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Review Chapter 3:  Social Stratification in Human Societies:  The History of Inequality
Stratification
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Sociological Stratification
Chapter 3: Social Stratification in Human Societies:  The History of Inequality
Link To understand the history of the development of inequality, 
      we must understand the different Types of Strat Systems
Link
Link Chart on the Characteristics of the Types of Stratification Systems
Link History of Inequality spans all of human existence & goes through many stages
Link
Link      3. During the Era of H-G Society, which is for 99 % of human existence,  there was nearly total equality Link
Link           Marx's Tribal Society
Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Hunter - Gatherer Era
Link      4. During the Pre-Empire Era ( 10 K BC to 3 K BC ) inequality/stratification begins 
           as humanity develops the capacity to produce a surplus
Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Pre-EmpireEra
Link            Inequality is based on race
Link
Link            Inequality is based on gender:  Morgan:  The Development of the Patriarchal Family  Link
Link     5. During the Early-Empire Era ( 3 K BC to 200 BC ) the caste system developed  Link
Link     6. During the Era of the Roman Empire ( 200 BC to 500 AD ) the stratification system changed little
Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification Systems of the Roman Empire
Link     7. During the Middle Ages ( 500 to 1300 ) industrialism & the modern class system arose
Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification Systems of the Middle Ages
Link           During the Middle Ages (  500 to 1300 ) the modern system of Racism & Slavery arose
Link
Link     8. The Early Industrial Age  (1300 - 1700 ) saw the beginning of the rise of the Middle Class
Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Early Industrial Age
Link     9. During the Industrial Age ( 1700 to the present ), in the Core Countries the economic base 
              became totally industrialized, while agriculture & other economic systems waned
Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Industrial Age
Link
    10. During the Age of Global Capitalism the class based stratification system became global
Link
Link     11. During the Post Industrial Age, the economy shifted from basic industry to services & high tech jobs Link
Link           Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Post-Industrial Age
Outline on
The Types of Stratification Systems
        Review the Overview of Stratification
Link
There are six fundamental Types of Strat Systems,
         each of which dominated a particular historical period:
         1. Primitive communal system ( aka hunter-gatherer society or tribal society )
         2. Slavery system  (two types:  conquest & racist)
         3. Caste system
         4. Feudal system ( aka estate system )
         5. Class system
         6. Post-industrial system ( aka global system )
Each of these Strat Systems may be judged on its Characteristics of Strat Systems:
         1.  Normativity - open or closed:  acceptance of mobility
         2.  Method of placement:  ascription, achievement, mixture
         3.  Method of legitimization:  tradition, ideological, religion, legal
         4.  Form of inequality:  status, class, power
         5.  Level of inequality: 
              a.  low in primitive communal
              b.  high in slave, caste & feudal
              c.  medium in class
The Chart on the Characteristics of Strat Systems examines the 
       6 Fundamental Types of Stratification Systems
      & the Characteristics of Stratification Systems
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Chart on the Characteristics of the Types of the Stratification Systems
pww
Type of 
System		 Ranks
(Mobility)		 Method of 
Placement		 Legitimization
(ideology)		 Basis of 
Ranking		 Level of
Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic (class) hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/
bureaucratic (power)		 low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/
bureaucratic (power)		 low to high
Outline of an 
Socio-Historic Analysis
Link 1.  Geologic era 5 bb BP - 
5 mm BP		 Earth formation 
- early primates
Link 2.  Pre-human evolution 5 mm BP - 
1.5 mm BP		 Old Stone Age
Early primates
 Link 3.  H - G society 1.5 mm BP - 
10 K BC		 Mid Stone Age
Early humans
 Link 4.  Pre-empire era 10K BC - 
3 K BC		 New Stone Age
Civilization dawns
1st ag & villages
 Link 5.  Early empires 3 K BC - 
200 BC		 Bronze Age
Egypt, Greece, 
China, etc
 Link 6.  Roman era 200 BC - 
500 AD		 Rome rules W
China, India  E
 Link 7.  Middle ages 500 AD - 
1300 		 Fall of Rome to 
 Enlightenment
 Link 8.  Early ind'l age 1300 - 
1700		 Renaissance
Reformation
Enlightenment
 Link 9.  Industrial age 1700 - 
present		 Am & Fr Rev's
 Link 10.  Global capitalism 1910 - 
present		 WW1
WW2
 Link 11. Post ind'l soc 1970 - 
present		 Service econ
Info econ
  Top
Outline of Marxist History
Tribal Society
Hunter-Gatherer Era      1.5 mm BP - 10K BC
Link
HG society was egalitarian.  They had no surplus, but did have "status wealth"
The first form of ownership was tribal ownership
