The division of society into groups is called social stratification. This is a system of criteria and signs by which stratification occurs in our society. And each of us participates in it. Because we are all members of society, which means that we are inextricably linked with society.
Principle
The division of society into groups is called stratification of ulterior motive. This term was borrowed from geology. And in this science, it denotes the location of the strata of the earth. In general, the most appropriate concept.
Sociology has built a system of stratification of society like the structure of the Earth. If you carefully examine the topic, you can understand that this is so. Social layers are placed vertically. And the foundation ladder is the income ladder. That is, the level of quality of life in the material plane. At the lowest level are the poor. Representatives of a prosperous group (to the best of wealthy individuals) are located in the middle. And really rich people head the stairs.
This pattern perfectly reflects the idea of social inequality. And the criteria may be not only the level of income. Often, power, the nature of labor, and knowledge are often taken into account. Here, for example, is the last case. On the lower rung will be people without education. A little higher are those who have completed 9 classes. Next - people with complete secondary education. Even a little higher are those who graduated from colleges / technical schools. Further - people with higher bachelor's education. Then - masters, graduate students, doctors, professors, etc. In general, the principle is clear.
Socio-economic status
This is a topic that should be noted by attention, telling about classes of social stratification.
So, each of us has our own status in society. It consists of several criteria. The first is income. That is, the amount of money earned.
The second criterion is wealth. That is, the savings, accumulations and material values of a person (property). The difference between people who have wealth and those who do not have wealth is that if they do not want to, they may not work. And live off savings and savings. Others are forced to work for salaries.
The third criterion is power. People who possess it traditionally belong to the elite, since they can impose their will against the wishes of others. Power is access to social benefits.
The last criterion is prestige. That is, the respect that a person enjoys. All of these criteria in the aggregate are what determine the socio-economic status of the individual. And his position in society. It is the status that is considered to be a generalized indicator of the notorious stratification.
Social elevator
This concept should also be noted with attention. Since it is directly related to the topic under discussion. A social elevator is such a mechanism by which you can improve or worsen your status. And he acts on all the criteria listed above - on the level of income, education, prestige and power (wealth follows from the first).
It is worth referring to the example for clarity. And the best of all kinds has long been cited by the Russian-American sociologist Pitirim Sorokin. It was he, by the way, who first stated that the division of society into groups is called stratification, and developed this concept.
So, a vivid example of a social elevator is the army. If a young man who has poisoned himself to serve for the good of the Motherland will make due efforts, hard work and be zealous, then he can grow from a private to a corporal, and then to a junior sergeant. Manifesting himself in the best light, and perfectly fulfilling his military duties, he has a chance to get the best ranks. In the end, even the generals were once ordinary.
Hierarchy
This is a typical sociological concept. And it means the order of subordination of the lower to the higher. You can already guess that we will talk about such a topic as social hierarchy.
This is the name of the structure of relations, which distributes prestige, power and other values in society, and also reflects the inequality of statuses.
A simple example that everyone has encountered concerns the sphere of labor relations. At the head of the hierarchy is the owner of the enterprise. He is subordinated to the lower link - the director of the organization. He, in turn, oversees with all rights the rest of his subordinates, simple employees who occupy these or those posts.
About laws
Social stratification has always been. And in it, as in any other structure, it has its own laws. And even their whole systems. One of the best, logical and fair developed by the German sociologist Max Weber.
He assured: what the whole hierarchy rests on is a clear division of labor. When it exists, there is a need to use highly qualified specialists for each of the existing posts.
There should also be norms and rules that would regulate all the processes taking place in society and in work. The so-called spirit of formal impersonality is also important. It is with him that officials should fulfill their duties - that’s more correct.
And finally, hiring is carried out impartially. A person who fully complies with the requirements is accepted for the position, without taking into account anything else.
In the end
The division of society into groups is called stratification. And it always took place - no matter how anyone assures us that we are all the same. However, the opposite is hard to imagine. 7.46 billion people live on Earth. And the fact that they are divided into groups (layers), uniting on one or another basis, on the contrary, regulates society. Everyone fulfills his role. And if you want to change something - that is, the notorious social elevator, which anyone can use if desired. Most importantly, stratification should not become a negative concept. But it already depends on humanity in society.