social class

social rank, communal layer

Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures.Most societies, particularly nation states, seem to have some definition of social class. However, less complex societies such as Hunter-gatherers, may or may not have any notion of class.Where social classes do exist, the factors that determine class vary widely from one society to another. Even within a society, different people or groups may have very different ideas about what makes one "high" or "low" in the social hierarchy. The most basic class distinction between the two groups is between the powerful and the powerless. Social classes with more power  usually subordinate classes with less power, while attempting to cement their own power positions in society. Social classes with a great deal of power are usually viewed as elites, at least within their own societies.
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the level of society to which an individual belongs; Australians, generally, perceive themselves as being members of either the upper-middle class, middle class or working class.