Social Inequality – examining our present while understanding our past. Social Inequality and Social Statification in US Society, 1st edition uses a historical and conceptual framework to explain social stratification and social inequality. The historical scope gives context to each issue discussed and allows the reader to understand how each topic has evolved over the course of American history. The authors use qualitative data to help explain socioeconomic issues and connect related topics. Each chapter examines major concepts, so readers can see how an individual’s success in stratified settings often relies heavily on their access to valued resources–types of capital which involve finances, schooling, social networking, and cultural competence. Analyzing the impact of capital types throughout the text helps map out the prospects for individuals, families, and also classes to maintain or alter their position in social-stratification systems. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers will be able to: Analyze the four major American classes, as well as how race and gender are linked to inequalities in the United States Understand attempts to reduce social inequality Identify major historical events that have influenced current trends Understand how qualitative sources help reveal the inner workings that accompany people’s struggles with the socioeconomic order Recognize the impact of social-stratification systems on individuals and families

Harold Kerbo continues to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date exploration of the economic and social divisions in human societies. While the book is grounded in the nature of social stratification in the United States, this edition maintains a commitment to keeping a global perspective. Extensive comparative information, as well as an overview of how, historically, social stratification has changed and evolved, gives readers a global perspective on class conflict. Praised for its thorough research and scholarship, Social Stratification and Inequality includes current statistics and the latest trends in the field.

With the ideal balance of classic essays and more contemporary studies, Inequality and Society covers the standard themes of poverty and inequality while bringing political institutions into the analysis.

"What makes this book stand out for me is that, as well as being theoretically informed and clearly written, its structure lends itself unmistakeably to teaching... If our aim is to teach truly engaged students, it should be our job to provide truly engaging materials. This is what you will find with this particular book. It will help to inform your disciplinary teaching of social inequality across the social sciences and it will provide a solid basis for your seminar work with students." - Helen Jones, Higher Education Academy "Warwick-Booth has provided a highly readable introductory text that will be accessible to everyone interested in this area of study, and I highly recommend it for those embarking on studies of social inequality." - LSE Review of Books What is the state of social inequality today? How can you situate yourself in the debates? This is an essential book that not only introduces you to the key areas, definitions and debates within the field, but also gives you the opportunity to reflect upon the roots of inequality and to critically analyse power relations today. With international examples and a clear interdisciplinary approach throughout, the book encourages you to look at social inequality as a complex social phenomenon that needs to be understood in a global context. This book: Looks at social divisions across societies Explores global processes and changes that are affecting inequalities Discusses social inequality in relation to class, gender and race Examines current social policy approaches to explore how these relate to inequality Reflects upon the potential solutions to inequalities This engaging and accessible introduction to social inequality is an invaluable resource for students across the social sciences. Louise Warwick-Booth is Senior Lecturer in Health Policy at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.

This book offers an exciting new perspective on differentiation and inequality, looking at how our most personal choices (of sexual partners, friends, consumption items and lifestyle) are influenced by hierarchy and social difference.

Does everyone in the US have an equal chance to ¿make it¿? What explains the enduring power of racism and sexism? How does our sociopolitical system generate inequality? These are just a few of the questions explored in this accessible introduction to the complex problem of social stratification. Kasturi DasGupta clearly explains the social and economic mechanisms that serve to preserve and even deepen social stratification in the US. Enriched with case studies and examples throughout, her text is carefully designed both to engage students and to help them see past cultural myths to grasp the underpinnings and consequences of social inequality.

This handbook describes ways in which society shapes the mental health of its members, and shapes the lives of those who have been identified as mentally ill. The text explores the social conditions that lead to behaviors defined as mental illness, and the ways in which the concept of mental illness is socially constructed around those behaviors. The book also reviews research that examines socially conditioned responses to mental illness on the part of individuals and institutions, and ways in which these responses affect persons with mental illness. It evaluates where the field has been, identifies its current location and plots a course for the future.

Research in Social Stratification and Mobility continues its tradition of publishing the best and most innovative research on the changing landscape of social inequality the world over. This issue focuses on different dimensions of social closure and their relationship to social inequality processes, including the changing role that education plays in sorting people into favorable and unfavorable labor market positions across a global diversity of cultural settings. This issue also examines the fluid boundaries of race and ethnicity in contentious political settings, relationships between attitudes and collective action, and the role that technology and political context plays in promoting economic development and well-being. These topics and the research methodologies they represent display the vitality of social science research dealing with social stratification and the wide array of methods, contexts, and policies that directly affect the life chances of most of the world's peoples. This issue also marks a continuation of the ties developed between RSSM and the Social Stratification and Mobility section of the International Sociological Association (RC-28). This collaboration promises to promote and disseminate social inequality research throughout the world through an established network of distinguished international contributors and commentators.

Education, Inequality and Social Class provides a comprehensive discussion of the empirical evidence for persistent inequality in educational attainment. It explores the most important theoretical perspectives that have been developed to understand class-based inequality and frame further research. With clear explanations of essential concepts, this book draws on empirical data from the UK and other countries to illustrate the nature and scale of inequalities according to social background, discussing the interactions of class-based inequalities with those according to race and gender. The book relates aspects of inequality to the features of educational systems, showing how policy choices impact on the life chances of children from different class backgrounds. The relationship between education and social mobility is also explored, using the concepts of social closure, positionality and social congestion. The book also provides detailed discussions of the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein, two important theorists whose contributions have generated thriving research traditions much used in contemporary educational research. Education, Inequality and Social Class will be essential reading for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students engaged in the study of education, childhood studies and sociology. It will also be of great interest to academics, researchers and teachers in training.

This book explores the social economic processes of inequality in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century rural China. Drawing on uniquely rich source materials, Shuang Chen provides a comprehensive view of the creation of a social hierarchy wherein the state classified immigrants to the Chinese county of Shuangcheng into distinct categories, each associated with different land entitlements. The resulting patterns of wealth stratification and social hierarchy were then simultaneously challenged and reinforced by local people. The tensions built into the unequal land entitlements shaped the identities of immigrant groups, and this social hierarchy persisted even after the institution of unequal state entitlements was removed. State-Sponsored Inequality offers an in-depth understanding of the key factors that contribute to social stratification in agrarian societies. Moreover, it sheds light on the many parallels between the stratification system in nineteenth-century Shuangcheng and structural inequality in contemporary China.