This lesson introduces social stratification and explains how societies organize people into levels of social standing. Understanding stratification helps us look beyond individual outcomes and recognize broader patterns of inequality.
Social stratification is a society’s system for categorizing people into ranked levels based on factors such as wealth, income, education, family background, and power. The term evokes layers of rock: in society, however, the layers consist of groups of people with unequal access to resources.
All flashcards
What is social stratification?
A society’s system of ranking people into social levels according to factors such as wealth, income, education, family background, and power.
What does socioeconomic status mean?
Socioeconomic status, or SES, is an individual’s position within the system of social stratification.
How are wealth and income different?
Wealth is the net value of money and assets a person has. Income is money received, such as wages or investment dividends.
How do sociologists study inequality differently from an individual-choice explanation?
They look for broader patterns and examine how social structures and institutions shape access to opportunities and resources, alongside individual choices.
How can family background affect social standing?
Families may pass on resources, knowledge, cultural expectations, and support networks that influence educational and occupational opportunities.
Quiz questions
Which feature best distinguishes an open system of stratification?Answer: It permits greater movement and interaction between social levels.
In a caste system, what largely determines a person’s social standing?Answer: The social position into which the person is born.
What is an exogamous marriage?Answer: A marriage between spouses from different social categories.
Why is meritocracy described as an ideal rather than a fully existing system?Answer: Social standing is influenced by inherited advantages and social conditions as well as merit.
Which comparison of status consistency is generally associated with caste and class systems?Answer: Caste systems tend toward higher consistency; class systems tend toward lower consistency.
Based on Introduction to Sociology 3e by Tonja R. Conerly, Kathleen Holmes, Asha Lal Tamang (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.