The main type of stratification in modern societies is social achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus. A social class is a group of people who share a similar achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus position. Class can be measured by occupation, achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus or ownership of property and capital. People within a social class tend to share similar levels of education, achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus and lifestyle.

Class systems are different to older achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus systems like caste and feudalism in the following ways

1. There are no definite achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus between classes - it is hard to say where one class begins and ends.
2. Despite stratification by class all citizens of modern industrial democracies have equal achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus.
3. Class systems are not based on law or achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus they are based on economic factors
4. There are no achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus barriers to marriage across classes.
5. Most class systems aspire to be achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus open societies where social mobility is possible.
6. In class systems status tends to be achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus rather than achievedascribedclasscloseddistinctionseconomicincomelegalmeritocraticreligionrightsstatus although this is not always the case