Social Inequality
Systems of Stratification
• Four general systems of stratification: (1) Slavery, (2) Castes, (3) Feudalism, and (4) Social
classes.
(1) Slavery
• In the past, slaves are owned by other people, who treat these human beings as property, just
as if they were household pets or appliances.
• Today, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights prohibits slavery in all its forms.
(2) Castes
• It is generally associated with Hinduism in India and other countries.
• It is a set of rigid social categories that determined not only person’s occupation but also
positions in society.
• After 1950, it is formally outlawed in India, though some of them still remains in practice.