Social Stratification
Gregory Sarksian
Sociology 101 (Pulliam)
12/5/2012
America’s Caste System
As this sociology course comes to an end, I’ve gotten a broader idea of not only who I am in this society, but also where I belong in this society. What this class allowed me to realize is that I was given an opportunity that other sperm cells were not. Why was I lucky enough to be the son of a successful certified public accountant, and the same for everyone else in my inner circle of friends? How was it decided that I would come out of my mother’s womb, with a future filled with only success, and me being my only enemy. I have never encountered a hardship anywhere near what someone born and 50th and Normandie has. This is what has become of the “land of opportunity,” yet there is not much opportunity available just because of the location of the hospital a person is born in.
The idea of a caste system, originally presented in ancient India, is a type of social structure that divides people on the basis of inherited social status. Although many societies could be described in this way, within a caste system, people are rigidly expected to marry and interact with people of the same social class. The roots of the Indian caste system can be found in the Hindu scriptures, although the caste system was adopted by other religions in India as well. According to scripture, Indian caste system was basically broken down into a pyramid type society with four level including, the Brahmins, the highest caste, were scholars and priests, while Kshatriya were warriors, rulers, and landlords. The Vaisya were merchants, while Sudra were manual laborers. Beyond there four basis Varnas are the Untouchables, and the system also has a space for outsiders and foreigners who do not conform to the system. From birth, a caste system determined the direction of a person’s life. A caste system basically guided the everyday life of normalcy within the ranks of people of their own kind. Status remained
Sociology 101 (Pulliam)
12/5/2012
America’s Caste System
As this sociology course comes to an end, I’ve gotten a broader idea of not only who I am in this society, but also where I belong in this society. What this class allowed me to realize is that I was given an opportunity that other sperm cells were not. Why was I lucky enough to be the son of a successful certified public accountant, and the same for everyone else in my inner circle of friends? How was it decided that I would come out of my mother’s womb, with a future filled with only success, and me being my only enemy. I have never encountered a hardship anywhere near what someone born and 50th and Normandie has. This is what has become of the “land of opportunity,” yet there is not much opportunity available just because of the location of the hospital a person is born in.
The idea of a caste system, originally presented in ancient India, is a type of social structure that divides people on the basis of inherited social status. Although many societies could be described in this way, within a caste system, people are rigidly expected to marry and interact with people of the same social class. The roots of the Indian caste system can be found in the Hindu scriptures, although the caste system was adopted by other religions in India as well. According to scripture, Indian caste system was basically broken down into a pyramid type society with four level including, the Brahmins, the highest caste, were scholars and priests, while Kshatriya were warriors, rulers, and landlords. The Vaisya were merchants, while Sudra were manual laborers. Beyond there four basis Varnas are the Untouchables, and the system also has a space for outsiders and foreigners who do not conform to the system. From birth, a caste system determined the direction of a person’s life. A caste system basically guided the everyday life of normalcy within the ranks of people of their own kind. Status remained