Examples Of Social Stratification In America

Stratification is a "structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society" (Witt 238). There are four major groups of stratification. They are slavery, castes, estates and social classes. In America, a perfect example of stratification as I know it, is upper, middle and lower class. The textbook breaks social class down even further into five categories in America: upper, upper-middle, middle, working, and under-class" (Witt 240). Throughout childhood, I grew up in a typical middle-class family. Social mobility is the "movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another" (Witt 241). More often than not, social mobility indicates a change