Modern stratification is based on western education and possession of wealth. In Nigeria, western education and wealth have introduced some form of class community. At present , the following classes of people can be identified. Upper upper class, upper middle class, upper lower class, lower upper class, loser middle class and finally the lower lower class.

  Communities in the world are many and they vary in population, size and functions. Some communities are endowed with more resources than others. In some communities there are more social amenities such as roads, hospital, schools, banks, communication systems etc than in the others. Because of the reasons above, some communities are able to perform certain functions better than others.

In traditional societies in Nigeria, stratification  is based on the authority each person has in the community; and usually, possession of authority is based on tradition of the people.

  In some societies, members recognise and accept the fact that not all families or individuals that make up the community have equal access to the same privileges, power and prestige. In such a community, the population is divided into various classes, each according to position, privileges and power held. Communities are this classified or ranked in levels. Where such communities exist, we say that the society is stratified.

   There are several modes of stratification depending on a particular society's values.

   Duties are social roles performed by members of the community. The individual lives in a community. This 'Community' can be his family, his kinship group, the village or the nation. The need to regulate or organise the relationship between one individual and another in the community arises from the fact that each individual wants to satisfy his needs and to attain the best achievement. Each person is entitled to his rights in many respects, every right of the individual is accompanied by duties. For the individual to get his rights,  therefore, he or she must perform those duties assigned to him or her by the community.

  Communities consist of different types of families which resulted from different kinds of marriages.

   In every community , there is authority. That is, all communities have a person or group of persons who hold power and such persons  or group have to be  obeyed by  members of the community or communities. For example, in the past , a a village or town was usually ruled by a chief who, in Yoruba land, is referred to as the 'Oba' there was usually a big town referred to as "King's town". In the Obas town, there were ward leaders or chiefs who helped the Obas or  head chief were small towns and villages which were under the leadership of village heads or lesser chiefs. The chiefs performed the functions of law makers and court jurists. As administrators, they saw it that each member of the community performed his /her duties and obligations.

   There are different locations for various communities depending on the purpose for which the community was established. For agricultural purposes communities are established on flatlands, valleys and on hill slopes if only the lands are fertile. A town or village may be established at various locations without any relations to the fertility of the soil. This situation may arise because of political, social or economic reasons.

  A community is formed when people of common interests , aims and aspirations love together in an area. People of a community may not necessarily be of the same ethnic group , race , religion, political grouping etc.

    There are several ways by which one becomes a member of a community. For example, one becomes a member of a community if one is born within the said community. This is referred to as membership by birth. On the other hand. If a person moves from one area to settle in another area, then one becomes a member of his present community. But membership of people joining a new community from elsewhere is not automatic. Such a member may be accepted or rejected by older members of the community depending  on whether such a new member conforms or not with the rules and regulations of his new community.

   Social studies is a study of man in the society. Man as a social animal is the nucleus of the study. I have mentioned in my last write that man can easily adapt to various environment in which he finds himself. In this same vein , men , the world over, are influenced in their physique by environmental conditions.

    Race is used to denote groups of people connected by a common descent or origin, or those with certain peculiarities in common. It is a socio-geographical   term used for the  major subdivision of a species.

In Examining the origin of man, from the African history premises, man resembles his ancestors. If we look at man's history from Darwin's point of view, man shares some characteristics with the animals. Yet, man possesses  certain qualities which other animals do not have. He is a unique animal.

I have considered four stories in all, so far in this topic about origin of man. We have religion and  Yoruba mythology which recognise the almighty Godcor the olodumare as the creator of the universe and all therein.

   The history of the origin of man starts with the identification of what man himself is.

Man Is a social animal. He is a mammal of the same species with the animals. This is why man is being referred to as higher animal. Biologically, man shares certain characteristics with animals. But he is different because he develops his culture , and passes it to his generation as rules or ideas in the society. Literally, the word man is used to refer to both male and female human beings.
The story of the origin of man is a subject of endless controversy. No single source  is exhaustive, there is no universal acceptance as regards the story.

