Final answer:
The Noel and Blauner hypothesis explains patterns of ethnic stratification in societies, aligning with option a, relating to how historical and social contact factors contribute to varying levels of social inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Noel and Blauner hypothesis is an attempt to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change, specifically regarding patterns of ethnic stratification. This hypothesis falls under option a, which states that it explains patterns of ethnic stratification in societies. It discusses how historical circumstances and the nature of the contact between different groups can result in varying levels of stratification and inequality.
To further understand how this ties into social patterns, we can scrutinize urbanization in correlation with this hypothesis. Urbanization can have impacts on gross national income and on the cultural and socio-economic dynamics of a society, resulting in shifts from homogeneity to heterogeneity, leading to occupational specialization, political stratification, and wealth stratification in human populations.