The past few weeks in History class, I have been studying the history of New France (What we now call Home Sweet Home -Canada-). We learned about how it started and how it ended, its economy and its people and its rules of society. I want to focus my article on social pyramid and how it has evolved since then. I found fascinating to see how many social pyramids are out there and what each entails to its society. If you’re wondering what social pyramid is… wonder no more.. It can be defined as “a hierarchic distribution of power seen in social structures that are in a pyramid shape. Power is given to a few people at the top and each descending tier represents more people with a diminished level of power”. One of the popular pyramids you might be familiar with is the Egyptian Social Pyramid.
However, speaking of Canada, those who lived during once upon a time ~New France era were very different from us but they did have one among potentially many things in common with us. They had a Social Pyramid that they ultimately lived by that was not that pleasant, if I may spoil… Of course at the very top of their social pyramid was the King of France. All high and mighty with complete control over his people. Not very democratic or modern if you ask me. At the very bottom were the criminals, the aboriginals and of course ~ the women. Underneath all (the minister of the Navy, the General Governor, the Intendant, the Bishop, the Militia Captains and the Inhabitants) women were not at all considered equal in many areas of their life in the society. How… 17th century! But of course this pyramid existed in the 17th century and it has changed since then, but not so much that there is no ‘Social Status’. What do you think are the effects of Social Pyramid today?
Well, I am not going to give you all a history lesson, although it can be fascinating. I want to enlighten you about the pyramids of today. Not those big looming pyramids in Egypt but the Social ones that we find in our everyday lives, be it at work or at school or at home. Social pyramid can as well be deemed as social classes or hierarchy of powers or status … This can lead to those on top of the ladder to be considered important or powerful than those at the bottom. Now, in the 21st century, we still have a Power Pyramid but it’s pretty different from the 17th century. First of all, women are treated as equals, which I think is very important and the pyramid itself has by far evolved. In some cases, it’s just how it works, how it needs to work but sometimes, most of the time it’s not. You mostly see the Pyramid that doesn’t need to be, for instance at SCHOOL, you have the “Popular People” at the very top and maybe “nerds” and “dorks” at the bottom. You may look carefully at the pyramid below and be the judge… To my fellow watotos, where do you find yourself ‘fitting’ in the pyramid? Are you a cheerleader, a nerd or popular one? Where would you strive to be on the pyramid?
To further look into that, as you may find at the office you may have the office mailman or a cleaner at the bottom, some in the middle and of course either the Boss, or the CEO at the top. We even have a pyramid for the Canadian Government, with the Federal Government at the top, the Provincial government in the middle and the Municipal Government at the bottom. I think that sometimes pyramids of power may not be all that bad because it can ensure organization’s operations but we don’t need them everywhere and all the time. We strive to climb the pyramid until we reach the top. We struggle up and sometimes we lie and cheat and hurt people so we can stay there. Most of the time it’s not because we particularly like it or need it, but because that’s all we want. We want it to change our image and in the long run, ourselves. There shouldn’t be a pyramid or a social ladder because it can control us and shape us into someone we are not. Those “nerds” at the bottom could very well be at the top because they are intelligent and most of the time, kind and polite. What standards are we trying to reach when we scale these pyramids? Not very good ones that’s for sure.
I would like to quote a man who knows what he’s talking about. Oscar Wilde says “Be Yourself, Everyone else is taken.” Instead of a pyramid it should be a wall, or maybe a road… What I’m trying to say is that we are all equal and we all have different and amazing abilities and there is no need to be classified. That is not why God made us, to be put into groups. He made us as individuals, to be proud of ourselves and to stand tall and strong.
What do you think about our Social Pyramid?
Serena Wambura.