A social stratification system is a way in which society is divided into different layers or groups based on various factors like wealth, income, education, caste, and gender. One of the social stratification systems is ‘class’.
The class system is different from other social stratification systems, because it isn’t legally or religiously defined. Instead, it’s a more flexible and open system that developed with industrialization and urbanization. Social class is mainly based on differences in wealth and income. For example, in industrial societies, there are upper, middle, and working classes. These differences lead to different lifestyles, spending habits, and sometimes even different ways of speaking and dressing. One key feature of class systems is social mobility, meaning people can move up or down in social status, both within their lifetime (intra-generational) and across generations (inter-generational).
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