what do you understand by social stratification and why is it essential
Answers
Social stratification means social structure in which various individuals have been assigned different roles and status (both achieved and ascribed) in such a way that certain persons are at the top, while the others are at the bottom. These people perform their roles in such a way that the machinery of social structure and social organization continues to exist and work smoothly under normal conditions.
Different societies classify individuals differently, i.e., some people are placed as higher or superior, while the others as lower or inferior in hierarchical order. This differentiation in ranks or statuses is usually superimposed by the traditions and norms of the society without the willingness of the individuals. In most of the cases, such a differential treatment for different individuals in society becomes a cultural pattern and is accepted by the individuals in society, Social stratification is found in every society, no matter how democratic and open a society is. The system of differential privileges, rights, duties and responsibilities is like the layers of a rock in geological formation, the composition of various layers contributes towards its existence.