What are some of the features of social stratification?
Social stratification is a characteristic of society, not simply a function of individual differences. It is a society-wide system that unequally distributes social resources among categories of people, regardless of their innate abilities or efforts.
Another key feature is that social stratification persists over generations. It is closely linked to the family and the inheritance of resources. A person's social position is ascribed, meaning children assume the social positions of their parents. This is reinforced by the practice of endogamy, where marriage is restricted to members of the same group.
Finally, social stratification is supported by patterns of belief or ideology. No system is likely to persist over generations unless it is widely viewed as being either fair or inevitable. For instance, the caste system is justified in terms of the opposition of purity and pollution.
Explanation
The answer is derived from the three key principles of social stratification outlined in the NCERT textbook 'Introducing Sociology'. The first paragraph establishes the systemic nature of stratification. The second paragraph explains the intergenerational and ascribed nature of the system, citing endogamy. The third paragraph highlights the role of ideology in legitimizing the hierarchy, using the caste system as an example provided in the text.