Editing Inheritance (section)

===Social stratification===
It has been argued that inheritance plays a significant effect on [[social stratification]]. Inheritance is an integral component of family, economic, and legal institutions, and a basic mechanism of [[class stratification]]. It also affects the [[distribution of wealth]] at the societal level. The total cumulative effect of inheritance on stratification outcomes takes three forms, according to scholars who have examined the subject.

The first form of inheritance is the inheritance of [[cultural capital]] (i.e. linguistic styles, higher status social circles, and aesthetic preferences).<ref name="Edited by">(Edited By) Miller, Robert K., McNamee, Stephen J.  Inheritance and Wealth in America. p. 2</ref> The second form of inheritance is through familial interventions in the form of ''inter vivos'' transfers (i.e. gifts between the living), especially at crucial junctures in the life courses. Examples include during a child's milestone stages, such as going to college, getting married, getting a job, and purchasing a home.<ref name="Edited by" /> The third form of inheritance is the transfers of bulk estates at the time of death of the testators, thus resulting in significant economic advantage accruing to children during their adult years.<ref>(Edited By) Miller, Robert K., McNamee, Stephen L. Inheritance and Wealth in America. p. 4</ref> The origin of the stability of inequalities is material (personal possessions one is able to obtain) and is also cultural, rooted either in varying child-rearing practices that are geared to socialization according to social class and economic position. Child-rearing practices among those who inherit wealth may center around favoring some groups at the expense of others at the bottom of the [[social hierarchy]].<ref>Clignet, Remi. Death, Deeds, and Descendants: Inheritance in Modern America. p. 3</ref>