By Hamza Farooq
National stratification refers to the uneven distribution of wealth power and authority among different ethnic groups, social institution and provinces within a given country.
Conflict can occur between two classes due to the unequal distribution of resources. For instance, if political, military and business elites use the power to obtain more resources from weak and deprived segments of a particular society.
The three social classes—upper class, middle class, and lower class—as well as the upper stratum, middle stratum, and lower stratum are commonly used to define social stratification in Pakistan.
Furthermore, kinship, clan, tribe, caste, or all four of these might serve as the foundations of a social strata. These social classes live in different ways and have different lifestyles.
Upper class people lead highly opulent lives. They live in bungalows, drive opulent automobiles, and wear designer clothing. They primarily adopt western lifestyles. When it comes to food, language, fashion, and education, they largely adopt western culture.
The upper class takes great pride in being stylish and western. This category includes the majority of national businesspeople, diplomats, and politicians.
Then comes middle class. The majority of middle-class residents are from the working class. They struggle throughout their entire lives in pursuit of many goals, including employment, education, and a higher standard of living. They are constantly battling to be considered upper class.
Pakistan’s lower classes lead meagre existence. They are unable to access even the most basic essentials. Making life feasible is their top priority. They typically consume food that was squandered by others. They lack appropriate food to consume and attire to wear.
They dress in others’ used clothing. They primarily reside in tiny tents since they lack suitable housing. They have no idea what is going on in the rest of the world.
In Pakistan, social inequality has always been a problem. Several actions were done to lessen these disparities. Numerous clauses in the constitution and laws are designed to lessen inequality in Pakistani society. However, Pakistan’s ranking in the global mobility index shows that there is still disparity in the nation.
In Pakistan, there are many different kinds of social injustices, such as deprivations and gender inequity. Reservations for specific groups were just one of the actions the government made. These actions, however, have not been very effective. Instead, it has exacerbated tensions between the communities. The country’s current income inequality could not be eliminated by any amount of wealth redistribution or land reform.
