In this paper I will be discussing how social stratification benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. I will also be discussing the different stratification system and there function in society. I will also be giving my view on social stratification. Social stratification describes a person's place within a given group, category region or any unit of societal measure. It is generally tied in with the socioeconomic ranking of people in a society based on various factors including wealth, social status, occupation and power. There are three basic stratification systems they are slavery, caste system and class system. The unequal access to resources that comes with class stratification ultimately pushed societies to migrate, displacing more egalitarian cultures, according to a study from Stanford University.(Beman, 2011) .
The most closed system is slavery, or the ownership of people, which has been quite common in human history (Ennals, 2007).Ennals, R. (2007). From slavery to citizenship. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. Slavery is thought to have begun 10,000 years ago, after agricultural societies were developed. The people in these societies made prisoners of war work on their farms. Slavery especially grew in ancient Greece and Rome; they used thousands of slaves for their trade economies. Most slaves in ancient times were prisoners of war or debtors. As trade died down during the Middle Ages, so did slavery. .
In a caste system, people are born into unequal groups based on their parents or grandparents status and they remain in these groups for the rest of their lives. For many years, the best-known caste system was in India, where, supported by Hindu beliefs emphasizing the acceptance of one's fate in life, several major castes dictated one's life chances from the moment of birth, especially in rural areas (Kerbo, 2009).Kerbo, H. R. (2009). Social stratification and inequality.