Inequality: A Contemporary Approach to Race, Class, and Gender

by Lisa A. Keister , Darby E. Southgate

• ISBN13: 9780521861960
• ISBN10: 0521861969
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-01-23
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Social stratification is the grouping of people based on income, wealth, political influence, and other characteristics. Widely recognized categories such as upper, middle, and lower class reflect the presence of social stratification in all societies. Inequality refers to the inevitable disparities in people's positions in this structure. The research presented in this book ranges from studies of income and wealth disparities to analyses of the nature of the class system. This textbook reflects a hybrid approach to studying stratification. It addresses the knowledge accumulated by stratification scholars and challenges students to apply this information to their social world. The authors include a wide range of topics and provide current research to round out their discussions. Each chapter includes a list of key concepts, questions for thought, suggested exercises, and multimedia resources.

Author Biography

Lisa A. Keister is Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Markets and Management Program at Duke University. She is the author of Getting Rich: America's New Rich and How They Got There (Cambridge, 2005), Wealth in America (Cambridge, 2000), Faith and Money (Cambridge, 2011), and Chinese Business Groups (2000) and has appeared in various articles. Darby E. Southgate is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Los Angeles Valley College and a research consultant. Her primary research interests are poverty, education, and culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Basic Concepts	p. 1
Social Stratification and Opportunities	p. 3
Explaining Stratification: Theories and Ideas	p. 29
Understanding Social Stratification: Methods of Evaluation	p. 61
Class and the Structure of Inequality	p. 91
Applications	p. 117
The Upper Class and the Elite	p. 119
The Middle Class and Workers	p. 148
The Working Poor and the Underclass	p. 173
Social Mobility	p. 201
Education and Inequality	p. 227
Women and Their Changing Positions	p. 258
Race and Ethnicity	p. 281
Culture	p. 309
Inequality across the Globe	p. 338
Public Policy and Social Stratification	p. 365
Index	p. 389
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