ABSTRACT
In the society of Taiwan, of which the city of Taipei is a part, people are socially differentiated in many ways. Among these is the differentiation of social positions into higher and lower strata. In complex societies, these vertical hierarchies have more than a single dimension of ranking. In attempting to describe the system of social stratification in Taipei in 1963, and its changes three decades later, we shall consider the following dimensions of stratification; drawn from functionalist, Weberian, and Marxian theories: Education Occupational status Occupational prestige, perceived usefulness, and recognition Marxian and neo-Marxian class position, source of income Weberian stratificational position Power, authority, and control Amount of income Consumption style of life—housing
