Final answer:
Inequalities developed in agriculture, education, and healthcare as labor became specialized, leading to social stratification. Wealth accumulation created hierarchies based on social standing, making such class divides seem normal and natural in civilizations.
Step-by-step explanation:
As labor became specialized, inequalities developed in agriculture, education, and healthcare. In every civilization, wealth was accumulated rather than evenly distributed. This erosion of equality and the development of social stratification eventually came to be regarded as normal and natural.
The system of exchange created hierarchies within society. Those who could accumulate goods became wealthy, influencing political and religious power, while laborers remained lower in social status. Families and individuals varied greatly in their wealth and status, forming distinct classes or strata ordered based on social standing. The stratification of social classes is a hallmark of civilization, alongside large-scale architecture and the development of writing. As society stratifies, those at the top typically include rulers and religious leaders, whereas those who grow food or perform labor tend to remain at the bottom.
Political stratification and wealth stratification, alongside occupational specialization, were among the changes accompanying urbanization. Industrialization brought about distinct social classes with their own specific cultures and views on issues such as slavery, further deepening the divide. Inequities in resources, discrimination, and prejudice contribute both to economic and social disparities within and between nations.