DEI 562 - Structural Inequalities in Social Systems

Course unit(s): 0.5
This course examines both systems of inequalities of conditions and opportunities within American society through the complex intersections of race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality. The course presents theoretical frameworks that explain distributions of power and privilege, and seeks to identify sources of inequality, its manifestations and varying impact on individuals, families and communities, and its persistence over time and across generations. Upon successful completion of the course, students will:

● Gain knowledge of social stratification and the study of inequality

● Explain and critique major sociological theories of inequality as opposed to individual level explanations of inequality;

● Describe and understand the intersectional manifestations of systemic inequality and how these have affected people’s lives above and beyond work, income and wealth;

● Understand how groups maintain or change their positions within systems of stratification, how systems of stratification change over time, and persist.