Question

What have you observed about the stratification system existing in your society? How are individual lives affected by stratification?

Answer 1

Social stratification refers to the existence of structured inequalities between groups in a society, in terms of their access to materials or symbolic rewards. Historically, there have been four basic systems of stratification- slavery, caste, estate, and class.

In India, there are several stratifications on the basis of caste, class, gender, etc. In several organisations, stratification exists on the basis of the roles of the employees.

The life of the individuals is affected by stratification because people are placed in higher or lower strata. The lower strata are devoid of certain symbolic rewards and material advantages which improve the quality of the life of the recipient such as wealth, income, health, security in a job, etc. On the other hand, higher strata enjoy all the benefits of society. These material benefits or privileged positions are also passed on to the future generations of the higher strata.