Max Weber had a huge influence on the sociological study of inequality, and according to him, inequalities were expressed differently in different societies, but there are always inequalities in every society; that is, every society has heterogeneity in terms of the hierarchy of social positions. Weber believes that in every society there are three relatively independent dimensions of inequality, that is, stratification: 1) material wealth, 2) status (social reputation), and 3) political power. Social status refers to the unequal distribution of prestige and honor between different social strata, which he calls all "status groups" (stand in German). Status group differences tend to crystallize and persist over a long period. With the creation of clear and defined differences between status groups, there comes a great reduction in informal and close relations between members of different status groups, and this is most pronounced in limiting marriages strictly between members of the same status group. When the formalization of the status groups begins to be accompanied by a formal-legal distinction of status group privileges, and when such a process is accompanied by a religious justification, then the status groups are transformed into different castes. In modern capitalism, the most significant economic inequalities are manifested through class differences.

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