英语专业-社会学英文论文“社会分化”

Student Name Student NO Professor Diane Date 2013 5 1 Social Stratification explanation of Chinese social phenomenons on the basis of class theory Abstract 1 Class exists in every society and is closely related to every individual 2 What is the defination of class Is the social stratification only consist of class 3 How to use the concept of class to explain the current social phenomenons such as showing off wealth disguisting as rich people to cheat money and etc Social stratification exists in every society We can sense it in our daily life and no one can escape from it It is not uncommon to hear the media broadcast the proliferation of the middle class in China And people also label themselves as middle class or upper middle class It seems that every one is struggling to find a way to climb up the class ladder for Chinese people all have a craze to get as much education as they can in order to get a well paid rather than suitable job Nowadays wealth is more commonly regarded as the sole sign of success than any other ages People firmly believe that wealth is the fundation and ensurance for them to have voice and gain respect in the society Is that reasonable for them to think so Or will their effort enable them to climb up the class ladder To answer these questions first we have to define class Class is a large scale grouping of people who shar common economic resources which strongly influence the tyle of lifestyle they are able to lead Ownership of wealth and occupation are the chief bases of class differences The characteristics of class can be listed as following first class systems are fluid which means the boundaries between classes are never clear cut second class positions are in some part achieved which indicates that through hard work movement upward in the class structure is possible third class is economically based showing that classes depend on inequalities in the possession of material between groups of individuals Thus people s worship of wealth is understandable in this respect Max Weber however saw other resources besides of economic factors as important in class formation include especially the skills and credentials or qualifications which make an individual more marketable than others and affect the types of work people are able to obtain This perspective provides theoratical basis to Chinese people s craze for more education It actually points out a easy accessed way for people to improve their class position by their effort It is universal practice now for Chinese college students to get as much credentials as they can ranging from computer level credential to driving lisence Although we all recognize that credentials under Chinese testing system which largely emphasizes the book knowledge and memorizing don t necessarily prove the master of the skills we still find it mildly astounished when a 23 year old girl posted a picture of her 10 certificates including CFA which are all high marketable certificates in the labor market The girl is worshiped by many young people as their model But the alarming question is that isn t it gone to far Is it healthy for the society to emphasis so much on certificates that drive college students to bend on all kinds of tests at the cost of time and effort that can be devoted to social activites physical exercise and intership People s fear of being in the less privileged goup stimulates them to hold tightly on to every means they can approach To develop a healthy view towards certificate we should know that social stratification in not simply a matter of class according to Weber but is shaped by two further aspects status and party Status refers to differences between social groups in the social honor or prestige they are accorded by others It comes to be expressed through people s styles of life Markers and symbols of status such as housing dress manner of speech and occupation all help to shape an individual s social standing in the eyes of others For example an upstate will not enjoy equal respect in the society as a well educated millionaire for his taste of art and manner of speech won t be improved in a short time Despite of limited property authors and scholars have high social status because their occupation is believed to facilitate social development Weber s writings on stratification are of great significant because they show that other dimensions of stratification besides class strongly influence people s lives And if people realize it they won t be too anxious to accumulate wealth at the expense of the quality of their life Young people will have various goal to pursuit such as improving their manner and developing a healthy lifestyle rather than just aiming at getting certificates Nowadays in China there are endless news about millionaire s luxurious life stimulating younsters to work hard or use extreme method to obtain wealth Social phenomenons like showing off wealth disguisting as rich people to cheat money and making occupation choice based on the salary not interest all indicate that the majority of people believe wealth the sole indicator of class Worse still mass media strengthens this belief by publicising extravagant lifestyle So is economic captical the only indicator of class What other factors are important in class location The French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu believes that lifestyle choices are an important indicator of class He argued that there were four indicators of class first economic capital which consists of material goods such as property wealth and income second cultural capital which includes education appreciation of the arts consumption and leisure pursuits third social capital refering to one s networks of friends and contacts fourth symbolic capital which includes possession of a good reputation Among the four capitals economic capital is what every one strive to get and talk most about while the other three are to some extent neglected This situation lead to many phenomenons in Chinese society for example news about the rich second generation showing off their extravagant life never fail to stir hot debates on the Internet The power and easy access of the website have made it a window for ordinary people to have a glimpse of the rich world Children or even young people with unsophisticated world view will be easily tempted and misled to pursue an easy life by taking occupations that can make easy money like drug smuggling being a mistress to a rich man and etc Overemphasis on economic capital has also influenced college students when they choose their future career Some choose a so called promising job at the cost of their interest and dream Some follow their heart but are tortued by the fear of being a loser later in life because of their naive choice It is not uncommon to see hundreds of candidates compete for a single vacancy in the civil service exams every year even though rumor goes that the life of a civil servant is dull and meaningless Another phenomenon that a large number of blue collar workers are willing to save for months in order to buy luxury bags is also the result of a materialized society To create a healthy social environment attentions should be directed to the other three capitals Each type of capital in Bourdieu s account is related and to an extent being in possession of one can help in the pursuit of the others For example a sociable people with a large group of well connected friends social capital might be quickly promoted to a senior position in her company where she does well and gains in economic and symbolic capital This theory will help people to develop correct view towards class and it also provides a sensible way for ambitious people to improve their social position by making full use of their advantage