Overview

Social stratification refers to the structured inequality between different groups in society. It is a system by which society ranks people in a hierarchy based on class, status, race, gender, and other factors. Stratification affects life chances, access to resources, and social mobility, and it is reproduced across generations through institutional practices.

Key Themes and Concepts

• Social Class: A group of people with similar levels of wealth, income, education, and occupational prestige. Includes upper, middle, working, and lower classes.
• Social Mobility: Movement within a social hierarchy — vertical (up/down) or horizontal (within a level); can be intergenerational or intragenerational.
• Systems of Stratification: Includes caste systems, class systems, and meritocracies. Some systems are closed (rigid), others open (more mobility).
• Race and Ethnic Relations: Patterns of inequality based on racial and ethnic identity. Explores prejudice, discrimination, institutional racism, and cultural pluralism.
• Sex and Gender Roles: Examines gender as a social construct, patriarchy, gender socialization, gender identity, and intersectionality with other social categories.
• Aging and Stratification: Social roles and expectations around aging, ageism, and the economic and social challenges faced by older adults.
• Occupations and Professions: Stratification within the labor market; looks at job prestige, professionalization, and inequalities in access to career advancement.
• Power and Inequality: The ability to control resources and decision-making processes. Explores authority, domination, and resistance through sociological theory (Marx, Weber, Bourdieu).
• Reproduction of Inequality: Inequality is maintained through social institutions (education, family, media) and cultural capital (values, norms, and behaviors rewarded by society).

Quick Tip

Stratification is not just about money — it’s about power, access, and opportunity. Social hierarchies are maintained by systems and institutions that reward some groups while marginalizing others. Recognizing how inequality is structured and reproduced is central to understanding modern society.