Librería Portfolio

This book assembles classic and contemporary articles representing the major sociological approaches to understanding social inequality. Although there are various competing texts covering issues of social inequality, this book is the only comprehensive source of classic and contemporary articles that have defined and redefined the contours of the field. The introductory articles in each section of the book provide examples of the major research traditions in the field, while the concluding essays (commissioned by leading scholars) provide broader programmatic statements that identify current controversies and unresolved issues.. 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 the contours of the field. In this revised and updated second edition of Social Stratification , 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. This comprehensive reader is designed as a primary text for introductory courses on social stratification and as a supplementary text for advanced courses on occupations, labor markets, or social mobility. 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 and contemporary articles that define the contours of the field. In this revised and updated edition of Social Stratification, 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:Forms and Sources of Stratif ication: What are the major forms of inequality in human history? Can the ubiquity of inequality be attributed to individual differences in talent or ability? Is some form of inequality an inevitable feature of human life? The Structure of Contemporary Stratification: What are the principal fault lines or social cleavages that define the contemporary class structure? Have these cleavages strengthened or weakened with the transition to modernity and postmodernity? Generating Stratification: How frequently do individuals move into new classes, occupations, or income groups? Is there a permanent underclass? To what extent are occupational outcomes determined by such forces as intelligence, effort, schooling, aspirations, social contacts, and individual luck? The Consequences of Stratification: How are the life-styles, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals shaped by their class locations? Are there identifiable class cultures in past and present societies? Ascriptive Processes: What types of social processes and state policies serve to maintain or alter racial, ethnic, and sex discrimination in labor markets? Have these forms of discrimination weakened or strengthened with the transition to modernity and postmodernity?The Future of Stratification: Will stratification systems take on completely new and distinctive forms in the future? How unequal will these systems be? Is the concept of social class still useful in describing postmodern forms of stratification? Are stratification systems gradually shedding their distinctive features and converging towards some common (i.e., postmodern) regime?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.



Table of Contents
Study Guide; Preface and Acknowledgments; Part I: Introduction; The Past, Present, and Future of Social Inequality (David B. Grusky); Part II: Forms and Sources of Stratification The Functions of Stratification; Some Principles of Stratification (Kingsley Davis & Wilbert E. Moore) The Dysfunctions of Stratification; Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis (Melvin M. Tumin); Inequality by Design (Claude S. Fischer, Michael Hout, Martn Snchez Jankowski, Samuel R. Lucas, Ann Swidler, and Kim Voss) Concluding Commentary to Part Two; New Light on Old Issues: The Relevance of ´Really Existing Socialist Societies´ for Stratification Theory (Gerhard Lenski); Part III: The Structure of Modern Stratification Theories of Class Marx and Post-Marxists; Alienation and Social Classes (Karl Marx); Classes in Capitalism and Pre-Capitalism (Karl Marx); Ideology and Class (Karl Marx); Value and Surplus Value (Karl Marx); Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society (Ralf Dahrendorf); Varieties of Marxist Conceptions of Class Structure (Erik Olin Wright); A General Framework for the Analysis of Class Structure (Erik Olin Wright); Class Conflict in the Capitalist World Economy (Immanuel Wallerstein) Weber and Post-Weberians; Class, Status, Party (Max Weber); Status Groups and Classes (Max Weber); Open and Closed Relationships (Max Weber); The Rationalization of Education and Training (Max Weber); The Class Structure of the Advanced Societies (Anthony Giddens); Marxism and Class Theory: A Bourgeois Critique (Frank Parkin) Durkheim and Post-Durkheimians; The Division of Labor in Society (Emile Durkheim); Are There Big Social Classes? (David B. Grusky and Jesper B. Srensen ) The Ruling Class and Elites Cassic Statements; The Ruling Class (Gaetano Mosca); The Power Elite (C. Wright Mills); Elites and Power (Anthony