Is stratification inevitable?

10/12/13

In class, we were asked to ponder if stratification is inevitable and/or necessary in society. I felt like the answer was simple and after doing some research, I found theories to support my opinion. Equality is desirable in society. Nobody wants to see overwhelming poverty, intolerance of cultures, or prejudice in the world. However, people have different strengths and abilities that set them apart from others. In some systems like ours, we accommodate those skill-sets with higher incomes and higher social status...in theory (see video attachment below). It is impossible to achieve equality. As much as I hate to say it, that is what makes a human. Our differences is what affects our standing with the people we interact with everyday, whether it be in a positive or negative way (based on a society's ideology). Equality is harmony and only fits into Utopian systems that don't exist. They don't exist because there has to be a universal consensus of what it means to be equal. It's something to strive for, but will never reach. That's the reality.

The real question should be "Is stratification necessary?". In systems like ours, yes. If we had a communist government, our wages would be identical and the inequality would be minimal. But how do you get people to work hard? How do you motivate those that work significantly faster or better than others? We like to be rewarded for our efforts. Otherwise, what's the point, right? Inequality has some positive aspects attached to it. By allowing us to compare ourselves to others, we can improve as individuals and learn from each other. I believe that inequality is necessary evil. Without differences, we are all the same and life would be dull. Many countries try to bridge the gap between classes with taking the money from the rich and dispersing it to those who are poor. That's counterproductive and unjustified. Sadly, I don't have a solution to fix inequality. Sorry.

Here's a few quotes that I found interesting:

“…Stratification can be seen as emanating from several sources (class, status, and party), not simply one’s place in the productive system."

“Those from more-well-to-do families are not necessarily the best and brightest, but they are

given the opportunities, the ‘stage,’ so to speak, in which to pursue and fully develop their aspirations. The system by which the ‘most capable’ are chosen to fill the most important positions is rigged in favor of those closer to the top of the social hierarchy. Again, it is power—political, economic, and social—that is the key to understanding social inequality.”

“Regarding the second key theoretical question, whether social inequality is inevitable, Marx answers a ‘no.’ …The creation of a classless—and thus equitable—society was possible.”

Source: Theories of Class and Social Inequality

This cleverly-made video displays how skewed our system is in reality and how inequality has dangerously escalated in the United States. The video captures the dispersal of wealth within the nation and how the gap between the rich and the middle class has widened and how poverty is threatening the middle class. It's a fascinating, yet scary way of visualizing stratification of wealth.