Final answer:
Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, and power. It leads to an unequal distribution of resources and can be examined from different sociological perspectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, and power. It is a system in which groups of people experience unequal access to valuable social resources. For example, individuals with more resources, such as wealth and power, represent the top layer of the social structure, while those with less resources represent the lower layers.
Factors that determine social standing can include income, education, occupation, age, race, ethnicity, and gender. In the United States, social standing can also be influenced by characteristics such as IQ, athletic abilities, appearance, personal skills, and achievements. Social stratification can be examined from different sociological perspectives, such as functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.