   However , we shall discuss in this write up three sources of the story of origin of man, namely:  scientific evolution, beliefs or religion, and myths or legends.

Myth: myths or legends exist about  almost all aspects of human living. Various stories is passed from one generation to another. But one thing should be noted from the outset, that the story of the origin or the origin of the earth itself.
Myth has it that man and the gods as related in certain days though the gods are superior to human beings. The following is the myth of the origin of man that comes from the "Yorubas".

   The Yoruba people of Nigeria have a creation myth which says that Ile- Ife (now a university town in Oyo state)  is the original home of man on earth. Myth has it  that, it is the cradle of mankind.

  The supreme Being, God,  is called 'Olodunmare' or Olorun' in Yoruba culture. He is the creator. He sent 'Obatala' also known as 'Orinsanla' (as god of whiteness) to create the earth  with the assistance  of  sixteen elders or lesser gods, among whom were  oduduwa, sango, IFA etc.  Obatala was to lead this group. He was given a calabash full of sand , a palm fruit and a bird.

    The leader of the group thought that he could do the job better if he took some palm wine. He therefore, decided to drink palm wine. He therefore, decided to drink  palm wine, at the gate of heaven . he drank in excess and became intoxicated. He  into a long and deep sleep. He could , therefore, not discharge his assignment.

   Oduduwa, who heard olodumare's instruction to 'Orisanla' took the calabash of sand and other materials having discovered the weakness of the leader. He proceeded to create the earth.

   At first, the earth was a spread of ocean, oduduwa spread the sand then planted the palm fruit on the land that Developed therefrom. Hence, palm  tree because the first tree on earth, while the bird became the first set of animals on earth, while oduduwa himself became the leader of man and gods. It all started at ile Ife. This is the story of the creation of the earth. Since 'Orinsanla' failed to accomplish his principal duty of creating the earth, olodumare gave him another assignment : moulding man. 'Ogun' , the god of iron had to make human bones. After the moulding, the high God, ' Olodumare' breathed the breath of life, and man was created.

Oduduwa then became the ruler of the earth. He became the king of Ife.

    Olodumare sent other divinity such as 'IFA' , 'sango', and others to maintain peace on earth. IFA is the diviner, while sango is the god of retribution.

      There are however, other myths: such as that of the Chinese , the Greek, the mende of sierra Leone and the ashante of Ghana.

   The Ashante tribe of Ghana believe that man came from a certain hole  and since been living on earth, while the hole has now become a shrine.

  The Greek myth had it that Prometheus the titan god was sent to create a race of man. He made man out of clay, while the Greek god Zeus, breathed life  into them.

Prometheus came and lived among these people ; he taught them how to live in the society. He also taught them how to fetch their food.

  The mende people of sierra Leone creation story had it that one  ngewocolo who was living in a cave created man. He was said to be a powerful spirit that could command nature.

  We have been able to see that each society has different creation myth peculiar to it. One thing is common to all these mythologies: man was created, he did not evolve.

Religion: One idea is associated with religion, and that is " belief" . many thongs do not happen in our presence, not even in the presence of our forefathers; we just have to believe them.

   At the very centre of every religion, is the story of creation  of earth and man, and the omini competence of the supreme being. But along with religion is belief. They are a concurrent pair of ideas.

  The story if the origin of man in Yoruba fashion has identified God or (Olodumare' as the ' initiator or director of the whole affairs. He is the only maker of life. Every man kneels in the presence of olodumare to  choose his destiny known as Ori or Ayanwo. In igbo belief, the supreme Being (chukwu )  created man and assigned to each man his 'chi' which is the Yoruba equivalence of 'Iri' or ' Ayanmo'.

  The most comprehensive  source of account of origin of man is given by the holy bible.

The first book in the Bible Genesis in chpt 1 verse 1 has this to say: " In the beginning. God created the heaven  and the earth". Verse 2 continues '....... Earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters'.

About the creation of man, verse 26 , of chpt 1  of Genesis Has this to say, ' and God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have Dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air........'

   In verse 27 , we have it thus, so God created man in his own image, in the image of God , he created him; male and female, he created them'.

