Why social stratification is a creation of society, not just a reflection of individual differences?

Question

Why social stratification is a creation of society, not just a reflection of individual differences?

Answer 1

social stratification serves the purpose of ranking people in society. Therefore it has more of a purpose than simply reflecting difference, it takes on a legitamate authority within the society.

A few things worth mentioning...there are a lot of ways a society can be stratified and it should probably rarely if ever be taken for granted that it is either a good or a bad thing, it is like most things, a construct like any other, than can be critiqued given the specfics.

Also you might want to be careful using the term individual differences. A lot of people tend to think societies are stratified in a very poor fashion and to assume it is simply a reflection of differences assumes therefore the "winners and losers" so to speak are there because that is correct. A number of conflict oriented people would have a field day with such a notion.

Answer 2

. 'Society' IS a mixture of individuals. Each person does NOT count, only their collective contributions.

A 'reflection of 10 million water drops is a cloud, but we can't 'see' the water drops.

Answer 3

Discriminatory attitudes helped lead to structural stratification, to the extent that large-scale patterns exists among individual differences. These patterns are reflected in social structures, like government, law, education, etc., and are reinforced through the system. Additionally, individual differences or beliefs can be socialized to children through the family (a primary mode of socialization through grade/early middle school), and also socialized through the institution of education.

It's a cyclical process - individuals shape society, and society helps shape individuals (namely through socialization).