"Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political)."
The hierarchical division of society based on income, occupation, and education, resulting in the unequal distribution of power and resources.
Social stratification: This refers to the differentiation of society into distinct levels based on factors such as income, education, occupation, and other socioeconomic indicators. It provides a framework for understanding how class structures develop and evolve over time.
Social mobility: This refers to the ability of individuals to move up or down the social ladder based on changes in their circumstances or status. It is an important aspect of social history as it can help explain why certain groups have risen or declined in social status over time.
Social inequality: This refers to the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and rewards in society. It is a pervasive and persistent aspect of class structures that impacts not only individuals but entire communities and nations.
Social class systems: There are various ways of classifying social groups, including income, occupation, education, and other indicators. Each system has its characteristics and implications for understanding class structures and how they operate.
Social class identity: This refers to individual perceptions of their social status and the role it plays in shaping their self-concept and worldview. Class identity can influence behavior, attitudes, and beliefs.
Political economy: This refers to the relationship between economic structures and political power. It is an essential aspect of understanding class structures as it helps explain how economic interests shape political decisions and policies.
Cultural studies: This refers to the study of cultural expressions and practices, including art, literature, media, and other forms of popular culture. Cultural studies provide valuable insights into how class structures influence cultural production and consumption.
Globalization: This refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world's economies and societies. It has significant implications for class structures as it can alter patterns of social mobility and resource allocation.
Intersectionality: This refers to the interplay between various social factors, including race, gender, sexuality, and class. Intersectionality helps explain how multiple forms of oppression and privilege intersect and interact to produce various social outcomes.
Historical analysis: This refers to the study of past events and how they have shaped the present. It is an essential aspect of social history as it helps explain how class structures have evolved over time and how they continue to impact contemporary society.
Upper Class: This class is composed of individuals and families who have a significant amount of wealth, inherited, earned or both. Members of the upper class typically have access to exclusive education, power, social networks, and have a lifestyle characterized by luxury and privilege.
Middle Class: This class usually constitutes people who have moderate to high income, typically derived from well-paying jobs or investments. Members of the middle class often have access to education, healthcare, and job security. They usually live in respectable neighborhoods and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.
Working Class: The working class is composed of individuals typically working in manual or blue-collar jobs, earning moderate wages with limited economic opportunities. The working class often lack access to higher education, have limited job security, and live in low-income neighborhoods.
Lower Class: This class usually consists of people who struggle to meet basic needs, including access to housing, food, and healthcare. People in the lower class have limited job opportunities, lack education, and may depend on welfare programs to make ends meet.
Underclass: The underclass is a class of people who are typically homeless or live on the fringes of society. Members of this class are often excluded from participating in society, lack meaningful work, and struggle to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare.
Elite Class: The elite class is composed of individuals in positions of power, influence, and wealth who control major institutions like politics, media, and corporations. Members of this class often have the ability to shape society's narratives, influence public opinion, and impact policy decisions.
Intellectual/academic Class: This class consists of academics, writers, and intellectuals who play a major role in shaping societal discourse, values, and beliefs. Members of this class often have specialized knowledge, education, and influence in cultural institutions.
Artistic/Creative Class: The artistic/creative class comprises people who make a living as artists, writers, musicians, designers, and other creative fields. Members of this class often enjoy creative freedom and have the ability to shape cultural trends and norms.
New Money Class: This class includes people who have recently acquired wealth through entrepreneurship, inheritance, or other means. Members of this class may lack the prestige and social connections of the old-money classes but often have a valuable skill set and business acumen.
Old Money Class: The old money class is composed of individuals and families who have maintained their wealth and status for generations. Members of this class often have prestigious family histories, access to exclusive cultural institutions, and social networks.
"In modern Western societies, social stratification is typically defined in terms of three social classes: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class."
"Each class can be subdivided into the upper-stratum, the middle-stratum, and the lower stratum."
"A social stratum can be formed upon the bases of kinship, clan, tribe, or caste, or all four."
"The categorization of people by social stratum occurs most clearly in complex state-based, polycentric, or feudal societies..."
"Whether social stratification first appeared in hunter-gatherer, tribal, and band societies or whether it began with agriculture and large-scale means of social exchange remains a matter of debate in the social sciences."
"The degree of social inequality determines a person's social stratum."
"Generally, the greater the social complexity of a society, the more social stratification exists, by way of social differentiation."
"Stratification can yield various consequences. For instance, the stratification of neighborhoods based on spatial and racial factors can influence disparate access to mortgage credit."
"The stratification of neighborhoods based on spatial and racial factors can influence disparate access to mortgage credit."
"...socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political)."
"Stratification is the relative social position of persons within a social group, category, geographic region, or social unit."
"Social stratification is typically defined in terms of three social classes: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class."
"A social stratum can be formed upon the bases of kinship, clan, tribe, or caste, or all four."
"Whether social stratification first appeared in hunter-gatherer, tribal, and band societies or whether it began with agriculture and large-scale means of social exchange remains a matter of debate..."
"Determining the structures of social stratification arises from inequalities of status among persons..."
"The stratification of neighborhoods based on spatial and racial factors can influence disparate access to mortgage credit."
"Generally, the greater the social complexity of a society, the more social stratification exists..."
"Each class can be subdivided into the upper-stratum, the middle-stratum, and the lower stratum."
"The categorization of people by social stratum occurs most clearly in complex state-based, polycentric, or feudal societies..."