Sociology Reflective Essay

Social Stratification is the division of large numbers of populate into layers according to their relative property, power, and prestige applies to some(prenominal) nations and to tribe within a nation, society, or other group. (Henslin, James,2011) There are basically four systems to socially stratify a family. Social manakin, as one of the systems go forth be investigated in the following paragraphs. (1) Identification of my familys social grade place and explanations of it Social mannequin is fundamentally de marchesined by how much riches you have.Income, l progress toing and gender are three major agents that I would overturn to determine my familys social class position. Concisely speaking, I came from a single-parent family which I only live with my give. My mother is the only person who is formally employed in my family. Her occupation is a salesperson at a beauty centre with wobbly income. One other important monetary income of our family depart be the alim ony given from my father who no nightlong lives with us. Our household income per month is about $10,000. According to the 2006 universe of discourse By-census, the average periodical domestic household income (at current prices) was $ 17,250.Although there are only cardinal great deal in my family, our monthly income is nearly 40% below the average figure in 2006. Individually, my mother does not receive stable income so her monthly income tends to be inflict than the median monthly income of an employed single(a) of $ 10,000. In conclusion, my familys income is comparably low especially the data was collected in 2006 which inflation has already been excluded. Education is counted as an essential factor ascertain social class as its believed that well-educated people can always get well-pay jobs with comfortable works environments.As mentioned in the 2006 Population By-census report, people with high educational attainment generally have higher income than less educate d ones. Also, in the past a few(prenominal) decades, only economically sufficient families could provide educations for their children. There are m either middle-aged people nowadays do not have high-school qualifications. Thus, in the past few decades, the more educated a person was, the wealthier his/ her family would be. My mother did not death high-school education temporary hookup I have just started my university study. Finally, a actually special factorgender, is considered. Gender is a basis for social stratification. (Henslin, James, 2011) alone of us in a family are both females. Even though people in modern world advocate gender equality, women dumb suffer from gender inequality. Stated in the report of the 2006 Population By-census, the median monthly income from main employment of working men was higher than that of working women by some 30% during 19962006. Other than income, clothing, right to divorce and education are restricted in some Middle East countries (e . g. Iran). Hong Kong seems t o be a liberal city but there are thus far some deep-root traditions and thoughts that limit the social mobility of females.Due to gender inequality, my mother was not allowed to attend high school and she is forced to receive lower pay comparing to her male colleagues with same working titles. To conclude, I would ordinate gender serves as a force that aid pushing passel my familys social status. After the considerations of all these factors, I would place my family as working class or sometimes lower class. In term of Marxs theory, my family would be the proletariat (workers). In term of Webers theory which considers three components of social class, I would still place my family as working or lower class. 2) Prediction of my ingest social class when I am 40 years old and the possible inequality between my current family social class position and the future It is super hard to predict my own social position when I am 40 years old which will be a pproximately cardinal decades later as our world is never predictable. Nonetheless, if e precisething reminds unchanged in our world, I will be a clinical psychologist or at least graduate with bachelor degree. Ideally, I will be working for the giving medication as a maestro with Iron Rice Bowl. The pay I get will be higher than average.According to the report on salary scale of common posts in the non-governmental organizations, the monthly salary of a clinical psychologist was $ 30,615 in 2009 which was 2 times higher than the median monthly income in 2006. In 20 years time, my mother will be retired hopefully and I will be the only financial affirm at home. My occupation, wealth, education level and income will be the main indicators to attain my social position in our society. According to Marx, I remain a proletariat who lacks of class consciousness as I do not perceive an occupation as a clinical psychologist as an exploit worker.According to Wright, I whitethorn be on the level of managers or still workers. I guess I will not own any means of production or labor power but I hope I can still own control over investments or money capital (e. g. a flat unit). In short, from both Marxs and Wrights view, my social position will not disagree a lot from my familys current social class position. However, I doubt that their views are relatively simplistic and out-dated so I pick out Webers three components of social class (property, power and prestige). At the age of 40, as a professional, I may have a secretary which means I gain power on positive my subordinates at work.Also, prestige sounds more achievable as a professional with more respects. From his perspective, I may achieve vertical mobility and move to a higher- post social position comparing to my familys current social class position. Generally, I believe being a clinical psychologist can kindle myself from a lower/working class to lower middle class. However, the above assumptions are ma de under the circumstances that aught has changed. In my own opinion, there are some essential factors that I have to consider. For examples, the prestige and income I will get for being a clinical psychologist may not be that much as in the past.This is because studying in universities is very common getting a university degree will be easier than the past. Potentially, there will be more clinical psychologists in Hong Kong and salaries will be lowered when there are sufficient supplies. (3) Considerations of all profits and/or disadvantages my familys current social class position provides or poses in helping to determine the social class to which I see myself belong when I am forty years old First of all, I would like to state some of the disadvantages at the beginning.Income is an important indicator determining class position. However, my mothers income can be very unstable (as a typical factor of local working class). She can earn quite a lot this month but earn nothing in t he following month. A few years ago while there was a structural change in the industry that I have considered not to continue my study but to work in order to support my familys expenses. This kind of consideration may attend again if the economic condition is really bad.Although the possibility is very low, income hesitancy can still block my sights from determining my future social class which is possibly determined by my education level. Also, social class is in all probability to be intergenerational so I am very likely to be part of the working/ lower class but not what I have expected in part (2). One significant advantage is that being a part of the lower/working class provides very strong motivation for me to study harder and move to the middle class rank in the future.When being a part of the middle class becomes my goal, I can easily conclude what social position I will be in my 40s. References (1) Thematic Report Household Income Distributionin Hong Kong 2006 Populati on By-census http//www. statistics. gov. hk/ exit/stat_report/population/B11200452006XXXXB0401. pdf (2) Salary Scale of Common Posts in the Non-governmental Organizations w. e. f 1. 4. 2009 http//www. swd. gov. hk/ atomic number 101/ngo/Salary%20Scale%20of%20Common%20Posts%20wef%201%204%202009. pdf (3) Sociology A Down-to-Earth Approach (Henslin, James,2011)