Social Stratification and Class

What the page covers

This page sits in the Stratification and Inequality strand of Sociology. It starts with the basics: the flashcard deck Sociology- social stratification covers caste and class systems, social mobility, meritocracy, ideology and the functions of stratification. From there the resources widen to class, poverty, ethnicity, gender and age.

Theory and explanation

Several mind maps deal with how sociologists explain inequality. Functionalism & Social Stratification sets out the structural view that every structure serves a useful function. Postmodernism argues that social class is in terminal decline because society is more diverse and identity is built by the individual. The map on explaining social class inequality for OCR A2 Sociology covers Parsons, Davis and Moore, and meritocracy.

Evidence and measurement

For evidence, look at Inequalities relating to social class, which looks at the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification. The OCR A2 map on patterns and trends in social class covers income, poverty and Wilson and Pickett. Others cover health inequalities, ethnic minorities and life chances, and Bourdieu on social capital.

A sensible order

1. Begin with a flashcard deck on stratification to learn the key terms.
2. Read a mind map on one theory, such as functionalism.
3. Move to the evidence maps and notes on class, ethnicity, gender or age.
4. Take a quiz, such as Poverty Quiz or Wealth Inequality Final, and note what you missed.
5. Go back to the maps for those gaps.

Using quizzes and maps together

Maps show how ideas connect, so they suit essay planning, including questions such as the 40-mark theory question on explaining social inequality. Quizzes test recall. Use a map first, then a quiz, then revisit the map. The materials mention A-level Sociology, GCSE Sociology and the MCAT, so check which one matches your course.

When you're ready, pick one topic and try a quiz, or start your own maps and flashcards from what you find.