Every social group has differences among its members. Social stratification is a system in which people are divided into separate groups based on their socioeconomic status. The rankings come from several categories including ethnic status, age, gender, occupation, education level and ownership. Different systems of social stratification include class, caste, and slavery. Due to wealth and poverty, there is an unequal distribution of means between separate groups, which creates social inequality. Karl Marx believed that modern society was made up of two classes of people: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie governed production; meaning they owned the companies and equipment to produce capital. The proletariat is the workers. Max Weber took Marx's theory and formed his own theory consisting of three components including class, status, and power. Social stratification is part of all societies and, according to Elwell (nd), Gerhard Lenski, “human societies are part of the global ecosystem and cannot be understood if this factor is not fully taken into account”. Lenski believes that power determines the sharing of goods and services. According to Emile Durkheim, two types of inequalities exist within a society: external and internal. External inequalities can be described as inequalities due to attributed status such as conditions of birth. Internal inequalities are described as inequalities based on the individual's talent or achievements. Social stratification is an acceptable form of patterned social inequality. Class-based stratification systems are the most common today. Elements of social class include income, prestige, occupation, and educational achievement. Class systems are open and because the c...... middle of paper ......de, it was necessary to have more resources and more power. Western civilizations are running out of these resources and this is causing the disappearance of the middle class. When resources stopped being available, those living in the middle class began to live on credit. According to Marshall (2010), there is approximately $1.5 trillion in credit card debt, predominantly incurred by 115 million Americans who have monthly credit card debt. As the cost of expensive assets such as vehicles, homes, medical insurance, and college education has risen rapidly; middle class income has not improved. America is not the only place where this is happening. Countries like Canada, Greece, Portugal, Great Britain and other European nations are going through the same debt crisis. Rising inflation and rising costs of living are contributing to this debt crisis.