During the semester we will think about social inequality in both an academic and popular sense.
Social stratification is the sociological study of structured social inequality.
Stratification refers to the observation that inequality is neither random nor personal but patterned and institutional. When we say institutionalized we mean that a system of layered hierarchy has been established. People have come to expect that individuals and groups with certain positions will be able to demand more influence and respect and accumulate a greater share of goods and services. Such inequality may or may not be accepted equally by a majority in the society, but it is recognized as the way things are. This course is a survey of the field of social stratification and the study of social inequality.