Power and Status Relations

4. Theory of Stratification

People in the world are divided into several classes. Each of the people has her or his role within their society. Consciously or unconsciously, people are divided into their social status. The life of the Afro-American people in 1960s was also divided into their social status. The social status of black community, can be said, is the excess of social strata that was build by white community. This situation can be happen because the influence of white in the slavery era was so strong. In 1960s, the Whites have higher social status in a society rather than the Blacks. Black people got a different treatment in front of the law or in public places because they belonged to the lower social status. We know that black people used to be slaves and the label of lower social status seems to be inherited from their ancestor. The stratification that was built, if it is not controlled well, will lead into social discrimination. In the other words, discrimination will happen if there is stratification within a society and there is no social control which makes the differentiation as a tool to build the society stronger. So, what are the positive and negative effects of stratification? Melvin M. Tumin wrote some functions of stratification as stated in the form of provisional assertions, as follows Tumin 58: Firstly, social stratification systems function to limit the possibility of discovery of the full range of talent available in a society. It means that every PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI people in the society have different opportunity in developing their talent. Only particular persons have the chances to develop their talent through the society. Secondly, in foreshortening the range of available talent, social stratification systems function to set limits upon the possibility of expanding the productive resources of the society, at least relative to what might be the case under conditions of greater equality of opportunity. Thirdly, social stratification systems function to provide the elite with the political power necessary to procure acceptance and dominance of an ideology which rationalizes the status quo, whatever it may be, as “logical,” “natural” and “morally right.” Since the stratification system put people in the different position and class, distribution of power automatically fall into the hand of the upper class people. This upper class, of course, has a big chance to rule the society. Fourth, social stratification systems function to distribute favorable self- images unequally throughout a population. The image of upper class people will be built better than the lower class. Inferiority of the lower class will put their self- images under the upper class people. Fifth, to the extent that inequalities in social rewards cannot be made fully acceptable to the less privileged in a society, social stratification systems function to encourage hostility, suspicion and distrust among the various segments of a society and thus to limit the possibilities of extensive social integration. This situation related to the building of good relation among others people. Since there is no equality, the relation among the member of a society faces barrier. Sixth, to the extent that the sense of significant membership in a society depends on one‟s place on the prestige ladder of the society, social stratification systems function to distribute unequally the sense of significant membership in the population. Since the role of particular members of a society is different each other, the contribution one person to the society will be different with the other person. Seventh, to the extent that loyalty to a society depends on a sense of significant membership in the society, social stratification systems function to distribute loyalty unequally in the population. Loyalties of a particular group of a society belong to their own group. Friction between different classes will lead to the conflict within a society. Eighth, to the extent that participation and apathy depend upon the sense of significant membership in the society, social stratification systems function to distribute the motivation to participate unequally in the population. Each member will contribute their talent differently since they have different position within the society. A person who has significant role in the society has also different motivation.

5. Theory of Discrimination

Black people in the slavery era and after that faced discrimination within the society. Most of them were from white people. Black people were treated as commodity. After the slavery era, they also faced discrimination although there were some rules stated that black people were treated just the same as the White because they were also the citizens of United States. The fact was that black people were treated differently before the law. Discrimination takes many forms. They are racial discrimination, age discrimination, gender discrimination, caste discrimination, employment discrimination, language discrimination, reverse discrimination, and disability discrimination. The most common discrimination in this world is employment discrimination since most of the country start with the industrial era. Moreover, employment discrimination also related to the other discrimination for example sex discrimination. Different opportunity in getting job because of different sex becomes one example of this kind of discrimination. According to Linda Clarke, equal opportunities make good business sense. The key word of this statement is equal Clarke 3. In order to avoid „a less favorable treatment‟, equality is needed. Equality becomes the key concept in fighting discrimination. There are many efforts done to maintain the equality. The principle of equal treatment is recognized in Article 1 of the constitution of the Netherlands, which declares that „persons shall be treated equally in equal circumstances‟ Banton 73. This article clearly stated that discrimination is wrong because it breaches this principle. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

B. Socio-Historical Background 1. The Afro American Community in 1960s

– 1970s Martin Luther King Junior portrays the discrimination the Black had to face Rustin 444. During the slavery era, black people got so many tortures from white people as their land lord. This situation influenced black people thought. This situation also treated the black community as the lower class people. After the slavery era black people, although there was not all of black people got their freedom, maintain a better life. They built their own community. Some civil right movements rouse and gave some effects to the government. There were some rules which facilitate black people life in the society. Equality as the American citizen was broadly spread through out the state. Yet all of the rules made were only tools to calm the black movement. It was only illusion. There was still discrimination toward black people. Concerning this situation some leaders provoked some actions to maintain the solution. Two famous leaders from black community were Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. They fought for the black freedom in different ways. Malcom X as the Islamic black leader used the radical way whether Martin Luther King Jr. as the Protestant leader used the diplomatic way. In 1960‟s – 1970‟s there are a lot of freedom movements rouse.

2. American Class and Caste System

Caste system differentiates the Blacks and the Whites. Caste here, as it is explained in the definition of the terms, refers to the blood rule within American