Social Class and Social Stratification (Chapter 8)

Our object in the construction of the state is the greatest happiness of the whole, and not that of any one class.
- Plato 

            This chapter is about social class and social stratification with society. I choose this chapter because I wanted to see the different classes and how they are distinguished. Also I wanted to see how they work together and who would be considered in which class. I was interesting in seeing what class I was be put into and why. I always knew there were different classes in the world but never really saw there being different classes form my community it seemed that we were all the same. I did grow up in a small community so this may be why but it is interesting to see how it is all laid out in other societies.

           

             The first picture I choose was a graph representing the distribution of people in the world between the four classes. The largest classes were the working and middle class while the upper and lower classes had less. The second drawing is of social stratification, the upper class people are getting ahead of the long line for the admissions office, while the others have to stand in line and wait. I found two videos for this chapter they were both very good and I could not decide between them. The first is about social class and the second social stratification.

            The quote above by Plato discusses class and how the object of making a state is not to just make one of the classes happy but to make the whole of the state happy. So, just because the upper class has money doesn’t mean they can just get what they want to be happy. The lower and middle classes are also important and need to be happy as well.

*At the end there are two website links and a link to an article that go into depth on the subject of social interactions and social structure.

Websites:

1. http://www.sociologyguide.com/social-stratification/Characteristics-of-Social-Class.php

This site better describes the characteristics of the social classes.

2. http://www.sociologyguide.com/questions/social-stratification.php

This site goes into depth of social stratification and why it is around today. 

Article: 

The Times (London), October 25, 2007, Thursday, Wealthy, healthy and aged 85:the women living ever longer, BYLINE: Jill Sherman, Whitehall Editor, SECTION: HOME NEWS; Pg. 6

Cossword Puzzle:

- http://www.variety-games.com/CW/Puzzles/16135533942161639957-puzzle.htm