Social stratification is best defined as?

Social stratification refers to the way society organizes individuals and groups based on various factors such as wealth, prestige, and power. This concept recognizes that not everyone has equal access to resources, opportunities, and privileges within society.

Understanding social stratification is crucial in fields like sociology and funeral service education, as it influences how individuals interact with one another and how services are provided to different communities. For instance, recognizing disparities in wealth and power can help funeral service professionals to better understand the needs and expectations of different social groups.

The other options, while they address aspects of social behavior or definitions that can relate to societal organization, do not encapsulate the comprehensive system of classification based on societal hierarchies as effectively as the correct answer does.