Social Stratification
Cedric Cannon
University of Phoenix
Laquanda Jackson
SOC-100
May 7, 2022
Social Stratification
Social stratification is a social system used to rank groups and individuals within a
society. It is done by ranking members of a society d on race, wealth, power, and education.
Social stratification has been embedded into society for centuries. It is characterized by a society
having a handful of people at the top with immeasurable wealth and a lot at the middle and
bottom with little wealth or only enough to keep them coming back for more. Every society has
an uneven distribution of wealth and resources, and though members of the society may
condemn social stratification, they play a huge role in its support.
Hunger games is a film that can be compared to today's social classes. The hunger games
are similar to the way today's society is run. In the movie, a government runs the society and
workers who are constantly working to gain just enough to get them to the next day. In the
movie, the upper class does little work and is considered working class to uphold their public
image. The lower occupants of districts five to twelve are working-class individuals who do
heavy work such as coal mining and lumber collection.
In society, we are encouraged to fight and work harder and harder every day to
accumulate wealth and live a good life, like the hunger games society. Participants from different
districts are fighting against each other for the price of one day living in the capitol. However,
the participants from the middle class are at a major disadvantage. Children from the upper-class
society get to go to school and train for the games, while those from the lower classes do not get
the chance to train before participating. In real life, children from rich backgrounds get more
opportunities to succeed and receive a far better education than those from poor backgrounds
(The Hunger Games and Social Class, nd).
The film "Hunger Games" is a perfect example of social stratification. In the film, the
wealthy resided in the capitol while the less fortunate populated the districts. The concept of
social mobility is clear in the movie. People are fed the idea that if you work hard enough, you
may climb the social ladder, and in the movie, the ambition would be to become a part of the
capitol. This is similar to the American dream; social mobility is a common concept in the USA,
but the truth is that very few people can make it to the top.
The hunger game system has been put in place in a functionalist's perspective manner.
The system is put in place to ensure that society works to promote stability throughout the
districts. As the movie begins, it is clearly stated that "as penance for their uprising, each district
would have to offer a male and a female between ages 12 and 18 at a public reaping". It was also
said to be a thing that brings society together (Collins, 2014, 00:38). The movie does an excellent
job of depicting social stratification in society.
References
Collins, S. (2014). The hunger games trilogy. Scholastic.
The Hunger Games and Social Class. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2021, from
https://sites.google.com/site/sociologywithbrian/social-classes-in-the-hunger-games.
