Social stratification is a system by which a society ranks categories of people, it is a structure of inequality (a general advantage or power of one group to another), it describes the way in which different groups of people are placed within society. The status of people is determined by how society is stratified for example wealth and income which is the most common basis of stratification, social class, race and ethnicity, gender, age and disability and also religion, for example the caste system in India.
Stratification is also based on an open or closed system:
Open-Status is achieved through merit and effort, this is sometimes known as meritocracy. The United Kingdom is a kingdom is a relativity open society although disadvantaged groups within society face a glass ceiling.
Closed-Status is ascribed (given title at birth) rather than achieved, ascribed can be based on several factors such as family background, political factors may also play a role for example societies organised on the basis of communism and also ethnicity and religion.
Individuals and groups have unequal access to advantages and disadvantages in society based on their position within the stratification scheme. The higher a individual or group is within the category of stratification, the better their life chances are, these include education opportunities, housing, health and occupation, for example those at the top social class can afford comfortable homes, lots of material possessions and have lots of savings.
This is the total opposite for the lower classes, for example the lower an individual or group is within the category of stratification, whose life chances are affected by this type of stratification, this includes housing, education, health and occupation for example those in the lower class tend to stay in rented housing and are often overcrowded, their children achieve less