Sociology Handout

Hand Out for Sociology – Stratification and Class (chapter6) (All quotes on the next two pages will you find in Sociology – Making sense of society 2nd edition)

By Peter Packroff •

The equalities in society are not a new phenomenon. But it has been explained in various kind of religions that it is determent. Like the Church in the 16c-17c explained the equality by “The Will of God” - and if you tried to change this order it would be seen as an ungodly act (Death).

Again, it was not before the urbanisation and industrialisation that it was looked at with “sciences eyes” in form of sociology.

Main differences between Marx and Weber (on this point)

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Marx was a journalist and politically active, and most of his work was occupied dealing with the working class. He believed in the revolution as the key to a new order in Society. As Weber he realised that there were more classes, but saw two dominating “monopole classes”; Working Class and Upper Class. He also believed that the rich working class had lasted that long because of the working class’ poor condition. It was too poor to rise and was held down. He also believed that the bourgeois (class) would face the same destiny as the working class, as the upper class would “eat up” what was left of the finances.

A new order in society (Marxism) has been tried in practice many places in the world. But it has in most cases been very hard to uphold, and the authority have often had to use all power possible to uphold its position - as seen in China. Also a kind of Neo- Marxism is being practices by Robert Mugabe (or what he is called).

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Weber kept his work on a scientific basis only, and did not believe in the revolution as a solution. He believed that a Capitalist system could develop through the rising of democracy, unions and human rights. He returned to Germany in 1904 after a stay in USA that had a great influence on his research.

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Marx believed that the class party was determined by the class – where Weber sees this as two different things and that you find mobility within the classes.

Both of them were working all their life to full end their Social Analysis, but both died without succeeding. Nevertheless they have become building stones for all further studies.

Which class?

Giddens: Upper-class Middle Working

Capital ownership Class Educational ownership Class Labour power

(and the upper-class subdivided as jet set rich (musicians, sport stars etc.), Landowners (often born to wealth) and Entrepreneual rich (those who have build up their wealth often from risky investments).

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Scott:

The Ruciman Classes (size in 1990)

1. Entrepreneurial rich Build up a business

Upper-class Upper middle class Middle middle class Lower middle class Skilled working class Unskilled working class Underclass

2. Rentier Capitalists Multi shareholdings/ investments 3. Executive Capitalists.

Official Full-time employment in major companies receiving what you may call a pretty good salary.

4. Finance Capitalists.

Often to be seen in more than one Board of different companies – like an inner circle .

<1% <10% 15% 20% 20% 30% 5%

Register General’s: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Professional Occupations Intermediate Occupations Skilled Occupation Party skilled occupations Unskilled occupation.

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As seen in boxes above, and even more analysis shown at the sociology lectures, there are loads of different views on class stratification. Most of them are very similar, as modern sociologists have tried to transfer today’s society into the original scheme, which is being criticised. (Explanation follows).

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After the post war in the 1950’s you find an employment rate never seen before. There was work for everybody, and during the war many women had to take work, as the men went to war. This “trend” continued and changed the “traditional picture of class stratification”. Now more houses had two incomes, and soon it would be possible for the (middle class) and working class to buy property and obtain a better living standard.

It also got common that children of the working class got an education. Many see this happening as the end of the working class as we know it.

Since then even more women have got work, and with help of technology and IT many of today’s jobs are non manual jobs.

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As the working class got more educated and wealthier, so did the classes “communicate” across. What you see know is that classes can now have common values, and the “lower class” has now the possibility to buy materials that bring them up to a higher level (snob effect).

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Neo- Weberian argues that an individual destiny is not determined by class, as the society today offers full mobility. Opposite other sociologists and psychologists argues that there is still a clear connection between the class/ environment you have grown up in, and what you become. This is illustrated well in the film Sweet Sixteen.

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Frank Perking (1972) argues that the conflict is now longer a class conflict but a status conflict.

He argues: ”A good club, a good regiment, a good collage or a good school: you can only make one by keeping people out”.

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In more “modern” research in advertising and market research it is now more common to look at values, life quality, life style and talking about segments instead of classes.

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You could look at it this way: SOCIOLOGY (science)

Politics/ state trying to improve society. Still talking and arguing about class structure

Advertising/ merchandising used for sales Develops new methods to analyse society.

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About the “Minerva Model” The Minerva Model is made for ACNIELSEN AIM DANMARK by the Danish Sociologist Henrik Dahl who has also worked for the Danish Broadcasting Channel (DR). He has published a book called (translated) “If your neighbour was a car” – which deals with segments and semiotic.

There is also a Minerva Model that covers all Scandinavian countries called “Scandinavian Minerva”.

2500 people have been questioned for this Danish model, and 7500 for the Scandinavian.

The Minerva Model has become the most successful and used analysis model in Denmark used by all aspects of the market/ society.

In modern advertising it is no longer enough to look at occupation or class but on common values and life qualities that often are shared between different layers of society.

The Blue Segment This is the Modern and Materialistic Culture which contain Individualists who do not feel solidarity with other “segment groups” – except if they are moving the same direction as the Blue.

The Green Segment People in this group are modern- but idealistic and feel a strong sympathy with persons with same education.

They see society as something “higher” and often they look at it with scepticism.

The Rosa Segment Here you find the traditional – idealistic and in many ways the “origin”. Here you find a strong feeling for the local area and the neighbour hood. As further the world gets, the more scary it seems.

The Violet Segment Those people are traditional and materialistic. It is in many ways similar to the Rosa culture but has lost its roots. There for you find that people in this segment often try to compensate with materialistic goods and member ship in different kind of (modern) clubs where they can socialise and maybe find the new trends that they can reflect in.

(I take no responsibility for errors, spelling errors, grammatical errors, failures, mistakes, wrong quotes etc. After all, I am just a Dane…)

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