Sentence:  More than creatures of metropolitan forces , the churches have taken the lead in counteracting the interdependence of metropolitan life , crystallizing and perpetuating the stratification of <WSD>peoples</WSD> , giving form to the struggle for social homogeneity in a world of heterogeneous peoples . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively