Social Stratification

Aннотация:
This paper examines the central debates about stratification and social mobility in contemporary society. Students are introduced to the central concepts and theories, the key technical issues in the analysis of stratification and the major empirical research.

The aim is to equip students to understand the contemporary developments and to be able to apply the concepts and techniques to their own research problems. The course covers major substantive areas where there is a lively contemporary debate. The topics covered include:

The Concepts of Class and Status
The Changing Nature of Social Class
Social Mobility and Social Fluidity
The Underclass
Meritocracy
Ethnicity
Gender and Class
The Social Mobility of Women
Explaining the Impact of Social Class