Understanding Social Stratification: Class and Ethnicity Essay

This essay delves into the intertwined concepts of class and ethnicity within the realm of sociology. It begins by defining social class as a group sharing similar socioeconomic status and ethnicity as a social category based on shared attributes like language and culture. The essay then explores theoretical frameworks, including Marxism, which analyzes class struggle and the impact of capitalism, and Max Weber's perspective on ethnicity. The main body examines social science's role in understanding these concepts, differentiating between various social classes and the significance of ethnicity. The essay concludes by highlighting the importance of both class and ethnicity in shaping individual lives and societies, emphasizing the contributions of Marxism and functionalism in analyzing these dynamics. The essay also references various sources to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter.

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Table of Contents
Topic: Class and Ethnicity ..............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

Topic: Class and Ethnicity
INTRODUCTION
Social class is also called as class in which group of people within society who possess
the similar socio-economic status. In addition to this, beside of being essential in social theory
concept related to class is related to collection of individuals who is sharing economic
circumstances which mainly utilise in censuses as well as studies of social mobility (Simandan,
2018). On the other hand, ethnicity is named as social category of people who determine each
other on the basis of attributes which are shared as it provides assistance distinguish people from
others like language, history, culture, nation, religion and many more. This essay is based on
topic “Class and Ethnicity”. For better understanding of topic several theoretical frameworks
will be going to implement as it provides assistance in determining each and every factor of class
and ethnicity.
MAIN BODY
Social science is group or team of academic disciplines which is dedicated for examining
society as well as branch of social studies provide assistance in understanding how interaction
take place among people within each other, develop as culture, influence the world, behave and
many more in relation of same. In simple terms it can be said that social science provide
assistance in explaining that how society works, exploring things from triggers of economic
growth as well as reasons related to unemployment which result in making people happy. Social
science play important role in relation of both social class as well as ethnicity.
Social class is referring as the group of people with in particular society that are living
with same socio-economic status. Class is significant classification of people into different parts
as per their social class (Manstead, 2018). There are different types of social class such as upper
class, upper middle class, lower middle class, working class and poor. As per the type of social
class, group of individuals with same type of economic position are combined together. Social
class is considered as one of the important concepts which discuss sociologist and it is yet define
other illusive.
This is developed by Karl Marx who is social, political and economic philosophy. This is
effective model in order to determine and analyse the effect of capitalism regarding labour,
productivity as well as economic development. This model includes the struggle between social
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class, which is particular related to bourgeoisie or capitalist along with the workers. This is
significant for defining economic relations in a capitalist economy and will inevitably leads to
communism revolutionary (Bjornsdottir and Rule, 2017). The theory of Marxism is considered
as both social and political theory that includes Marxist class conflict theory along with Marxian
economics. This theory was developed in year 1848 which is significant for determining class
struggle as well as revolution. The Marxian economics focuses on the criticism of capitalism
which is brought by Karl Marx (Rivera and Tilcsik, 2016). Marx's class theory refer capitalism
is the one of the crucial steps in historical progression of economic systems which is followed on
another natural sequences or series that is developed by impersonal forces. As per Marx theory it
has been determined that every society is classified into number of social classes. In a social
class its member has more common elements as compare to other social classes. According to
the believe of Marx, it has been determined that society is established because of two classes that
is bourgeoisie or proletariat (Bathmaker and et. al., 2016). In this, bourgeoisie are the individual
of business owner classes and these members will control the means of production. Whereas
proletariat are individual who are workers and lobar which transforms raw commodities into
more valuable economic goods. It has been determined that capitalism is majorly based
commodities that includes things that can be bought and sold.
Ethnicity is named as social category of people who determine each other on the basis of
attributes which are shared as it provides assistance distinguish people from others like language,
history, culture, nation, religion and many more (Fishman, 2017). For instance, ethnic groups are
like Irish, Italian American, Russian, Jewish, Serbian and so on may be groups which members
are predominantly involves within racial categories. Sociologist Max Weber was one of the
thinkers who expressed his views on ethnicity. His theory asserted that ethnic groups are
artificial as they are based on a subjective belief of a shared community. This belief does not
