英语专业-社会学英文论文“社会分化”

1、Student Name: *Student NO.：Professor: DianeDate: 2013-5-1Social Stratification- explanation of Chinese social phenomenons on the basis of class theoryAbstract:1. Class exists in every society and is closely related to every individual;2. What is the defination of class? Is the social stratification

2、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

3、 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

4、 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 f

5、or 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 o

6、f 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 h

7、ard 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, peoples worship of wealth is understandable in this respect. Max Weber, however, saw other r

8、esources 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 p

9、eoples 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. Althoug

10、h we all recognize that credentials, under Chinese testing system which largely emphasizes the book knowledge and memorizing, dont 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

11、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 isnt 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 c

12、ost of time and effort that can be devoted to social activites, physical exercise and intership? Peoples 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 stratifica

13、tion 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 peoples styles of life. Markers and symbo

14、ls of status such as housing, dress, manner of speech and occupation all help to shape an individuals 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 wont be improved

15、in a short time. Despite of limited property, authors and scholars have high social status because their occupation is believed to facilitate social development. Webers writings on stratification are of great significant, because they show that other dimensions of stratification besides class strong

16、ly influence peoples lives. And if people realize it, they wont 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 certi

17、ficates.Nowadays in China, there are endless news about millionaires 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

18、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 socio

19、logist 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, appreciat

20、ion of the arts, consumption and leisure pursuits; third, social capital, refering to ones 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

21、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 wind

22、ow 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

23、 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 u

24、ncommon 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 luxu

25、ry 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 Bourdieus account is related and , to an extent, being in possession of one can help in the pursuit of the others. For exam

26、ple, 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 of