stratification
strat-if-ih-KAY-shun
/ˌstræt.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
The arrangement or classification of something into different structural groups or social layers.
Refers to institutional social hierarchies based on wealth, race, power, or status that persist across generations.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from geology, where 'strata' are horizontal rock layers formed over millions of years. 19th-century sociologists adopted the term to describe rigid social classes.
Word relationships
- hierarchy: Hierarchy focuses on vertical ranks of command or authority, while stratification emphasizes horizontal social layers.
- categorization: Categorization is neutral sorting, whereas stratification carries structural inequality and layer layering.
- egalitarianism: Egalitarianism is the belief in equal rights and equal social opportunities for all.
Commonly confused with
- segmentation: Segmentation divides a market into distinct categories; stratification arranges groups in an unequal vertical layered order.
Word family
- stratify (verb): To form or arrange into distinct layers or social strata.
- stratified (adjective): Arranged in structural social layers.
Collocations
- social stratification
- economic stratification
- class stratification
- rigid stratification
Example sentences
- "Socioeconomic stratification in major metropolitan areas is reflected in stark life expectancy differences between adjacent neighborhoods." Sociological theory
- "Tax structures that favor capital gains over wage income can deepen wealth stratification within a society." Economic research
Memory hook
STRATA (rock layers) + FICATION (making) = making society into rock-like layers. Layered like rock strata.
When not to use
Do not use to describe temporary or casual grouping; it implies established, rigid structural layers.
Fun facts
- Geologists use the term 'stratification' to date ancient fossils by measuring which layer of rock sediment they are buried in.
Related words
Also appears in
- Economic Theory & Analysis → Structural Inequality & Distribution
- Education & Pedagogy → Educational Inequality
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Social Stratification & Hierarchy
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Caste Systems & Untouchability
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Marxist Sociology & Class
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Elite Theory & Power Structures
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