   The Bible says: God created man out of clay, and he breathed a breathed a breath of life into his nostrils. Chapter 2:7 ' and the lord God formed man of the dust of the ground , and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living Eve, the first woman woman was made of the man's ribs and God breathed a breath of life into her, and she equally became a woman.

    This biblical story of man's origin  seems the most accurate and the mist comprehensive of all myths and stories. It is widely accepted or believed in many quarters.

   These two beliefs about the origin of man are still held today in the various indigenous and Christian societies in the world. Another avenue for the account of origin of man is science.

   Science : the claim of palaeontologist is that man descended from the same ancestors in form of large apes such as chimpanzee, the gorilla and monkey. Palaeontologist are those who study the origin  of man from fossils. This claim is embodied in the popular work of evolution done by Charles Darwin in 1859.

   Darwin claimed that man evolved from a continuous transformation of various biological organisms. In other words, evolution in a very simple term, means that life progressed from one celled organism to its highest state the human being , by means of a series of biological changes taking place over a million years. From its simplest form, evolution asserts that the first speck of life on earth arose by itself from inanimate matter. You can imagine this from your simple  example of metamorphosis.

  From the  king line of inanimate matters developed varieties of swamp plants. After this evolved the amphibians and reptiles. In most cases, scientists contend that the first set of organism were tadpoles and other water creatures. The fish were said to be a Developed set of tadpoles and the first set of vertebrates and later to reptiles.

    Transformation of this nature continued to the level of the most related animals such ad gorillas, monkeys and chimpanzees. They are called primates.

  A physical examination of the 'anatomy of monkey and gorilla shows that they resemble man in most  respects. They are hairy and this prevent s them from cold

   Their heads and eyes are of human nature

   Archaeological evidences  reveal that early man originated from Africa. The evidence of man development from apes are incomplete and recent claim has it that relics found in south and east Africa revealed the origin of man.

     We will examine the various stages which man has undergone.

   However the skull of the earliest man found in East Africa, in Kenya, shows man in his ape like form. He has a very narrow jaw which prevented him from being able to speak. He could not have been able to hold his head erect.

   Much more recently , the remains of homo Habilis were found. Habilis hear means ability

This is a stage of the origin of man whose organs of sight, touch, heating and movement of the body were developed like ours, but had a smaller brain capacity. He could make fire and possibly shape crude stone tools from rocks.

  Their skulls resembled those of apes. Their posture was like that of the apes. One unique characteristics of the homo erectus. 'Erectus' as it implies indicates that man could stand up straight at this level. Yet, his face was still ape like , but the bones of his thigh and legs showed that he could stand up straight.

  In ever respect, he developed in brain and skill than his predecessors. He could think more clearly than them, and even had a sort of language. But when compared to the modern man, he could not reason well.

   Man reached his last stage of beibg  called the homo sapiens, the wiser  Man and physiology and anatomy of the fossils were much much like ours. He could  reason like us. He developed a distinct language, and a mode of worship.

They lived in community Like the primitive men and had a part of the brain controlling thought and speech, which  was larger than that of Homo Erectus.

   There is no doubt that the modern man is a species if homo sapiens.

Early homo sapiens made tools and clothed themselves with the skin of animals. They built their shelter with the little knowledge they acquired upon which are now developing.

   The Homo sapiens approach to life was based on superstition and the magic matter than on science. He thought that his hunting and farming could be successful if he offered sacrifice to his gods. His religion was influenced by fear and ignorance. This is why he worshiped fore and thunder. He also worshiped sun which he thought helped his crops to grow.

   A famous archaeologist L.S.B Leakey who also discovered in 1963 that private life began in Africa found a fossil which  he called Kenya pithecus wickeri from a cave in Kenya. His fossil was dated back to about 13 to 15 million years ago.

   These various evidence found in a rift valley around lake Victoria in Tanzania and fort ternas in Kenya in east Africa and Botswana in south Africa make us accept the fact that modern man evolved from Africa, more than a million years ago.

  It is from here that the individual human beings spread to other continents of the world , especially to Asia and Europe.