The term social class is often used interchangeably with socio-economic status. It refers to a collection of individuals who share similar circumstances in terms of factors such as education, occupation, wealth, and income. The combination of these factors rank persons relative to others in society into the following classes: lower class, the working class, the middle class, or the upper class. Further, individuals in the same class tend to have common traits, behaviors, knowledge, and lifestyles that allow persons to navigate in society.

The implications of this classification means that social stratification exists and this reflects in the unequal access to rights, resources, and opportunities among individuals in less fortunate classes. These inequalities allow those with a more advantageous economic status to enjoy better political and social representation, wealth, healthcare, and employment opportunities, among many other things. This injustice comes about through a cycle of reinforcement as institutions, policies, and networks tend to perpetuate the privilege and power of the elite. However, there is a possibility to change one’s standing within the stratification and this is referred to as social mobility. Social mobility can be upward or downward depending on the opportunities one has been granted in their life or on societal changes.