What term describes the objective hierarchy in a society, particularly class-based distinctions?

• A. Social Stratification
• B. Social Mobility
• C. Caste System
• D. Social Inequality

Answer: (A)

Social stratification describes the organized, hierarchical arrangement of people in a society based on structured inequalities in access to resources, opportunities, and rewards. It captures how societies are divided into layers—often along class lines like upper, middle, and lower—and how those layers shape life chances and social standing. Movement between these layers, if possible, is known as social mobility, which differentiates the system from the individual shifts within it. A caste system is a specific, typically rigid form of stratification tied to hereditary status, but the general term for the objective hierarchy across society is social stratification. Social inequality refers to the unequal distribution of resources that results from this hierarchy, not the hierarchical structure itself.