Stratification Film Reflection

Stratification is defined as a system in which groups of people are divided into layers according to their relative property, power, and prestige. This does not refer to individuals, but to groups of people who are ranked into a hierarchy according to their relative privileges Social stratification is divided into three major systems: Slavery, Caste, and Class. Slavery is commonly known for certain people owning other people and having them work for next to nothing or for free. Debt, crime, and war are some of the main causes. The Caste system is when a person’s status is determined by birth. If someone is born in a high-status group, they will always have high status regardless of what this person has accomplished over their life. Therefore, this system is considered life long. Another system that goes into affect at birth is the Class system. Unlike the other systems, individuals can change their social class by what they achieve in their life.

When an individual changes their class, it is known as social mobility. Social mobility is the up and down movement within the class sector. A film from 1957 shows these three classes in action. The boy that represents the class system is named Theodore Eastwood. Theodore was born into a family that was categorized as middle-class. His father worked a middle-class desk job and encourages his son to find a steady desk job as well. Theodore took his fathers advice and gets a good job right out of high school. After working hard for several years, Theodore becomes anxious and strives for a job he loves. He decides to take a chance and move to New York. Shortly after he moves, he finds a job as an art director for an advertising company. He quickly moves up in the company and becomes more financially stable. Although he has achieved a higher class living, Theodore is still considered a middle-class citizen. This is because he wasn’t born into a high status family.

When Theodore moved away form his small town and group of friends, he was able to branch out of the norm within his social class. This shows how much of an impact your surroundings have on you. This could be a reason why some individuals have a hard time or even never move up in social class.

We could also take gender into accountability. Gender is involved in all the social stratification systems. Based on gender, people are categorized and given different access to good available in society. Males are generally favored. Men and not women run the highest paid occupations. Among the world’s wealthiest people we have produced something called a superclass. This class shows how concentrated the world’s wealth and power is today. The gender that mostly makes up most of the wealth is white males. Very few women are apart of the superclass. It is said that 1,000 of the richest people have more wealth than the 2-½ billion poorest people across the world.

We live in a very selfish world! People only look out for themselves and then look the other direction when the less fortunate are in need. I agree with Shaun Belland in that we need to shift our focus to those from lower classes who are wanting to better society and their lives.