A Sociological Analysis of the U.S. Stratification Process
SOC 436 Topic 8 Benchmark Assignment – A Sociological Analysis of the U.S. Stratification Process
The final benchmark paper should be a noticeably revised update of the three drafts submitted in Topics 5-7, incorporating instructor comments and personal revising.Create an essay consisting of the revised versions of the essays in Topics 3, 5 and 6. This section should be 2,250-3,000 words.Write a conclusion of 350-400 words, explaining how the social institution you chose contributes to the social stratification of the United States for better and for worse. (Comp. 3.5)You should note the references for parts I-III along with the conclusion at the end of the paper.Utilize the GCU Library to locate a minimum of three scholarly sources to support your conclusion.This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
This benchmark assignment assesses the following Programmatic competencies:
3.2: Analyze the U.S. stratification system in regards to class.
3.3: Analyze the U.S. stratification system in regards to gender.
3.4: Analyze the U.S. stratification system in regards to race.
3.5: Summarize the elements and functions of social institutions and their place within the social structure
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A Sociological Analysis of the U.S. Stratification Process
Introduction
Stratification is the process by which people in society are classified into different levels of wealth, power and privilege. The United States is a stratified society, meaning that people have different social statuses based on their economic status. In this article we will explore how these statuses are formed and maintained in the U.S., as well as some of the ways they can be interpreted sociologically or politically.
What is Stratification?
Stratification is a process by which groups of people are ranked in hierarchies. This can be done through various mechanisms, such as an individual’s money and power or social status.
While stratification has long been recognized as an important factor in social inequality, it is often misunderstood as being limited solely to economic factors. In fact, studies show that stratification occurs across many realms of life—from race and ethnicity to gender and age—and the relative position within each group depends on many factors beyond one’s material possessions (such as education).
Stratification also refers to a society’s tendency towards inequality: people at different levels have different amounts of power/influence over others; for example, wealthy elites may control more wealth than less affluent members do; influential groups may exert greater influence over policy decisions than less powerful ones do; etcetera.
The United States as a Class Society
The United States is a class society. This means that it has multiple classes, or groups of people who are divided by their economic positions in society. Each class has its own set of interests and privileges and works toward maintaining its position through government policies and laws that reflect these interests.
The U.S. economy is capitalist, which means that it relies on private ownership for production rather than public ownership or state-run industry like in communist countries (where the state owns everything). In capitalism, producers are allowed to sell their products on the market at prices determined by supply vs demand; this allows them to maximize profits while also guaranteeing fair wages for workers employed by those businesses who produce goods for sale on these markets—that’s why we call our country “the land of opportunity!”
The United States as a Caste Society
The United States is a caste society. Caste is a social structure based on inherited status that has no relation to class, but some people associate it with the idea of social stratification. Castes are found in India, Pakistan and Nepal; these countries have about 50 million people who are considered members of these castes. In contrast, there are only about 250 million people living in the U.S., so we can’t claim that our country has any real caste system here!
Castes are not simply groups of people with similar backgrounds or occupations—they’re also divided into different types or levels depending on how much wealth they possess (and consequently how much power they wield). Each caste has its own rules for marriage and inheritance as well as specific roles within society: some may be allowed access only through certain types of employment while others might need permission from higher-ups before doing anything at all (like going abroad).
The United States as an Open Class Society
The United States is a class society, but it is also an open class society. It has a large middle class and lower classes, as well as a smaller upper class.
The U.S. has a large middle class that includes workers in professional occupations like doctors and lawyers; white-collar workers who do not perform manual labor; managers at companies; college graduates who have chosen to stay with their parents’ careers; salaried office personnel such as secretaries, receptionists and some accountants; government employees such as teachers or police officers (who are paid by taxes); politicians/government officials who occupy positions of power within different branches of government agencies or departments; celebrities whose fame comes from their performances in movies or television shows (e.g., actors like George Clooney); musicians who perform in live venues (e..g., musicians like Paul McCartney).
There are many ways to interpret the U.S. stratification process.
There are many ways to interpret the U.S. stratification process. The most common view is that it’s a class society, but there are other views that suggest it’s more of an open-class or caste system. One way you can measure this is by looking at each individual’s position within a larger group of people and seeing where they fall on the socio-economic ladder (i.e., how high up or low down) compared to others in their same situation.
In order for someone to be considered part of one social class over another, they must have certain characteristics: They must be born into certain families; inherit wealth from parents; earn money through working for someone else; live in certain neighborhoods where housing costs more than others nearby; go out on dates with people who own nice cars instead going out with those who don’t own any cars at all!
Conclusion
In this article, we introduced the main theme of stratification analysis—the idea that there are different types of classes in the United States. We then discussed how these four class structures can be used to describe different aspects of American society. In general, we see four major types: caste, open class, closed class and superordinate hierarchical. Each type represents a set of social relationships between social groups based on their position within the stratification process.
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