Sociology study guide Social Stratification (Chapter 8)

• A system by which a society ranks and categories of people in a hierarchy

A change in position within the social hierarchy

• Social stratification based on ascription, or birth

• Social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement

• A concept that refers to social stratification based on personal merit

• The degree of consistency in a person’s social standing across various dimensions of social inequality

A shift in the social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society than to individual efforts

• Cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality

Social stratification plays a vital part in the operation of society

Social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society