There was a high level of social cooperation among producers
Inequality appeared at the end of this era as it crosses into what we call "civilization"
         Marx's next era is the Asiatic Period aka the Early Empire Era      3K BC - 200 BC
         ( Note that Marx does not discuss the Pre-Empire Era:    10 K BC to 3 K BC )		 Link
   Top
Outline on
Hunter Gatherer Societies
circa 1.5 mm BP - 10 K BC
Link
There were many types of H-G Societies, & this analysis is done in broad generalities
It is important to note that 99 % of human existence has been in H-G Society, 
    thus in many respects it is all form of modern human existence that is "abnormal"
There was a high level of cooperation w/in tribes 
"Work" in H-G society was hunting & gathering & you shared all your production
Gender differentiation existed in H-G society, but there was total equality Link
In H-G society, Racial differentiation was recognized only in the context of tribal ("nationalistic") differentiation 
      & therefore was not a basis for inequality/discrimination
Link
       The next historic  stage is Pre-Empire Era    10 K BC  to 3 K BC
Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of Stratification System of the Hunter-Gatherer Era
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
  Top
Outline on
The Pre-Empire Era
10K BC  -  3K BC
Link
The Pre-Empire Era runs from approximately 10 K BC to 3 K BC
The transition from H-G Society to Pre-Empire "civilization" is characterized by 
    the scattered development of agriculture of the late H-G Era
    to where Pre-empire society had widespread agriculture
    P-E society was based on agriculture
Hearth Areas are settings where new practices develop, & then spread to other areas:
Agriculture in the Pre-Empire Era was based on widespread domestication of plants & animals
During the Pre-Empire Era, the "exploitation of man by man" first developed
        The replacement of a hunting & gathering form of economy
            w/ an agricultural economy 
            resulted in people being able to produce surpluses
        The fact that a person could produce more than they could consume
                allowed others to "exploit" them, i.e. take their surplus
                or "enslave" them, i.e. make them create a surplus for another
        People gain wealth by creating it themselves or taking it from another
        Thus as humanities ability to create a surplus appeared,
            so too did  the ability to exploit, enslave, etc. another, 
            heralding the end of relative equality in human relations
But the social relationships surrounding any form of exploitation are different in each era
During the Pre-Empire Era, patriarchal gender relations first developed Link
      Morgan:  The Origin of Patriarchy Link
      Marx & Engels:  Origin of the Family, Private Property & the State   "The Historic Defeat of Women" Link
During the Pre-Empire Era, Slavery first developed but was not based on Race Link
        The next era is the Early Empire Era which runs 3 K BC to 200 BC Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of Stratification Systems of the Pre-Empire Era
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
Outline on
Race in the Pre-Empire Era
circa 10 K BC - 3 K BC
Link
Slavery begins along w/ "history" or "civilization" & agriculture
     Advances in human society & tech allowed "surpluses" to be created
     One person could produce more than they needed to consume
     Therefore, one person could hire or enslave another to work for them & profit from it
     Thus slavery is an economic relationship
But, like in the H - G era, slavery was not based on race
Slavery based on conquest
The outcomes of conquest
     - Mass murder to genocide
     - Partial to full enslavement
     - Tribute & low to hi levels of occupation
     - Pillage & move on
In any system of exploitation, 
there is always an ideology ( world view or set of ideas ) that supports it.
It is through the ideological system that the economic exploitation/ relationship is disguised Link
  Top
Outline on
The Development of the Patriarchal Family
by Lewis Henry Morgan
Link
                 - Summary
Patriarchy & the monogamous family began 
       when civilization began, 
       which began when agriculture was well established
Men established monogamy & patriarchy so that they could
        control who their heirs were, & what they would receive
  Top
Outline on
Early-Empires Era
Ancient Agricultural Society
circa 3 K BC  -  200 BC
Link
The Early-Empires economies were based on 
  - agriculture
  - conquest
  - minimal, hand manufacturing sector
  - some trade
  - some service sector:  banking, law, education, etc.
This era's economic systems were a mixture of state capitalism & command economies
     which was called the Asiatic System by Marx & Weber
        See Marx's analysis of the Asiatic System Link
        See Marx's analysis of the Asiatic System Link
The Caste System developed in Indian religions & later in Japan about 1500 BC
         The caste system began w/ 3 divisions, Hindus have over 2300 today
         Despite the attempts of Gandhi and subsequent leaders to abolish the caste system, ( 1947 )
                 discrimination on the basis of caste persists.
