Social Stratification: Crash Course Sociology

The video explores social stratification, a system that categorizes and ranks people in society, affecting their life chances. It discusses the principles of stratification, including its universality and variability, and how it persists across generations. The video also covers social mobility, both vertical and horizontal, and the role of structural factors. It contrasts closed systems like caste with open systems like class, highlighting the influence of cultural beliefs. Examples from history, such as India's caste system and apartheid, illustrate these concepts. The video concludes with a discussion on meritocracy and its implications in class systems.

What is social stratification primarily concerned with?

• The development of personal skills and talents

• The historical evolution of societies

• The categorization and ranking of people in a society

• The distribution of wealth among individuals

Which principle of social stratification suggests it is a societal characteristic?

• It is temporary and changeable

• It is a characteristic of society

• It is universal but variable

• It is based on individual differences

What is horizontal mobility?

• Moving up or down the social hierarchy

• Experiencing a decline in social status

• Changing jobs without changing social standing

• Achieving a higher social class through education

Which system is an example of a closed stratification system?

• The American class system

• The Indian caste system

• The British class system

• The Soviet classless society

In a class system, what allows for social mobility?

• Personal merit and achievement

• Religious beliefs

• Ancestry and lineage

• Government policies

What is a mixed system of stratification?

• A system with no social mobility

• A system based solely on economic status

• A system combining elements of both caste and class

• A system that is entirely classless

Which society claimed to be classless but was stratified into four groups?

• Modern Britain

• Feudal Europe

• The Soviet Union

• The United States