Does a stratified society (every rung of society ) always imply inequality? Might "spectrum" be a more suitable term in the modern society?

Ships were clearly pivotal to Scandinavian society as a whole as in a landscape with so many waterways ships were used in every rung of society, including the highest; Viking rulers heavily depended on ships to reach (and consequently exercise control over) all the nooks and crannies along their territories' coastline or rivers.

Question

Does a stratified society (every rung of society ) always imply inequality? Might "spectrum" be a more suitable term in the modern society?

Ships were clearly pivotal to Scandinavian society as a whole as in a landscape with so many waterways ships were used in every rung of society, including the highest; Viking rulers heavily depended on ships to reach (and consequently exercise control over) all the nooks and crannies along their territories' coastline or rivers.

Answer

Yes stratified society implies inequality.

Spectrum is more inclusive, thus more accurate, but (a) it could be too complex for an analytical framework and (b) it doesn't imply verticality - it could be a horizontal spectrum unless specified otherwise. Hierarchy could be a better word to use since it implies verticality, and while it has less of an infinitely fractal implication than spectrum, it also has less of a finite implication than strata, so could still be the better word. Depends what exact vibe and meaning you're going for.