Social Stratification: Class, Race, And Gender In Sociological Perspective (Social Inequality Series) [Paperback]

David B Grusky (Author), EDITOR * (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0813310652 | ISBN-13: 978-0813310657

The field of stratification is being transformed and reshaped by advances in theory and quantitative modeling as well as by new approaches to the analysis of economic, racial, and gender inequality. Although these developments are revolutionary in their implications, until now there has been no comprehensive effort to bring together the classic articles that have defined and redefined the contours of the field.In this up-to-date anthology, the history of stratification research unfolds in systematic fashion, with the introductory articles in each section providing examples of the major research traditions in the field and the concluding essays (commissioned from leading scholars) providing broader programmatic statements that identify current controversies and unresolved issues. The resulting collection of articles both celebrates the diversity of theoretical approaches and reveals the cumulative nature of ongoing research.This comprehensive reader is designed as a primary text for introductory courses on social stratification and as a supplementary text for advanced courses on social classes, occupations, labor markets, or social mobility. The following types of questions and debates are addressed in the six sections of the reader:1. Is stratification inevitable? Do the recent “experiments with destratification in Eastern Europe and elsewhere provide new insights into the functionalist theory of inequality?2. Can we identify a set of organized and cohesive “social classes” in advanced industrial societies? Does it make sense to refer to a ruling class, a “political class,” or a “power elite” in these societies?3. Are the basic contours of occupational mobility the same within all advanced industrial societies? Have the “new structuralists” led us astray in our attempts to understand the sources and causes of occupational attainment?4. Are there fundamental differences across social classes in styles of life, patterns of consumption, and attitudes toward work? Are these “class-specific cultures” attenuating as we move into advanced industrialism?5. Is there an emerging underclass in America? What are the principal sources of racial, ethnic, and gender inequality?6. Can we identify a “teleological dynamic” driving the development of stratification systems? Are new forms of stratification and inequality emerging as Eastern Europe enters its postsocialist stage?The volume offers essential reading for undergraduates who need an introduction to the field, for graduate students who wish to broaden their understanding of stratification research, and for advanced scholars who seek a basic reference guide. Although most of the selections are middle-range theoretical pieces suitable for introductory courses, the anthology also includes advanced contributions on the cutting edge of research. The editor outlines a modified study plan for undergraduate students requiring a basic introduction to the field.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David B. Grusky is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality at Stanford University . His recent books include Inequality: Classic Readings in Race, Class, and Gender (Westview Press); Occupational Ghettos: The Worldwide Segregation of Women and Men; Mobility and Inequality: Frontiers of Research in Sociology and Economics; Poverty and Inequality; and The Declining Significance of Gender?

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (August 19, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813310652
• ISBN-13: 978-0813310657
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,438,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential reader for the serious stratification student., October 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Social Stratification: Class, Race, And Gender In Sociological Perspective (Social Inequality Series) (Paperback)

While Grusky's reader is not for the faint of heart, this collection is essential for anyone who wishes to become well read in the major developments of social stratification. Given the density and complexity of many of the readings, the volume is perhaps better suited to graduate students or advanced undergraduates.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive and scholarly treatment to date., December 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Social Stratification: Class, Race, And Gender In Sociological Perspective (Social Inequality Series) (Paperback)

Rare indeed is an anthology that introduces the reader to cutting edge research in a field. This one does, and with much flair to boot. For readers with the necessary tenacity, there is no better introduction to one of the core fields of sociology. Highly recommended.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Important Sociology Text, February 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Social Stratification: Class, Race, And Gender In Sociological Perspective (Social Inequality Series) (Paperback)

I am currently enrolled in a class taught by Prof. Grusky entitled "Social Stratification" at Cornell University.

The man is very much like the reader; his interests are inspired out of the thinking academic not the impassioned activist. The reader itself is a compellation of primary sources which range from Marx to Shills to Aage Sorensen, to contemporary critiques. True, the text is dense at times, but it dutifully presents sociology in the best distilled, raw light. As Grusky writes in his course outline: " As we all know, issues of inequality are every day fare in conventional journalism (e.g newspaper, television), but such fare often rests on a naive understanding of stratification systems. The object of this course is to rise above such standard formulations and examine the powerful models, methods, and concepts that serious scholars of inequality have deployed."