GeoMag

L AY E R S O F S O C I E T Y

OSCAR ROBB

LAYERS OF SOCIETY

Historically, royalty has held the highest status and class. In England, kings and/or queens had the ‘Divine Right’ of ruling the country. In North Korea presently, the Premier, famously known as Kim Jong Un, is called ‘Supreme Leader,’ with his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and latterly father, Kim Jong-Il, being called ‘Eternal Leader.’ These layered, dynastic changes have then ruptured society as we know it and can, in rare cases, destroy whole countries. In 1964, when Chairman Mao took over the vast expanse of land in Asia that we call China, there was a complete breakdown of a caste system based on wealth that had survived for century upon centuries upon centuries. The wealthy Chinese had to destroy pieces of valuable pottery and jewellery to avoid being sent to work laboriously in the countryside. China went from a beautiful country with lush forests and vast plateaus of flat land to dominated by inaesthetic farms. If Mao Zedong had not taken over, China may still have a large caste system, with the rich high, poor low, instead of a whole country in the middle (although, in reality, there remains vast swathes of social inequality). There are very few unlayered societies which often lead to internal and external rifts; from India to Japan, the UK and Ireland, to Aztec Mexico, societal and cultural differences have given rise to numerous conflicts. The factors that make these people different, whether it be ethnicity, wealth, occupation, and the affiliated hierarchy is known as social stratification. A clear example of social stratification is the photo of the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge riding on the magnificently ostentatious royal barge at the Queen’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee, with crowds upon crowds upon crowds on the banks of the Thames. Modern Western societies pride themselves that their societies are full of equity and inclusion, however, you will find that in almost every culture, there is a form of social stratification. However, nowadays people are not scared of being ‘polluted’ horrifically that led to expulsion of these communities, and many feel that they can be friends with people from many different backgrounds, which is a significant improvement. Sadly, many cultures around the world still discriminate against people of a different social standing than them. If we want to change how people are treated, we need to act to stop the likes of people who discriminate against people of a lower social standing.

Sunset Jenson Ives

50 | Geographical Magazine • Merchant Taylors’ School

2021/22 Edition | 51