Page 218 - Essencials of Sociology

Systems of Social Stratification 191

Social stratification is a system in which groups of people are divided into layers
social stratification the division
according to their relative property, power, and prestige. It is important to emphasize of large numbers of people into
that social stratification does not refer to individuals. It is a way of ranking large groups layers according to their relative
of people into a hierarchy according to their relative privileges. property, power, and prestige;
It is also important to note that every society stratifies its members. Some societies applies to both nations and to
have greater inequality than others, but social stratification is universal. In addition, in people within a nation, society, or
other group
every society of the world, gender is a basis for stratifying people. On the basis of their
gender, people are either allowed or denied access to the good things offered by their slavery a form of social stratifica-
society. tion in which some people own
other people
Let’s consider four major systems of social stratification: slavery, caste, estate, and
class.

Slavery Watch on MySocLab
Video: Social Stratification:
Slavery, whose essential characteristic is that some individuals own other people, has been The Big Picture
common throughout history. The Old Testament even lays out rules for how owners
should treat their slaves. So does the Koran. The Romans had slaves, as did the Africans
and Greeks. In classical Greece and Rome, slaves did the work, freeing citizens to engage
in politics and the arts. Slavery was most widespread in agricultural societies and least The Mulleta family of Ethiopia,
common among nomads, especially hunters and gatherers (Landtman 1938/1968; described in the opening vignette.
Rowthorn et al. 2011). As we examine the major causes and conditions of slavery, you
will see how remarkably slavery has varied around the world.