Social Class

Social Classes and Functionalism

April 13, 2010

SOC 100; Section 002 – Spring 2010

Social Classes and Functionalism

The term social class refers to the distinctions between groups and individuals that are different from one society to another. Sometimes it can also be within a particular society. Social groups in higher classes have more power than the lower class. This is seen when the terms highbrow and lowbrow come into play. Highbrow describes a social class of cultured or well-learned persons. This class is looked at as the upper class. The term lowbrow describes the social group who is not as cultivated and lacks intellectual tastes.

Social stratification is the division and hierarchical ranking of society. It is more so the characterization of society and not an individuals. Society is ranked into groups or levels based a few different factors. A good example of this is the Titanic. This movie shows social inequality in terms of who survived the disaster and who did not. First there’s Income and wealth that is self-explanatory. Next comes race and ethnicity. Race groups people based on physical characteristics. Ethnicity categorizes people on the basis of their cultural, and nationality. Another grouping for social stratification is gender. Things like social norms, expertise, and other characteristics are attributed to people on the based on whether they are male or female. Age is the next grouping. We don’t often think about it. But things like power and rights are often based in this as well.

Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or even an individual. It is a social process, that individuals take place in. Society and material culture are what people lean to form their identities through. This is called Consumption, meaning that there are more consumed products that are needed to “survive”. Consumption can also link to self-identity formation and expression. People are imperceptibly influenced by the mass media that...