What have you observed about the stratification system existing in your society? How are individual lives affected by stratification?

Social structure means the pattern of regular and repetitive interaction between the individuals or groups. Stratification may be defined as the structural inequalities between different groups of people. Our Indian society is stratified on the basis of caste, class, gender, etc.

1. Caste - In caste stratification system, the status of an individual depends upon his birth and not on his achievements. He shares the position that his cast has in the society. He is ranked high or low according to his caste.

2. Class - Class means the economic class. The class stratification system is based upon the division of income and wealth among the society. The people belonging to high income group are ranked above the people from low income group even if the person from low income group has some special feature.

3. Status and Role - Status means the social position having its own rights and duties whereas role is a behavioural aspect of status. In modern society an individual occupies multiple statuses called status set in Sociology. The status can be obtained by birth or can be an achieved status. Such as the status of a doctor will be more than a shopkeeper.