Part A (Q4): Define Social Stratification.

Social stratification refers to the systematic process by which a society categorizes its people into hierarchical rankings or strata based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, power, and prestige.

Just as the earth is made up of distinct geological layers (strata), societies are structured in layers that represent unequal access to resources and opportunities.

Key Features of Social Stratification:

1. It is a trait of society, not simply individual differences: It represents structural inequalities built into the social system, not just random variations in individual talent or effort.
2. It carries over from generation to generation: Stratification systems (especially closed ones like the caste system) often pass social standing from parents to children.
3. It is universal but variable: Every society has some form of stratification, but what is valued and how unequal the strata are varies wildly (e.g., modern class systems vs. historical feudal systems).
4. It involves beliefs: Stratification is maintained not just by force, but by widely shared beliefs and ideologies that justify the inequality (e.g., the belief that wealth reflects hard work, or that caste reflects karma).