Final answer:
The most social stratification is typically found in agrarian societies due to the surplus in agriculture allowing for the development of social classes, with rulers and religious leaders at the top and laborers at the bottom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Considering the Kuznets curve, which measures economic inequality against per capita income, and historical accounts of society structures, the most social stratification is often found in agrarian societies. These societies emerged from plant cultivation and the agricultural surplus this generated, allowing for the development of social classes and notable disparities in wealth and power.
This stratification typically placed rulers and religious leaders at the top, while those doing the labor-intensive work, such as farming, often remained at the bottom. The surplus in food production enabled individuals to specialize in various crafts and trades, leading to occupational diversity but also to increased social hierarchy as some jobs were considered more valuable than others.
In contrast, hunter-gatherer societies like the Hadza were more egalitarian due to their nomadic lifestyle and reliance on the surrounding environment, prohibiting the accumulation of wealth. The same principle applies to horticultural/pastoral societies, although they began to allow wealth accumulation in the form of herd animals. Industrial societies experience a mix of stratification levels, but typically less than agrarian societies due to wider access to education, economic opportunities, and social mobility.