Perspectives on Stratification
...e was a constant struggle between different social classes. According to Marx the stratification system involves the unequal distribution of resources. Resources such as social, economical, and political are given out unequally. Marx thought that the lack or work does not precede success. Workers must overcome what Marc termed false consciousness, an attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect its objective position. A student with false consciousness would think that the professor was exploiting them, yet the professor is directing his comment to the whole class in general. If a teacher told the class, “You have to study for this exam.” It is taken and perceived that the professor was talking to the class and not the one student individually. Unlike Marx, Max Weber insisted that no single characteristic such as class totally defines a person’s position within the stratification system. Instead, he identified three analytically distinct components of stratification: wealth, prestige, and power. Weber used the term class to refer to people who have a similar level of wealth and income. An example in college of wealth is the difference in money received with financial aid from the college. Different students acquire different amounts of money according to background information and family income. Prestige was Weber’s second major component of stratification. Weber used the term status group to refer to people who rank the same in prestige and lifestyle. An individual gains status through membership in a desirable group, such as the medical profession. But status is not the same as economic class standing. In our culture, successful pickpocket may be in the same income class as a Merrimack college professor, yet the thief is widely regarded as a member of the low-status group, while the professor holds high status. The third element of Weber’s stratification system is power. Power is the ability to exercise one’s will over others. For example, a college professor has the power over student’s grades. Or seniors have more priority or authority over freshman when picking classes because they have earned and been in school the longest. These three comp...