Stratification

Definition

Stratification in plain English

Stratification is just the fact that a society is stacked into layers, with groups ranked higher or lower based on three things: wealth (money and stuff), power (ability to get your way), and prestige (respect and status). The word comes from 'strata,' the layers you see in a cliff face — society has layers too, and where you land shapes your opportunities, your health, and how others treat you. It matters because these rankings aren't random; they tend to lock in and pass down, which is why some groups keep advantages generation after generation.

Learn these first

• Demographic transition
• Social institutions

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• Big Five personality (OCEAN)
• Classical conditioning
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• Demographic transition
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• Heuristic