Download Global Stratification

SOCIOLOGY: GLOBAL
STRATIFICATION
OVERVIEW
SEGMENT 1: Elements of Stratification
 SEGMENT 2: History of Global Stratification
 SEGMENT 3: Global Stratification Today
 SEGMENT 4: Globalization and Stratification

ELEMENTS OF STRATIFICATION
SEGMENT 1
ELEMENTS OF STRATIFICATION

Stratification – the laying of groups according to
their wealth, power, and prestige
Wealth – the sum value of assets and liabilities
 Power – being able to act despite resistance from
others
 Prestige – the level of value that your status
holds

ELEMENTS OF STRATIFICATION
A system in which nations are divided into layers
relative to one another.
 Nations on the bottom of the stratification
system have less influence.

Military
 Diplomatic
 Economic


Global stratification affects the inhabitants of
nations in regards to inequality of their health,
education, and income.
ELEMENTS OF STRATIFICATION

Global Measures of Stratification

Wealth




Power

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Gross Domestic Product – value of the finished goods and services
produced in a period of time within a country
Gross National Income PPP – measure of income received by citizens.
GINI coefficient – measure of wealth and income gap between rich and
poor within a county
Military Capacity – measures of ability to use military power
Diplomatic Influence – measure amount of coverage an influence that a
country has without use of military force
Coalition Affiliations – measure of combined military and diplomatic
influence on certain issues
Prestige



Global Opinion – how a country is viewed by others around the world
Migration Patterns – the level of demand for temporary or permanent
immigration or emigration to or from a country
Cultural Diffusions – the level of influence a country has on another’s
culture
HISTORY OF GLOBAL
STRATIFICATION
SEGMENT 2
HISTORY OF GLOBAL STRATIFICATION

Are countries stratified based on their resources?
Does the more “natural” wealth that a nation has
predict it’s place in the stratification system?
HISTORY OF GLOBAL STRATIFICATION



How did the world’s nations become stratified?
Colonialism – stronger nations conquer weaker
nations and extract their resources by force.
Steps of Colonization
Send exploration teams to various parts of the globe and
establish permanent and fortified footholds
 Develop operations to exploit natural resources – precious
metals, common ores, lumber, silk, furs, sugar, bananas,
tea, coffee, tobacco, cotton, rare spices, dyes, rum, whiskey,
slaves
 Send products back to home countries in return for
continued protection, refined products, and cash.
 Home countries have resources that increases their power
among other nations.

HISTORY OF GLOBAL STRATIFICATION
HISTORY OF GLOBAL STRATIFICATION


Vaccaro Brothers
Joseph, Felix, Lucca
Fruit importers from
New Orleans
 Established a colonial
foothold in Honduras by
building gigantic
plantations, railroads,
wharfs, and ports
 Influenced Honduran
politics to favor their
company
 Passed a law that no
railroads could be built
by competitors within 20
kilometers of their
railroad

Led to a competing
banana company to fund
an army to overthrow
the current president
 US would regularly
become involved.
 Came to be known as the
Banana Wars

HISTORY OF GLOBAL STRATIFICATION
Vaccaro Brothers
Company Eventually
Becomes
 Dole Foods

Their Competitor
That Helped to
Instigate Them
Becomes
 Chiqueta

GLOBAL STRATIFICATION TODAY
SEGMENT 3
GLOBAL STRATIFICATION TODAY

Neocolonialism: powerful nations today maintain
control over former colonies by entering
agreements whereby the former colony amasses
debt from the more powerful country.
World Bank
 International Monetary Fund
 Inter-American Development Bank

GLOBAL STRATIFICATION TODAY

Multinational Corporations: companies are
largely free to exploit the resources and labor of
least developed nations

General Electric


Royal Dutch Shell

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Operates in 170 countries
Operates in 70 countries
Apple
iphone Parts manufactured in 17 different countries
 Assembled in China by Foxconn Corp
 Workers paid $100-125 per week
 Workers live in “Foxconn” cities of 200,000+ employees
 2012 over 150 employees threaten mass suicide because
of poor conditions. Standoff lasted 2 days.

GLOBAL STRATIFICATION TODAY
Technology and Global Domination: The latest
and best technological developments keep
countries on the top of the stratification pyramid.
They come from most industrialized nations
because they have resources to be able to pour
into their development.
 DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency)
 Responsible for inventions: The internet,
Windows OS, Computer Mouse, GPS, Virtual
Reality, Cloud Computing, SIRI,

GLOBALIZATION AND
STRATIFICATION
SEGMENT 4
GLOBALIZATION AND STRATIFICATION
Globalization is the process whereby nations
have reduced their regulations barring trade to
open trading relationship with other nations.
 Also includes increased amounts of
communication and travel between nations.

Free-Trade – the notion that there should not be
tariffs or restrictions placed on products traded
between nations.
 Protectionism – the notion that the creation and
distribution of products domestically produced
within a nation should receive preference.

GLOBALIZATION AND STRATIFICATION
World Trade Organization – created in 1995 with
the objective to facilitate trade agreements
among its member nations.
 Since 1995 - WTO now has 153 members and
accounts for 97% of trade worldwide.
 The WTO has ushered in a new period of history


Proponents of Globalization


Helps reduce stratification
 All ships rise
 Least industrialized nations modernize
Opponents of Globalization

Increases stratification
 Poor countries become dependent on the rich
 Industrialized nations lose their manufacturing sectors