create ethnic group rather the group creates the belief and also group formation can be owed to
drive the concentration and monopolisation of power and status. This theory was based on
Weber’s extensive research on group behaviour. This theory also included essentialist view of
race as races were portrayed as stemming from common inheritance that derive itself from
common descent. Many different physical characteristics of a person could be indicative of
which ethnic group that person belongs to. Therefore, it can be said that for Weber, ethnicity is
based on cultural practises and grouped on shared behaviour not shared blood while race is based
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on biological traits. However, this theory has been criticised as it fails to focus on racial, ethnic
and national conflicts. Another approach was functional approach which is more suitable to
understand the ethnicity as it is the doctrine which something such as thought, pain, desire and
many more which is depended on its internal constitution but solely on its role or functions plays
in cognitive system of part. In more precise manner it can be said that functionalist theories take
the identity related to mental state which is determined through casual relation for sensory
stimulations, behaviour as well as other mental states (Espinosa and et. al., 2019). Along with
this, functionalist theory may characterize pain a state which tends to be caused through bodily
injury for producing belief which something is not correct with body as well as desire to be not
in state for producing anxiety and absence of stronger, conflict desire for causing moaning or
wincing. As per respective theoretical framework each and every creature with internal states
which results in meeting these conditions play important roles are capable in relation of being
pain. In term of functionalism broad characterization there are several numbers of distinction
which can be made (Flores, Brown and Herman, 2016). As a particular essentialness is
distinction within theories in that functional characterization related to mental states purport for
providing analyse of meaning related to mental state terms as well as theories for permitting
functional characterization in terms of mental states to appeal information which is driving
through scientific experimentation (Onuch and Hale, 2018). Furthermore, there are several other
essential differences within functionalist theories these are motivation for that which is
appreciated through examining origins of functionalism as well as tracing list evolution in
relation of both explicit criticisms of thesis as well as modifying views related to nature of
psychological explanation.
Along with this, functionalist utilise organic analogy or human body for explaining
distinct aspects related to society which are interconnected within each other as well as
interdependent (Karaca-Mandic, Georgiou and Sen, 2020). Moreover, issues related to particular
area of society may be symbols of dis-function elsewhere. Respective theory is generally
influenced through Emile Durkheim as well as another well-known functionalists which are
Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton.
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CONCLUSION
After going through overall discussion, it has been summarised that, social class as well
as ethnicity both play important role in life of individual. Although, class is that in which group
of people within society who possess the similar socio-economic status. Whereas, ethnicity
provide assistance in determining several factors which results in differentiation individuals from
others. These factors include language, history, culture, nation, religion and many more. Along
with this, social science play important role in building relation within social class as well as
ethnicity in effective manner. In addition to this, it can be said that Marxism theory is related to
social science which provide assistance in understanding that how it is important for individual
in gaining social class in effective manner. On the other hand, functionalism approach is related
to ethnicity which means that it plays essential role in life of individual in better manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Simandan, D., 2018. Rethinking the health consequences of social class and social mobility.
Social Science & Medicine. 200, pp.258-261.
Manstead, A.S., 2018. The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts
thought, feelings, and behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology. 57(2), pp.267-
291.
Bjornsdottir, R. T. and Rule, N. O., 2017. The visibility of social class from facial cues. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(4), p.530.
Bathmaker, A. M. And et. al., 2016. Higher education, social class and social mobility: The
degree generation. Springer.
Rivera, L. A. and Tilcsik, A., 2016. Class advantage, commitment penalty: The gendered effect
of social class signals in an elite labor market. American Sociological Review, 81(6),
pp.1097-1131.
Fishman, J. A., 2017. Language and ethnicity: The view from within. The handbook of
sociolinguistics, pp.327-343.
Espinosa, L.L. And et. al., 2019. Race and ethnicity in higher education: A status report.
Flores, A. R., Brown, T. N. and Herman, J., 2016. Race and ethnicity of adults who identify as
transgender in the United States. Los Angeles, CA: Williams Institute, UCLA School of
Law.
Onuch, O. and Hale, H. E., 2018. Capturing ethnicity: the case of Ukraine. Post-Soviet Affairs.
34(2-3), pp.84-106.
Karaca-Mandic, P., Georgiou, A. and Sen, S., 2020. Assessment of COVID-19 hospitalizations
by race/ethnicity in 12 states. JAMA Internal Medicine.
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