Stratifikaatioon

Stratifikaatioon refers to the creation or presence of distinct layers or levels in a system. The term is used across disciplines to describe layering by physical, social, chemical, or temporal criteria. Layers can be ordered by composition, properties, or rank, and stratification often arises through depositional, developmental, or organizational processes.

In social sciences, social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on access to resources, status, and power. Mechanisms include economic inequality, education, occupation, ethnicity, gender, and family background. Stratification can influence life chances, mobility, and social interaction; experiences vary across strata.

In geology and earth sciences, stratification describes the layering of rocks, sediments, or soils. Stratigraphy studies the order and relative position of layers, enabling reconstruction of past environments and geologic time. Sedimentary layers form through deposition, while other layers may result from volcanic ash, metamorphism, or soil development.

In ecology and statistics, stratification has other meanings. Thermal or chemical stratification occurs in bodies of water, separating layers of different temperature or chemical composition and affecting mixing and nutrients. In statistics, stratified sampling divides a population into strata to improve representativeness and precision.