-class professionals and managers have above average to high incomes. However, traditional concepts about class income inequalities are more precise. It's mistaken to assume that working-class individuals have made substantial income gains when compared to their middle-class peers for two reasons: firstly, high working-class wages aren't commonplace, and secondly, even though some blue-collar workers may earn higher paychecks due to seasonal or insecure nature of their jobs (Giddins ; Held, 2006).

Establishing a direct connection between social class and income is challenging due to the various factors that influence income attainment. Historically, equating occupational status or proficiency with class position was a common oversimplification that failed to consider the intricacies involved. Income inequality persists among groups due to racism and sexism, which also overlap with class-based inequalities. In conclusion, one's placement in

systems of power ultimately dictates income disparities.

According to Hulme & Toye (2006), when observing how other factors impact income inequality, if we identify differences based on sex and race, then we have also identified sources of inequality related to sex and race within the class system. The primary argument is that although racism and sexism do contribute to income inequality, it is ultimately explained by class. The divisions of occupational, authority, and property within the overall system of stratification in the country create class distinctions that lead to race and sex inequality. Like income, the condition of work is also stratified.

Rimashevskaia & Kislitsyna (2006) state that class in the United States leads to significant consequences such as income inequalities, job satisfaction, conditions of work, and varying levels of political and economic power. The higher classes enjoy better circumstances while those in the middle believe their situation could be worse than those at the bottom. The conflict perspective suggests that groups with common interests will collaborate to achieve and maintain their goals regardless of their hierarchical position. However, this approach's success depends on a group's ability to recognize its shared interests and access resources to pursue them. Typically, those at the top of the social stratification system are more likely to possess both these advantages.

Barber (1957) stated that those who occupy lower social positions have less power and are often passive or excluded from receiving rewards in society. The worldwide outlook on social stratification emphasizes its resemblance to local stratification systems, with some variations. One important difference is that nationalism can lead to increased tensions between dominant and peripheral groups rather than fostering solidarity across international

classes. Furthermore, maintaining a universal system of hierarchy presents difficulties due to cultural and linguistic disparities. Nevertheless, the global structure can be defined as a division based on property ownership and occupational labor unrelated to bureaucratic power structures.

According to Hulme & Toye (2006), it is the similarities rather than the differences in social stratification, both domestically and globally, that are noteworthy.