Time Schedule:
Jake H Rosenfeld
SOC 360
Seattle Campus
Social class and social inequality in American society. Status, power, authority, and unequal opportunity are examined in depth, using material from other societies to provide a comparative and historical perspective. Sociological origins of recurrent conflicts involving race, sex, poverty, and political ideology.
Class description
In every human society a system of categorization develops that divides people according to a combination of achieved and ascribed characteristics. Access to valued resources is divided unequally according to where an individual falls within the categorization scheme, resulting in social stratification.
This course provides you with the tools to analyze and understand processes of stratification fundamental to human organization. We’ll pay particular attention to the institutions undergirding inequality in modern America, focusing on recent trends in the economy.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Assignment #1: Lens Reading Essay (4-5 pages)
Assess Class Matters and/or Nickel and Dimed through the lens of the theories of stratification we’ve covered.
(Details on other expectations for the paper follow at the end of this document and in class).
Assignment #2: Research Paper (6-7 pages)
Using relevant outside scholarly sources, provide a comparative argument about race, class, or gender stratification in the U.S. and at least one other developed nation. How are the systems similar? How do they differ? What directions do you see them taking in the future?
(Details on the project – including guidelines on allowable scholarly sources – will be provided in class).
Assignment #3: In-class examination
A 110 minute long multiple choice and essay exam will cover material provided in the assigned readings as well as concepts and definitions discussed in class. If demand is high enough, I will offer a review session prior to the exam.
