Social Stratification in Candyland?

Note: Candyland is a pseudonym I use to prevent myself from being utterly blunt. See the irony there? No, you don't.

I remember the first time studying Social Stratification in Sociology when I was doing my A’Levels. With all its concepts and theories I began to realise how familiar I am with this kind of system. Then I started to reflect upon myself and tried to put some jumbled-up pieces together. I realized how this stratification system mirrors how Candyland* works. Candyland* has its own social structure, its own norms and values governing its social system. It has its own society with the people living under its roof. There exists a social system in Candyland* that is greatly flawed, like many other social systems. The system may be unjust to some people but that is just how society works. Society has to be stratified in order for it to function. Boundaries must be drawn, division of classes is necessary. At least in Candyland* it is. “The weak ones are there to justify the strong.” There are divisions of classes ranging from top to bottom: the Upper Class, the Middle Class, the Working Class and the Under Class. This is how it works in Candyland*:

The Upper Class: the most important class in the society, very high social status- ascribed status, employers, the central unit of social control.

The Middle Class: employees in the higher rank with high-paid salary, have some sort of social status- achieved status, considered as important part of the society.

The Working Class: employees in the lower rank (workers), social status not defined.

The Underclass: unemployed, no social status, bums, considered as low-lifes of society, very deviant.

Social mobility is possible, there exists a social ladder where an individual can work his/her way up the social ladder. Meritocracy ensures that social mobility is possible through individual achievement. Individual achievement in Candyland* is only defined by the acts of ass-kissing, hypocrisy and betrayal. Other kinds of ‘achievement’ that other people would perceive them to be are denied and not taken into account. Ass-kissing is highly encouraged in this society in order to live a normal lifestyle. Those who break norms and values would be immediately cast out and categorized in the Underclass, depending on the level of deviance committed. When once labeled ‘deviant’, it would take about at least a few years for the individual to be able to climb up the social ladder again. The Underclass remains the central unit of deviance and anything negative, everything that is “bad” and “wrong” in society. Consistently stereotyped, labeled and cast out, the Underclass are not welcome anywhere near the Upper Class.

To conclude, Candyland* is just as flawed as any other society but there are obviously certain levels that vary from one extreme to another. It’s such a shame that division is a necessity for society to function properly. There will always be the good and bad. Peanut-butter and jelly. Although the really bad ones are always perceived as the good ones and vice-versa. Such a shame. Oh well. That is life. I’m bored. And still pissed off.