Synopsis This book highlights the multinational, historical and contextual nature of social inequality. The shaping of social stratification in terms of its dialectics, layers and levels of social relations is discussed around the three main foci, namely, theory, structure and process, caste, class, family and individual are not only seen as units of social ranking, but are also viewed as notions implying a value-frame for guiding and shaping of consciousness and social relations. The book profiles of caste, class, power and social mobility highlighting conceptual and substantive issues. It should prove to be a handy source book for researchers, teachers and students of sociology and other social science disciplines.