Social stratification also affects the way we think about life. 

Look at the photo of the Mulleta family in Ethiopia. 

If you were a parent of this family, you would expect hunger to be a part of life and would not expect all of your children to survive.

 You would also be illiterate and would assume that your children would be as well. In contrast, if you are an average U.S. parent, you expect your children not only to survive but also to be well fed, not only to be able to read but also to go to college. You can see that social stratification brings with it not just material things but also ideas of what we can expect out of life.

caste system:

a system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives

chattel slavery:

a form of slavery in which one person owns another (“chattel” means “property”)

class:

a group that shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation

class system:

social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments

debt bondage:

the act of people pledging themselves as servants in exchange for money for passage, and are subsequently paid too little to regain their freedom

endogamy:

refers to the practice of marrying within one’s own caste category

income:

the money a person earns from work or from dividend-paying investments

meritocracy:

an ideal system in which demonstrated personal effort and ability—or merit—determines social standing

wealth:

the value of money and assets a person has, perhaps due to inheritance