Social stratification is a fundamental concept and research area within sociology that examines the hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups within a society based on differential access to resources, power, and status. It investigates the structured inequalities that persist across generations, analyzing their forms (such as class, status groups, and power hierarchies), their determinants (like wealth, occupation, education, and social background), and their consequences for life chances, social mobility, and the reproduction of social inequality across different social systems.