• Explain the concept social stratification • Explain the concept social class • Describe the six (6) basic social classes in a society • Discuss wealth, power and prestige (as classified by Max Weber as categories of importance in social stratification)

1. Study Unit 8.1
By C Settley

2. Learning Outcomes
• Explain the concept social stratification
• Explain the concept social class
• Describe the six (6) basic social classes in a
society
• Discuss wealth, power and prestige (as classified
by Max Weber as categories of importance in
social stratification)
• Critically discuss the effect of social stratification
on health and life expectancy of an individual

3. Social Stratification Defined
Du Toit & Van Staden (page 104)
• Johnson (1986:315) describes SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION as the social structures which
provide wealth, power and status unequally
among the members of different social classes.
• It is a process in the sense that people classify
themselves with regard to different status groups
and associate themselves with the relevant
wealth, power and prestige.
• See rankings page 105

4. Social Class
Du Toit (page 108)
• Layer of people who share similar values, family
prestige, occupational/educational/income
status, personal professions, residence and
social etiquette (Cohen, 1979:111; Steward &
Glynn, 1979:131).
• The members of a social layer accept each other
as equals

5. GENERAL: Broad Schematic
Representation of the Social Class
Upper Socio
Economic
Class
Middle Socio
Economic Class
Lower Socio Economic
Class

6. Social Class
- 6 Basic Classes
with subclasses
- Varies according
to societal
dynamics
The Upper Class
The Upper Middle Class
The Middle Class
The Lower Middle Class
The Working Class
The Lower Class

7. 6 Basic Social Classes:
THE UPPER CLASS
• 1-3% of a population
• Richest people
• Great status and power
• Wealth traced back a few generations or amazed
their wealth in their own lifetime (Stokes, 1984:
173-174)

8. 6 Basic Social Classes:
THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS
• 10-15% of population
• Emphasis on occupations
• Professional people who occupy high positions
in government and military sector
• Includes business people who live comfortably
in attractive neighborhoods
• Children of this class of people enjoy elite
education which enables them to follow similar
occupations (Stokes, 1984: 206)

9. 6 Basic Social Classes:
THE MIDDLE CLASS
• 20-25% of a population
• Differentiated from the lower class on the basis
of university education
• Occupations are less influential and financially
less rewarding than those of the upper middle
class (Stokes, 1984: 175)

10. 6 Basic Social Classes:
THE LOWER MIDDLE CLASS
• 30-35% of population
• Occupations include lower level business
management, certain professional and semi-
professional occupations, sales and clerical
positions
• E.g. teaching, nursing
• Families in this class have more than one
breadwinner in the home (Stokes, 1984: 175) or
more than one occupation to generate more
income.

11. 6 Basic Social Classes:
THE WORKING CLASS
• 25-30 % of population
• Skilled and semi- skilled blue- collar workers
• Major difference between the lower middle and
working class is members of the lower middle class
have usually had some form of higher education
• However, their income is frequently higher than that
of the lower middle class e.g. electricians, plumbers
as they earn relatively higher income
• Characterized by the fact that these workers usually
work away from home for a wage (Stokes, 1984: 176)

12. 6 Basic Social Classes:
THE LOWER CLASS
• Unskilled workers
• Usually an oversupply of laborers, which means
their wages are relatively low
• They share a characteristic with the upper class,
namely that socially it is a very closed class
• It is just as difficult for the members of the lower
class to rise above their class as it is for outsiders
to enter the upper class (Stokes, 1984: 176)

13. Nb!!!!!!!!
In analyses on Social stratification Max
Weber(1946) highlighted 3 categories of
importance
• PAGE 110

14. Wealth
• Refers to collection of all assets that an
individual accumulates/own – stock shares
properties investments homes and land
• Uneven distribution of wealth between
inhabitants of the world
• The few richest of the population own most of
the wealth -80% of multitudes of poor own
virtually close to nothing - 20%
• Social stratification is determined by wealth
• NB: Income wage and salaries

15. Power
• Refers to the ability to control or influence
others
• Power need not necessarily rewarded – usually
associated with status for it to work
• Difficult to measure
• Usually unequally divided in all societies

16. Prestige
• Criteria is unequal distribution of prestige.
• Comes in many forms:-public recognition and
fame, respect and admiration, honour and
esteem.
• Determined in many cases by occupational
status, in other words an important position in
society has a high prestige value.
• Often different from class division- may be
positive or negative
• Subjective and personal

17. Effects of stratification on health & life
expectancy
Du Toit (p.115)
• In S.A. one should guard against
generalisation and speculation.
• Members of upper class tends to be healthier
and live longer than those in the lower
classes.
• Lower class exhibits higher morbidity and
mortality rate than upper class

18. Effects of stratification on health & life
expectancy
Ascribed to several factors :
1. Exposure to dangerous working conditions,
overpopulation, poor living conditions, poor
sanitation, malnutrition, alcoholism, air pollution,
unhygienic conditions and poor to no antenatal
care influence the health and life expectancy of
the lower classes.

19. 2. Lower class receive less health care.
• Frequently do not have money for medical
funds to consult doctors.
• Medical therapists with prejudice.
• Communication gap between medical staff
and lower socio-economic groups.
Effects of stratification on health & life
expectancy

20. Effects of stratification on health & life
expectancy
3. Lower socio-economic status associated with high BP,
HPT, cancers of lungs, stomach, oesophagus.
• Professionals and upper-class pay attention to regular
exercise, diets, rest and regular medical
examinations.
4. Sufferers of chronic diseases also experience a
lowering of status if they loose their job as a result
of their illness.
• upward mobility is hampered.
5. Chances of becoming a victim of violence are twice as
high for people in the lower class than those in the
middle class.

21. THEORIES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
PAGE 113
• The functional theory
• The Marxist theory of social stratification
• Lenski’s theory of social stratification

22. Reference
• Du Toit, D. & le Roux, E. (2014). Nursing
sociology. 5th ed. Pretoria: Van Schaik.