         The caste system generally has Normative Closure & its Legitimation is based on both law & religion
The nature of race & slavery did not change its nature in the Early Empire Era, 
     but it use of it did grow dramatically 
     as did war, empire building, the conquest of other peoples		 Link
Patriarchy began in the Pre-Empire Era but developed fully into a social system in this era
     Morgan:  The Origin of Sexism & Patriarchy Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of Stratification System of the Era of the Early Empires
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
Outline of the Era of the  Roman Empire
circa 200 BC - 500 AD
   - Summary:  During the previous era, the Pre-Empire Era, ( 3 K BC  to  200 BC ) 
         many mini-systems developed
   W/ rise of Roman Empire, it dominated only the Mediterranean mini-systems
        but did not affect 5 other mini-systems in development at the time: 		 Link
Link Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Roman Empire
The ruling elite of the Roman Empire made up less than 5 % of the population
The stratification of the system had a low level of openness
The common people made up over 65 % of the population
Merchants, intellectuals, etc. made us a small % ( circa 5 % ) of the population
Slaves made up 25 % of population
The Roman Empire was based Militarism & Conquest, more than on agriculture
      Patriarchy & gender relations were similar to that of the earlier eras,
      except w/ the Roman Empires limited openness,
      some women ( Ceopatra, et al ) achieved success 		 Link
     Slavery followed the system developed in the earlier eras
     in that it was based on conquest & not race 
    The Roman Empire was historically notable for its racial/ ethnic/ religious openness/ inclusiveness		 Link
        The era that followed the Era of the Roman Empire was the Middle Ages ( 500 to 1300) Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification Systems of the Roman Empire
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
Outline on the
Middle Ages, aka the Feudal Era
circa 500 to 1300
        - Introduction: 
               Feudal society
               Late Agricultural Society
               Dark ages
               Power vacuum & decline in art, lit, science, tech, etc.
        - Summary: 
During the Middle Ages ( 500 to 1300 ) industrialism & the modern class system arose		  
The fall of the previous era, the Era of the Roman Empire, ( 200 BC  to 500 AD ) 
     lead to the Middle Ages
Link
Link Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Middle Ages
There was extreme inequality among the 3 major classes of the middle ages
     1.  Nobility
     2.  Church Leaders
     3.  Serfs 
During early feudalism, stratification was less institutionalized, then it became more fixed, & toward the end of the feudal era, it became less institutionalized again
Feudal production displaced pastoral/kinship & manor systems of the Roman system
Serfs' existence was little better than subsistence
Feudal era labor consisted of Corvee labor:  serfs worked for the Lord for 3 days a week 
    & gave up crops, wives, daughters, etc. 
The Aristocratic Class ruled based on ideology & military power
The Church "Class" controlled access to the Bible & made power alliances w/ the Aristocrats
Islam emerged from Middle East & grew from North Africa to Spain
Feudalism was based on military power & economic dominance
Merchants began rise to power as they became wealthier than the aristocratic class
The Merchant Class gained strength & size toward the end of the Middle Ages as commerce increased
        Gender Relations in the Middle Ages develops into chivalry & romance Link
        Race Relations in the Middle Ages transformed from the relatively "tolerant" ideology 
        & relations prevalent since the H-G Era into modern forms of racist ideology & global slave trade		 Link
       The next era is the Early Industrial Age ( circa 1300 - 1700 )
Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Middle Ages
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
Outline on
Race in the Middle Ages
circa   500 AD  -  1300 AD
       - Introduction:  Race Relations in the Middle Ages transformed from the relatively "tolerant" ideology 
        & relations prevalent since the H-G Era into modern forms of racist ideology & global slave trade
The previous era, the Era of the Roman Empire ( 200 BC to 500 AD ) was characterized by relatively tolerant race relations Link
The origins of racism & global slave trade begin w/ Age of Exploration
People become a commodity
The ideological justification of slavery/discrimination utilizes several ideologies, 
      esp religion & racism/conquest
The ideological justification of racism/slavery begins circa 1000 AD
Religion & racism: convert/save souls of "primitives"
The next era, the Early Industrial Age ( 500 to 1300 ), has little change in the nature of race relations, but there is huge & tragic growth in the global slave trade Link
  Top
Outline on the
Early Industrial Age
circa 1300 - 1700
             - Introduction: 
           During the Early Industrial Age  (1300 - 1700 ) saw the beginning of the rise of the Middle Class
Link
 Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Early Industrial Age
  During the previous era, the Middle Ages ( 500 to 1300 ), the fall of feudalism saw 
      the rise of merchant capitalism & the birth of modernism
Link
  A new stratification system rapidly emerged:
Serfs underwent the Enclosure which created a class of Freemen who eventually became Workers
  W/ the rise of Merchant Capitalism, the Merchant Class was added to the Elites & the Serfs
  The development of the Putting-Out System was the earliest form of wage labor
        & was the proto-factory system 		 Link
  Guilds resisted the putting-out system & the destruction of the Craft System
  The changes in the Early Industrial Age created a Class Society that we would recognize today
