Final answer:
Social stratification is the process of categorizing individuals into different socioeconomic ranks based on factors like wealth, education, and occupation, forming layers within society that illustrate social inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of grouping people according to differences in characterization such as income, occupation, age, gender, and other factors is known as social stratification. This concept involves categorizing individuals into different rankings or layers within a society based on various socioeconomic factors, including wealth, education, and power.Social stratification is a social structure that reflects a society's division into different layers that are not equal. The concept is often visualized metaphorically by comparing it to stratified layers of rock, illustrating how people are sorted into social categories.
Factors like income, occupation, education, and even age, race, and gender contribute to defining an individual's place within these social strata.Understanding social stratification is critical for comprehending the various forms of social inequality and mobility that exist within a society. This term is key to exploring the disparities within and between nations and is important in discussions regarding economic and social equality and discrimination.