Social stratification: open and closed societies Cambridge IGCSE Sociology revision
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In plain words
Every society ranks its members, like layers of rock. Some people sit on top with the money, the respect and the say. The big question about any society is whether you are stuck in the layer you were born in.
8 things to know
- Social stratification is the division of society into layers, ranked one above another, with unequal shares of wealth, status and power.
- In a closed society, a person's position is fixed at birth and cannot be changed. Status is ascribed. In an open society, people can move up or down. Status can be achieved.
- The caste system is the traditional example of a closed system. A person was born into a caste, which decided their work and whom they could marry, and could not leave it. Discrimination by caste is now against the law in India, although its effects remain.
- Modern slavery is a situation in which people are forced to work, or are owned or controlled by others, and cannot leave. It includes forced labour, debt bondage and human trafficking. It is illegal, and it still exists in every part of the world.
- Wealth is what a person owns, such as property, savings and shares. Poverty is a lack of resources. Absolute poverty is lacking the basics needed to survive. Relative poverty is being poor compared with most people in the same society.
- Power is the ability to get your own way and to make decisions that affect other people, even when they do not agree.
- Social mobility is movement up or down the layers. It can be measured between generations, by comparing a person with their parents, or within one person's life.
- A meritocracy is a society in which a person's position depends on ability and effort, not on family background. Functionalists believe modern societies are largely meritocratic. Marxists call this a myth.
Worked example
The daughter of a factory cleaner wins a scholarship, trains as a surgeon and becomes wealthy. Describe her case in sociological terms.
- She has moved up, so this is upward social mobility.
- It is mobility between generations, because her position is higher than her parent's.
- Her status as a surgeon is achieved, through ability and effort.
- Her society is open, and her case fits the idea of a meritocracy. One case does not prove that everyone has the same chance.
Tips and tricks
- Open goes with achieved status and mobility. Closed goes with ascribed status and no mobility. Learn them as two sets.
- Relative poverty depends on the society. A person can be poor in a rich country while owning more than a person who is comfortable in a poor one.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Social stratification: open and closed societies: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What is social stratification?
The layers have unequal wealth, status and power.
Which is a feature of a closed society?
Status is ascribed.
What is a meritocracy?
Merit, not background, decides.
What is wealth?
Property, savings and shares are wealth.
A son earns less and has a lower-status job than his father did. What is this?Stretch
He is compared with his parent, and he has moved down.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Social stratification: open and closed societies
Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What is meant by the term "social mobility"?[2]
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The movement of individuals or groups up or down the layers of a stratified society.
Describe the difference between an open society and a closed society.[4]
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In an open society, people can move up or down between social positions, and status can be achieved through effort. In a closed society, a person's position is ascribed at birth and movement is not possible, as in a caste system.
Explain the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty.[4]
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Absolute poverty is not having the basic necessities needed to survive, such as food, clean water and shelter. Relative poverty is being poor in comparison with the standard of living of most people in the same society, so that a person cannot take part in what is considered normal life there.
Answers: Social stratification: open and closed societies
- 1. The movement of individuals or groups up or down the layers of a stratified society.
- 2. In an open society, people can move up or down between social positions, and status can be achieved through effort. In a closed society, a person's position is ascribed at birth and movement is not possible, as in a caste system.
- 3. Absolute poverty is not having the basic necessities needed to survive, such as food, clean water and shelter. Relative poverty is being poor in comparison with the standard of living of most people in the same society, so that a person cannot take part in what is considered normal life there.