  Mobility was based, more than before, on merit/ achievement, but ascriptive stratification was still present
  There was a normative stress on equality; 
though the amount of equality varied widely from region to region or decade to decade
  The legitimation system for the justification of the rise of capitalism eventually developed into an Christian Work Ethic that held that belief that equal opportunity exists/ merit system works
          Gender in Early Industrial Age
Link
        Race Relations in the Early Industrial Age
Link
        The next era is the Industrial Age  ( circa 1700 to the present )
Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Early Industrial Age
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
  Top
Outline on the
Industrial Age
circa 1700 - present
          - Introduction:  During the Industrial Age, in the Core Countries the economic base 
              became totally industrialized, while agriculture & other economic systems waned
The previous era, the Early Industrial Age, ( circa 1300 - 1700 ) saw the birth of capitalism Link
Link Chart on the Characteristics of Stratification System of the Industrial Age
Class Society emerged w/ the industrial revolution as the agricultural base transformed into an industrial base
         & became fully developed in the Industrial Age, i.e. many classes exist
Gender Relations in the Industrial Age are see women gain equality 
   Gender Relations in the Industrial Age are advanced by the Intelligencia:  1st Wave Feminism Link
   Gender Relations in the Industrial Age are advanced by the Women Voters:  The Suffragettes Link
   Gender Relations in the Industrial Age are advanced by Working Women: 
                        Depression Era & WW 2 Women		 Link
   Race Relations in the Industrial Age became to be transformed:  slavery was eliminated 
        in most industrialized nations, but powerful vestiges of racism remain		 Link
    The next era is the Age of Global Capitalism ( 1910 to the present ) Link
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Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Industrial Age
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high
Outline on the
Post-Industrial Age
circa 1970 to Present
            - Introduction:  During the Post Industrial Age, the economy shifted from basic industry to services & high tech jobs
The previous era, the Era of Global Capitalism, ( 1910 to the present ) created many of the conditions that came together to herald the Post-Industrial Age Link
Link Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Post-Industrial Age
There are 10 fundamental Qualities of Post-Industrial Society
      1. Less heavy basic industrial production
      2. Service econ comes to predominate in 1st world
      3. More high tech jobs
      4. Info econ / internet is integral to the economy & growth
      5. Knowledge & education are equivalent to property & wealth
      6. Working-middle class transforms into the white collar middle class
      7. Rise of professional classes
      8. Part-time, serial employment
      9. Growth of global capitalism continues
      10. Global monopolies & mergers develop
Some of the fundamental qualities of Post-Industrial society have \/ inequality
Many of the fundamental qualities have /\ inequality
Some see the rise of professional class as the end of a class dominated system
Marginal Utility of wealth declines in P - I Age
Employment relations in the P-I age achieve many Labor's goals, w/o the work of the Labor Movement
The degree of inequality in the stratification system in the modern world system has increased 
The economic decline of the US in the modern world system appeared as early as the 1960s
Today's development of the Modern World System goes beyond capitalism and communism: 
       there is competition among many forms of state and monopoly capitalism
Deindustrialization was the label given to the movement of industry 
      from the Core to the Periphery & Semi-Periphery
The P-I era is characterized by Reaganomics, the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989,
      the collapse of Communism during the early 90s, the "New Democrats" (Clinton, et al) in the 90s
Ronald Reagan was President from 1980 to 1988
He ushered in a "Republican Revolution" which was labeled "Reaganomics"
The effects of Reaganomics were significant & are still felt in the 00s
       In 1989 temp jobs were only 3% of new jobs
       In 1993 they were 26% 
The poverty rate increased because of Reaganomics... & persisted
Average family income declined after Reaganomics, & increased w/ Clinton
There was a short recession at the end of the 1st Bush administration, 
        ( Bush, Sr Presidency 1989 - 1992 )  that ended in 1992
In the 90s the effects of Reaganomics began to be reversed
By 95, the US was coming out of the recession in better shape than Europe & Japan
Some analysts belief that the European model will create a better econ in the 21st century
The major point of the P - I Age is that there has been 
       a historic shift in the American stratification system
       & the place of the US in the modern world system
         Gender in the P - I Age:  The "New Woman"  Women are approaching equal rights in industrialized countries Link
         Race in the P - I Age:   All races are approaching equal rights in industrialized countries Link
       At this time there are no more historical eras
Top
Chart on the Characteristics of the Stratification System of the Post-Industrial Age
pww
Type of System Ranks Placement Legitamation Basis of Ranking Equality
Primitive open achievement tradition status hi equality
Slavery generally closed ascription legal/racism economic hi inequality
Caste closed ascription religion status hi inequality
Feudal generally closed generally ascription legal/religious economic highest inequality
Class open mostly achievement legal economic/bureuacratic low to medium
Post-industrial open mostly achievement legal economic/bureaucratic low to high

The End
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