What He Said

From Jon Jellema of UC Berkeley:

Class stratification produces division of labor and specialization by providing rules for the separation of the larger population into subpopulations based on culturally-specific determinations of superiority and inferiority. Regardless of whether values like honor or purity are eventually replaced by pecuniary success as the basis of class divisions, this division into subpopulations, once crystallized, encourages the transmission of group-specific skills, behaviors, and information. Not only does this facilitate specialization and the decentralized coordination of information relevant to production, but also the formation of group identity and the creation of markets for the wares or symbols associated with groups, all of which promote economic development.

 An interesting summary of the benefits of specialization of labor and information transfer within that specialization.