Social Stratification

Social stratification is dividing into three systems, caste, estate and class system. The three commonalities of the three systems are they are persistent over time, resistant to change and are accepted legitimating rationales that the differences in wealth, power, prestige etc., are the norms of society (McIntyre, 2010). Caste systems are base on a person’s rank at birth, which determines the prestige, social relationships and occupation (McIntyre, 2010). The determination of a person’s hierarchy in an estate system is by birth. The estate systems have three tiers, 1) the uppermost estate is the aristocracy or nobility, 2) Clergy are the second estate and 3) peasants or workers during made up the third estate (McIntyre, 2010). The class system is where people work their way in to the higher ranks, which was due to industrialization and urbanization (McIntyre, 2010). All three systems represent social stratification and each represent that the higher the level of social strata a person has equals the amount of power.

The United States falls into the class system of wealthy, middle-class, and working class and poverty (McIntyre, 2010). Although the proclamation of equality constantly used in the United States, the question of how true is that statement needs to be answer. Do I have the same opportunity of buying a large estate with little or no financing? Although the belief of equality considered the way of the U.S., the class system is still in the background and therefore social strafication is still part of our society. While most Americans believe that every person has equal chances at success, we do not have equal chances at the same opportunities (McIntyre, 2010).

Base on the Wisconsin model of status attainment is influence by academic performances and educational expectations (Bozick, Alexander, Entwisle, Dauber, & Kerr, 2010). The foundation of which is found to be integrated as early as childhood as to whether higher education is a goal or...