Synopsis The book highlights the core themes and issues relating to the conceptualization of social stratification and mobility. The basic concepts, such as equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation, have been discussed with conceptual clarity and empirical substantiation. Though the book is concise, however, it incorporates the major theories, approaches and profiles of the systems of stratification and mobility.

The systems of stratification, as reflected through caste, class, status groups, power, gender, ethnicity and race, have been explained to provide a composite view of social stratification. Two chapters, namely, `Caste System' and `Emerging Patterns of Stratification', highlight the recent trends relating to social stratification in Indian society.