EDUCATION AS A FACTOR OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Abstract

The constituent element of every society is its structure. It grows on the basis of multiple factors and constitutes a specific context of human behavior, and more specifically the behavior of individuals of particular groups. On the one hand, human action always has a specific internal logic, but it is also externally conditioned; it takes place within a concrete framework, which are called structures.

The structures are therefore a systematized pattern constituting specific frames defining the ways of human interaction. Among social structures, social stratification is at the forefront, understood as a system of structured, socially important inequalities. Within them, individuals or categories of people have unequal access to socially appreciated values.In modern society, education is one of the most important factors of social stratification. It is within the framework of the education process that individuals prepare to fulfill social roles. Considering the fact that some roles are described as important and desirable, they are also better paid, and moreover, they are given higher social prestige. As a consequence, they become an important factor of social stratification. On the other hand, unequal access to education for any reason, makes it difficult for individuals to promote themselves and places them lower in the hierarchy of layers. In this way, education becomes an important factor in social stratification.