Sociology 4035 Fall, 1991

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Instructor: Martha E. Gimenez
Office: Hunter 206
Telephone: 492-7080
Office Hours: T 10:00 - 12:00 and by appointment

Course Description: The study of theories of social, race/ethnic, sex, and age stratification. Social inequality in the United States will be examined in a comparative context, giving emphasis to the analysis of resulting conflicts.

Course Requirements: This is a lecture and discussion course. Students will be expected to attend classes regularly, read all assignments and come prepared to participate in class discussions and structured debates. Lectures will be brief and focused on theoretical analysis and integration, setting the background for students' participation. Grades will be based on the following:

Written Work:

1. Two short essays (3-5 pages) that answer questions based upon the reading assignments (you will be able to choose from a list of questions) AND an annotated scrapbook where, using a well defined sociological perspective, students will critically examine a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor. Materials for the scrapbook can be collected from magazines and newspaper articles, letters to the editor, editorials, leaflets, newsletters, etc. (40 percent).
2. Class participation (20 percent).
3. One Research paper (10-15 pages). In this paper, students will explore a topic in depth. All topics for research papers must be chosen in consultation with the instructor. Students must make an appointment to select the topic EARLY in the semester so that, by SEPTEMBER 30, everyone will be ready to start collecting pertinent sources.

First essays are due on September 27

Second essays are due on October 25

Annotated scrapbooks are due on November 20

Research papers are due on December 11

REQUIRED READINGS:

Denny Braun, THE RICH GET RICHER. The Rise of Income Inequality in the United States and the World. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers, 1991. (B)

Kevin Philips, THE POLITICS OF RICH AND POOR. Wealth and the American Electorate in the Reagan Aftermath. New York: Random House, 1990. (P)

Daniel W. Rossides, SOCIAL STRATIFICACION: The American Class System in Comparative Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall,, 1990. (R)

SCHEDULED READINGS:

Aug. 30 - Sept. 6        (R)  Ch. 4
                         (B)  Ch. 2
                         Background reading:  (R)  Chs. 1 and 2  
                         
Sept. 9 - 20             (R) Ch.4 and (B) C. 2
                         (R) Chs. 5 - 6
                         (B) Ch. 5

Sept. 23 - 30            (B) Ch. 5 - 6
                         (R) Chs. 13 - 14
                         Background reading:  (P) Chs. 1 - 2

Oct. 2 - 16              (R) Chs. 15 - 16
                         Background reading: (P) Chs. 1 - 4

Oct. 18 - 30             (R) Chs. 16 - 17
                         Background reading: (P) chs. 6 - 7

Nov. 1 - 8               (R) Chs. 7 - 9
                         (B) Ch. 1

Nov. 11 - 15             (R) Chs. 10 -12
                         (R) Ch. 3
                         (B) Ch. 3

Nov. 18 - 27             (B) Chs. 3 - 4
                         (P) Ch. 5
                         
Dec. 2 - 11              (R) Chs. 19 - 21
                         (B) Ch. 7