Which term describes the division of society into layers such as the upper, middle, and working class based on wealth, power and status?

Which term describes the division of society into layers such as the upper, middle, and working class based on wealth, power and status?

• A. Educational Achievement
• B. Social Stratification
• C. Cultural Capital
• D. Discrimination

Answer: (B)

Social stratification describes the division of society into layers based on wealth, power and status. In many societies, these layers form an ordered hierarchy: an upper class with substantial wealth and influence, a middle class with moderate means and prestige, and a working class with lower income and less social power. This structure shapes life chances—who can access good education, housing, and opportunities—often persisting across generations. The other ideas are related but describe different things: educational achievement is about schooling levels; cultural capital refers to non-financial assets that help people navigate society; discrimination is unfair treatment that can maintain stratification but isn’t the division itself.

Social stratification describes the division of society into layers based on wealth, power and status. In many societies, these layers form an ordered hierarchy: an upper class with substantial wealth and influence, a middle class with moderate means and prestige, and a working class with lower income and less social power. This structure shapes life chances—who can access good education, housing, and opportunities—often persisting across generations. The other ideas are related but describe different things: educational achievement is about schooling levels; cultural capital refers to non-financial assets that help people navigate society; discrimination is unfair treatment that can maintain stratification but isn’t the division itself.