A Comparison of Social Stratification between the American Society and India's Caste System
Chapter 10 - Stratification: Class, Race, Ethnicity and Caste Responses should be a minimum of 275 words in length. (The book we use is: Culture Counts: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition) Use the readings to help you but do not just copy or quote out of the book! Critical thinking question The U.S. is said to have a "classless" society because unlike places like India, and to a lesser degree Britain, you are supposed to be able to move up from the circumstances of your birth to a better social position. We do have a very stratified society, though, with a number of classes, and some of them are not all that easy to move out of. How is our system different from or similar to what you read about Indian caste systems?
A Comparison of Social Stratification between the American Society and India’s Caste System
Name
University
Social Stratification in American and Indian Societies
Comparing the American and Indian societies, it is clear that the two cultures are different in terms of the levels of social stratification that exist. The most single distinguishing factor is the degree to which social stratification on the basis of race, gender, family background and economic status is practiced and accepted in each society. In the Indian society, the caste system is widely regarded as a cultural norm practiced by successive generations. As a result, discrimination along gender, racial and family background is accepted as a cultural practice. The caste system, therefore, provides a moral/ethical and legal basis for discriminating and marginalizing certain sections of the population. For instance, a person born in a low caste, such as to peasant parents, will remain a lower-class citizen all his or her live despite how hard he or she may work to move up the social ladder. In fact, one’s destiny is sealed from birth, and there is nothing one can do to change their social status in society.
In contrast, the American society provides individuals w...