Social Strata in an rpg

How important should social strata really be in a game? Ive been reading an older book on medieval technology and its effects on social change, and one of the recurring themes is how there was a clear line between the peasants and just about everyone else. Which leads to the question - does that kind of line really belong in an rpg? Should it be a mechanic or is it just enough to roleplay it?

Mechanically this can get really messy really quickly. In all honesty the higher up the social ladder someone is dramatically affects vast numbers of things, from what they are allowed to own, to who they can marry and what they are allowed to do. But Im very conflicted as to how much that should be involved in a game. While Im sure there are "vegan wrap eaters" out there in the blogosphere that think playing a realistic peasant would give you a wonderful story, I for one play rpgs to have fun, and playing someone who is all but legally tied to the land, probably married before they are 18 and legally not allowed to own "real" weapons doesnt sound too terribly fun to me. You see, I want to play a character who can, or run a game where characters can, sally forth to save the day or wrest booty from the clawed hands of the enemy. While combat can be enjoyable, I use it more as an ends to a means (much like most of history has used it). Im somewhat interested in what the PCs do during a combat but Im much more fascinated with what they do after it. Prisoners, booty, wounds and the dearly departed tend to involve a much more intricate story then any sort of sword thrust or parry.

But I entered the hobby with AD&D 2e, I remember the issues some of the kits had (kits for you youngin players were a fascinating concept where picking a kit let you narrow down a class to a more specific archetype), where mechanical advantages where NOT balanced by mechanical advantages. Instead they were "balanced", by and large, with roleplaying disadvantages, and they are not the same thing.

In an ideal world every gamer would be fine being restricted by roleplaying disadvantages, chosen to fit a specific concept they created, with a wonderful and compelling backstory that explains motivations and provides story hooks to interact with the campaign world. And also in an ideal world I wouldnt have to work and could spend my time expanding and perfecting my abilities in anything I wish. Since that isnt reality I have to pare back to a more realistic view, perhaps something as simple as players willing to buy into a world I craft, willing to name their character, and try and explore a few of the plot hooks I toss out.

So what does this mean for social strata? First of all there needs to be some sort of mechanical representation of the differing statuses, and in mechanics simplicity is a virtue. Second, there needs to be some sort of advantage to pick a lower class or some sort of random mechanic, unless the game is intended to be began with the party all being roughly one status. Third there needs to be some sort of system for increasing or decreasing status. One key idea I thought of to help with this is a list or chart showing the where races and classes stand relative to each other.

==Example==
While bored at work I started plotting out some of the strata Id use in the Lamentations of the Flame Princess game I'm prepping for call "Bridgeport Blues". As the game is fairly heavily based on Lankhmar stories and Garrett P.I. stories, there are some similarities to Late Medieval and Early Renaissance social groups.

Racial Strata
1. Humans - humans are top dogs in the city. Rumors of decadent parties and orgies among the noble families are constantly circulating
2. Dwarves - dwarves are less powerful than human nobles, but the difference becomes much less the lower down the social ladder you go. Rumors have every dwarf rich by human standards but their unpleasant habit of slowly and painfully executing thieves has kept most from discovering if there is any truth to the rumors.
3. Lizardfolk are accepted but actively disliked by many humans in power, and dwarves view them with distrust due to their arcane powers. Rumors are spoken of dark rituals on moonless nights, and lizardfolk are often blamed when people go missing.
4. Golems do exist in Bridgeport, though most people never see them. Most are not mystical protectors of treasure but rather unsleeping, unceasing manual labor around and mostly under the city. The major reason more are not found is the hideously high cost and impressive skill needed to produce them.
5. Ratmen are usually treated just better than animals, trusted with dull, menial, but necessary tasks in a city of Bridgeports size, like waste management. Regardless of their actual intelligence the average Ratman is treated like a dim witted child by most, when they are noticed.

Class strata
1. Nobles
2. Rich Merchants
3. Warriors (noble scions serving as officers)
4. Working merchants and Master Craftsmen
5. Soldiers and Yeomanry
6. Craftsmen
7. Workmen
8. Peasants
9. Slaves (yes Im going to deal with them)