How is social inequality different from the inequality of individuals?

(i) Individual inequality is seen as difference in age, intellectual powers and physical power and in physical appearance e.g. white or dark complexion while social inequality is seen in the form of caste system, race, profession/ avocation, rituals, culture, language etc.

(ii) Individual inequality is natural while social inequality is artificial and due to certain hierarchy and kinship.

(iii) Individual inequality can be removed when so desired by an individual. For an instance, today’s dull student can become tomorrow’s intelligent if he would concentrate him in study. However, social inequality cannot be removed as it is ascriptive since birth of individual.

(iv) Individual inequality acts as distinct part of a machine that produces a certain object/product through its proportionate participation. In other words, it is phenomenon of individual difference that runs smoothly an organisation, institution by recruiting individuals of distinct abilities and expertise.

The social inequality sows the seeds of separatism, malice and enmity. Communal riots, conflicts and even massacre are the result of social inequalities.

(v) Individual inequality establishes harmony, reconciliation and oneness in the society while social inequalities end in conflicts and differences at physical, mental and emotional levels of individuals. Thus, all round growth of individual is retarded and choked in seethe and emotional disbalance.

It is a kind of autism at an individual level. In this state of disposition, an individual may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society. In other times, it is society that prevents individuals or groups from having opportunities which are open to the majority of the population at any regions. Such restrictions are imposed on an access of individuals or groups to services like education, health, transportation, insurance, social security, banking and police or judiciary. For an example, it is not desirable that rich people would sleep on pavement, but when a poor individual wants to join the concert in company of rich people, he is prevented. It is social exclusion always involuntary. Another example can be given from prolong experience of humiliation that is reacted by certain individuals through permanent self-restraint or check to see even the faces of those people or their larger group. Prolong resistance on entry of lower castes in temples by Hindu community inspires them either to opt for conversion to other religions like Christianity or Islam or build their own temples.

Distriction between opinion or belief

Opinion or belief

(i) opinion or belief is formed on the basis of things seen and experienced.

(ii) Brahmans are believed to be superior as practically, it is seen that they are honoured by the society.

(iii) Opinion or beliefs are changeable and amenable when red-proofs for any subject/thing/ topic are produced or by virtue of introspection really comes out.

(iv) Formantion of belief has a certain process and it accepts persons or things after prolong investigation and observation.

Prejudice :

(i) It is pre-judgement without any familiarity with the subject / thing.

(ii) Seeing a man in Dhoti and Tilak and just understanding him a Brahmin is prejudice. He may be a Ksatriya or Vaisya also or even a Chinese too.

(iii) Prejudices being pre-conceived views based on hearsay are neither amenable nor introspection is done to understand reality.

(iv) Prejudices are phenomenon of a frickle mind and denote lack of sensitivity or intelligence.

Features of social stratification:

(i) Social stratification is a society-wide system that unequally distributes social resources among categories of people.

(ii) It is closely linked to the family and to the inheritance of social resources from one generation to the next.

(iii) It is supposed by patterns of belief or ideology.

In activities like hunting and food gathering, little is produced therefore, there exists rudimentary stratification but in technologically advanced socities, advance system of stratification is seen. Here, social resources are unequally distributed among categories of people. Secondly, it is birth that dictates birth occupational opportunities. For example, a dalit is likely to confined to occupations like agriculture labour, scavenging etc. and there are little chances of his being able to get white-collar jobs or professional work. Thirdly, caste system is justified in terms of opposition of purity and pollution. Nobody thinks a system of inequality as legitimate but people with the greatest social privileges like Brahmans express the strongest support for caste and race.

It is an interesting fact that discrimination has the least bearing with economical status and it is more because of gender, religion, ethnicity, language, caste and disability.

Eg. A women from a privileged background may face sexual harrassment.

Relationship between caste and economic inequality : Caste inequality is directly associated with the economic status and occupation as it is evident from ancient history. Eg. If someone has bom in the family of carpenter, he would have to join the same occupation when he is grown-up. As per scriptural approach however, social and economic statuses are taken differently in caste hierarchy. For example, Brahmans were not supposed to amass Wealth and live under mercy of rulers. Contrary to it, these rulers were subordinated to the social status of Brahmans. However, there was seen correlation between social and economic status in practice. Eg. Higher castes were invariably of higher economic status while lower castes were always witnessed lower in economic status. In modem age, this correlation is getting weaker as we see rich and poor people are equally found in every caste. Distinctions between castes of similar social and economic status have now weakened. However these are still existed between different socio-economic groupings. The distinction between privileged (upper caste and higher economic status) and disadvantaged sections of society (lower caste & lower economic status) are still existed as before. This is because a lower caste individual tends to adopt purgation or purification procedure of Hindu community when his economic status is increased as there are no restriction now existed upon changing of one's occupation.