The term “social strata” appeared in the 20th century. These units of the social hierarchy unite people with a certain set of traits and characteristics.
Social classes and layers
In science, social layers are an instrument of social stratification - the division of society according to various criteria. Scientists have studied this problem since ancient times. Social strata as a concept appeared in the 20th century. Before that, other units of the hierarchy were widespread - castes and estates.
In the 19th century, the teaching of social classes was popular. This phenomenon was first investigated by Adam Smith and David Ricardo - classics of political economy. The class theory was most fully developed and discovered by the German scientist Karl Marx. Modern social strata have adopted some features from his teachings.
Dichotomous division of society
Social strata are characterized by classification according to several defining signs. This is wealth, power, education, leisure and consumption. These indicators are signs of inequality and social distance between different members of society.
There are several models for dividing the population into layers. The simplest is the idea of a dichotomy - a split society. According to this theory, society is divided into masses and elites. This specificity was especially characteristic of the most ancient civilizations. In them, pronounced social inequality was the norm. In addition, castes of the so-called “initiates” —priests, leaders, or elders — appeared in such societies. Modern civilization has refused such social constructions.
Social hierarchy
According to modern stratification, the social layers of society have certain status attributes that unite people. Between them there is a sense of connectedness and belonging to one community. At the same time, the indicators of the layer carry only the assessment “better - worse” or “more - less”.
For example, when it comes to education, people are divided into those who have finished school or university. Such associations can be continued, talking about the income or career growth of the individual. In other words, the social strata of society have a strict vertical hierarchy. This is a kind of pyramid, on top of which are the "best". If, for example, we compare basketball fans and lovers of folklore, then their difference will be not vertical, but horizontal. Such groups do not fall within the definition of social strata.
Concept of status
The main category in the theory of social strata is status. It is he who is of key importance in the modern stratification of society. The current social strata of the population differ from the classes of the 19th century in that a person is not attached to a group for life. What does it look like in practice? For example, if a boy was born into a poor family, but he studied well and thanks to his talents was able to achieve a high career position, then he certainly moved from one layer to another.
Status implies that the person who relates to him must meet certain requirements. They relate to the ability of a member of society to consume and produce benefits. For the status, and therefore for the social layer, it is important to observe the lifestyle established as the norm.
Welfare and labor
The signs by which representatives of social strata are divided can be divided into several groups. For example, they are related to the economic situation of a person. This group includes the availability of private property, the size and types of income. In general, these signs can be described as the level of material well-being. According to this criterion, the poor, middle-income and rich are distinguished. You can also cite the example of low-paid and highly paid workers living in municipal housing, property owners, etc.
The concept of the social layer affects the phenomenon of the division of labor. This hierarchy is about professional skills and training. The work of each individual finds a different application, and it is in this difference that the next social layer is reflected. For example, we can distinguish workers employed in agriculture, industry, the service sector, etc.
Power and influence
Authority is equally important in a social hierarchy. They are determined by the ability of a person to influence others. The source of such abilities can be a high position or possession of socially important knowledge. In this hierarchy, we can distinguish ordinary workers in a municipal enterprise, managers in small business, or, for example, government leaders.
Signs of influence, authority and prestige stand out in a separate group. In this case, the role of others is important. This indicator cannot be objective, therefore it is very difficult to measure and designate in any specific framework. According to this characteristic, informal leaders, famous cultural figures, representatives of the state elite, etc. can be distinguished.
Minor symptoms
The main features were described above, according to which the modern stratification of society is built. However, besides them, there are secondary features. They do not have a determining value, but also affect the position of the individual in the general hierarchy. Which social strata are present in society to a greater or lesser extent does not directly depend on these traits. Their character is auxiliary.
Ethnonational trait in different societies affects a person’s position to an unequal extent. In multicultural countries, this quality does not play a role at all. At the same time, in the modern world there are still enough countries where conservative national sentiments reign. In such societies, belonging to a foreign ethnic group may be a decisive factor in determining whether a person belongs to a particular social layer.
Other such characteristics are gender and age, religious and cultural traits of a person. Their combination affects the circle of communication of the individual and his interests. It is also worth noting a sign associated with the place of residence. In this case, we are talking mainly about the big difference between the townspeople and the villagers.
People with a specific social status
Belonging to a particular group in society also depends on certain qualities and psychological attitudes of a person. In this series, scientists identify the marginal position in society. It turns out to be unemployed, people without permanent residence, refugees. In some societies, these may also be people with disabilities and senior citizens whose living conditions are noticeably worse than the rest of the population. Such a social chasm arises in countries where there is an irresponsible state. If the authorities cannot provide the population with basic signs of a comfortable life, there will be more such marginalized people over time.
People with illegal behavior also have a specific status. These are citizens who have been convicted of their crimes. These include representatives of the criminal world, persons imprisoned in prisons and other labor institutions. People who find themselves in a marginal or criminal group, as a rule, cannot independently climb the social ladder or do not want to.