The sociologist Max Weber formulated a three-component theory of stratification in which he defines status class (also known as a status group) as a group of people (part of a society) that can be differentiated on the basis of non-economical qualities like honour, prestige and religion.

It is contrasted to:

• social class, based on economically determined relationship to the market.
• party class, based on affiliations in the political domain.

Social groups