Webers Theory on Social Stratification Webers theory of a society is based in three main factors: class, status, and power. Material is an economic order formed by unequal distribution of material things. Classes are formed according to skill to produce and ability to buy in the market. Any person can belong to any class regardless of color, race, or religion. In short it can be said that people with the most are at the top of the economic order and people with the least are at the bottom. Status groups are formed according to ones unequal access to prestige, honor, and power. This can change from society to society and is not based on ones personal wealth. Status is usually inherited and can not be gained trough religion, race, or ethnicity. There are two points that characterize status groups: First there is based on occupation-CEO of corporations, high powered and prestigious positions. Secondly there is someone's lifestyle. This includes thinking, eating, and consuming similar things. Also, holding similar jobs and living in similar neighborhoods. These status groups are very restrictive to others and usually stay between themselves. Power is a political order where people exercise different amounts of power. Power is based on 1) how many people you control 2) the extent that the people you control will go for you 3) how powerful the people you are controlling are. In short, power is the ability of someone to make others do what they want without giving them a choice. 2) Chafe argues that race and sex discrimination show similar patterns. In his view, what are the similarities between the oppression of woman and oppression of blacks? Groups around them controlled Blacks and Woman. In... ... middle of paper ... ...he countries economy and uses their political power to maintain the status quo. Elite control arguments in representing the conflict in society, therefore the result is never a consensus. Society is held together by force and control, rather than by agreement. Politics is a constant struggle between those who have the power and those who want it. The following is an example of elitism: The trilateral commission is an organization of three hundred "organized citizens" from North America, Western Europe, and Japan. It takes people from government, business, labor and so on. It is a policy- oriented group that analyzes issues such as energy and world trade that face all three regions and develops proposals for joint actions. Many critics though say it is a partnership of the world ruling class set up to manage the international system among themselves.