Social stratification and its impact on the formation of social classes in society

Social stratification refers to the division of society into distinct social classes or groups based on various criteria such as wealth, power, occupation, and social status. It is a fundamental aspect of human societies, influencing the opportunities and privileges available to individuals, as it places people into groups related to their standing in society by evaluating people according to societal values, its distinguishing feature is the reinforcement of social inequality. The origins of social stratification can be traced back to several interconnected sources, including economic factors, social institutions, and cultural beliefs and it is attributed to both inherent and environmental differences . All societies have their own way of categorising individuals into a specific social group. This results in some people benefiting more than others with benefits and burdens being unevenly distributed among the different categories. The selected criteria by which people are categorised limits their access to wealth, power and opportunities, as the most privileged tend to be allocated the largest share . It must be acknowledged, however, that for a few individuals there is some mobility between the groups due to changes in how society views positions and abilities . In other words, certain talents can transcend social categories.