International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

A basic sociological assumption is that human behavior is patterned, not random. Such patterns form social structures or stratifications that reflect the persistent and regularized social relations that the patterns facilitate. The social stratification made possible by these hierarchies affects life chances, resources at our disposal, and relations of inequality in the distribution of social resources and rewards. Hence, at its most basic, research on social class encompasses the study of how societies manifest hierarchies of prestige and power, and how these hierarchies in turn shape a social stratification system and the reception of goods according to the status assigned to positions in the system. Much difficulty in explicating the concept of social class critically stems from the fact that in complex societies multiple criteria, not just economic factors, are used to identify the set of relations that determine not only what a class is, but the individual's position in the social stratification system. For instance, wealth, prominence, ancestry, prestige, occupation, and level of influence are all possible elements in defining social class. What is more, some of these elements have several valences that might carry difference in the prestige and status granted. For example, although wealth is a primary determinant of social class in the United States, how such wealth is attained ... log in or subscribe to read full text