Social Stratification for the Future

A New and Improved System for American Society

Stratification systems are and have been found in every society. A social stratification system is a hierarchical ordering of people in society differentiated according to their power, privilege, or status. Stratification systems are in a constant state of change. Events taking place in society have the power to change the social systems. In the United States the stratification systems have changed for numerous reasons such as the World Wars, the Great Depression, and many civil rights movements. This movement of social class is termed societal mobility or simply society as a whole moving up or down in social class. This leads to the question of what will happen to the system in the future? For my paper I will discuss one popular idea of a stratification system that exists today as well as devise a possible future stratification system for the United States. 

First I would like to point out the requirements that a stratification system must have. It must have a differentiation in the given societies population with some degree of permanence. Second, it must have some type of system of rewards that are attached to and commensurate with a group's or an individual's position in society. The current system in the US is one based on social class. Social class is a group of people identified on the basis of their access to wealth, power, and certain styles of life. Social class will be an important aspect in my prospective stratification system, but it will be approached in a new manner. 

The US is currently in the Post-Industrial Stage. This characterizes a society with the majority population being working people engaged in the provision of services. The society is divided into six social classes, all based on occupation, education, and income. The Established Upper Class, New Upper Class, Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Working Middle Class, and Lower Class. Everyone in society is said to fit in some way into one of these six categories.