Essay

How does social stratification affect our everyday life?

Social Stratification is a classification whereby people rank and evaluate each other and, on the basis of evaluations; inequality rewarded one another with wealth, authority, influence and status. As one of the results of this discrimination is the formation of a number of levels within society. It is wildly accepted that this social inequality is a patterned and systematic phenomenon that affects people in various social classes throughout their lives. Because of this structured inequality, social stratification can affect people’s life chances. Opportunities are distributed unequally among individuals in such a way that they do or do not have to be part of certain activities and individuals do or do not have to accomplish certain goals simply because of their place in social hierarchy.

Ideally, everyone would have an equal shot at success, access to different facilities and resources and better life chances. However, social status can greatly affect our lives in different ways knowingly and unknowingly. There are certain things that people cannot do because of their station in life prevents them from doing it so. A documentary was televised featuring a poor family living in a mountainous area dreaming of eating fried chicken. The life they have prevents them from enjoying what we can consider as simple food like fried chicken. Another example is the correlation between low socioeconomic status and academic problem. These academic problems can lead to difficulties later on, including dropping out of school, unemployment, taking a low-wage job, or worst being a menace in the society. Social Stratification also affects the lifestyle of the people in the society. In fashion, the new trends and clothes of popular personality are in and what they are doing was imitated by the lower class. Prestige in the society is also affected by this social stratification. The reputation of one person is given...