10 20 16 Grouping Beyond Kinship Age Grouping o Age is pervasive dimension of social grouping o In western societies are groupings serve need for education legal privileges driving drinking etc responsibilities military service entitlements Social Security o In non western societies minimal distinctions among immature mature and elderly life stages o Like race gender and kinship institutionalization of age is based on cultural not biological factors Age Grade and Age Set o Age Grade Organized group of people based on age Often automatic with age sometimes requires resources to join Often involves rites of passage o Age Set Individuals initiated into age grade at the same time and who move through series of categories together as cohort Age Grouping in Africa o Age grades recognized among many African societies including the Masai o Men born during same four year period circumcised together join same named age set passed through grades together Warrior grade essence of Masai hood marked by bravery beauty engaged in cattle raiding warfare Must first build manyatta field houses Traditionally killed lion to prove bravery now outlawed 2 Involves dancing and ceremony efforts to enhance appearance hair body paint jewelry Common Interest Associations non kin based o Result from joining and sharing particular activities objectives values or beliefs sometimes rooted in common ethnic religious or regional background o Common in societies where individuals are separated from their kin Sororities and Fraternities as Common Interest Associations o Ritualized acts of joining o Involve people separated from their kin o Research at IUP examined why women joined sororities Membership fulfilled sense of belonging to group Members placed value or social involvement and acceptance for social identity Compared to sorority members twice as many nonmembers were first born child Involvement in student government in high school was three times higher for members Stratification o Society divided into 2 or more ranked categories of people o Predicated on unequal access to resources o Inequality is institutionalized thus social rank is ascribed o Mobility among ranks not uncommon in societies where personal freedom is promoted Caste Fixed Social Ranks o Caste System in India Thousands of castes jatis organized into four basic categories varnas Priests Brahmins Warriors land owners Landless artisans Laborers Untouchables Each caste endogamous ascribed Officially abolished in 1949 Gamo Caste System o Hierarchical grading between maka mana and degala castes o Parallel to traditional occupation o Endogamy and ascribed status o Pollution of the higher castes by the lower castes Social Class o Stratification stemming from access to economic resources and or prestige Classes not always well defined and mutually exclusive how many classes do we have in America today Vertical mobility feasible under certain social and political conditions Not usually endogamous so marriage often means to vertical mobility 3