Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences

Charles E. Hurst is emeritus professor of sociology, having taught at The College of Wooster for 38 years.  His research has focused on issues of poverty and inequality in the U.S., the use of social theory to understand contemporary social issues, and the nature of Amish society.  He has also served as a consultant to various countywide social agencies.  He is author of Living Theory:  The Application of Classical Social Theory to Contemporary Life, and co-author of An Amish Paradox:  Diversity and Change in the World’s Largest Amish Community, which won the Dale W. Brown 2011 Book Award for outstanding scholarship in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.  

In this Section:

1) Brief Table of Contents

2) Full Table of Contents

1) Brief Table of Contents

Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Study of Social Inequality

Chapter 2: Class, Income, and Wealth

Chapter 3: Poverty and Welfare

Chapter 4: Status Inequality

Chapter 5: Political Inequality

Chapter 6: Sex and Gender Inequality

Chapter 7: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Inequality

Chapter 8: Racial and Ethnic Inequality

Chapter 9: Classical Explanations of Inequality

Chapter 10: Contemporary Explanations of Inequality

Chapter 11: The Impact of Inequality on Personal Life Chances

Chapter 12: Social Consequences of Inequality

Chapter 13: Social Inequality and Social Movements

Chapter 14 Social Mobility and Status Attainment

Chapter 15: Justice and Legitimacy: Assessments of the Structure of Inequality

 2) Full Table of Contents

Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Study of Social Inequality

Some Controversial Issues of Substance

Issues of Methodology

Organization of the Book

Part 1: Extent and Forms of Social Inequality

Chapter 2: Class, Income, and Wealth

The Everyday Reality of Class

Two Views of U.S. Class Structure

Technology and the Shaping of the U.S. Class Structure

Income Inequality

Is the Middle Class Shrinking?

Wealth Inequality in the United States

Confronting Economic Inequality

The Global Context and the Impact of Globalization

Chapter 3: Poverty and Welfare

Historical Roots of U.S. Poverty Perspective

Explanations and Racialization of Poverty and Welfare

Cultural Values and the Poor

Myths about the Poor

Who Are the Poor?

Flaws in Pre-1966 Assistance Programs

Welfare Reform and Current Poverty Programs

An Assessment of the Reform Act of 1996

U.S. Poverty and Welfare in Comparative Perspective

Chapter 4: Status Inequality

The Theory of Social Status

Spheres of Status in the United States

Inequality in Appalachia

The Importance of Social Status in the Global Arena

Chapter 5: Political Inequality

Portraits of National Power Structure

Distribution of Political Power

Interlinkage of Economic and Political Power

Ruling Class Unity

Power Inequality in the Work Experience

Power Inequality in a Global and Globalizing Context

Chapter 6: Sex and Gender Inequality

The Status of Women in the Early United States

Balancing Work and Home

Sex Segregation in Occupations

Earnings and Gender

Microinequities in the Treatment of Women

General Theories of Sex and Gender Inequality

The Global Context and the Impact of Globalization

Chapter 7: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Inequality

The Complexity of Sexuality and Gender

Public Opinions on Homosexuality

Gays and Lesbians as Status Groups

Discrimination, Legal Confusion, and Sexual Orientation

A Socioeconomic Profile of Lesbians and Gays

Negative Consequences of Stigmatization

Sexuality in the Global Context

Chapter 8: Racial and Ethnic Inequality

The Meaning and Creation of Race

U.S. Racial and Ethnic Relations: A Historical Sketch

Racial and Ethnic Inequality Today

White Privilege and the Relational Nature of Racial Inequality

Microinequities and Microaggressions against Racial and Ethnic Minorities

The Intersection of Class, Race, Sex, and Gender

Theories of Racial and Ethnic Inequality

The Global Context, Immigration, and Globalization

Part 2 General Explanations of Inequality

Chapter 9: Classical Explanations of Inequality

Karl Marx (1818–1883)

Max Weber (1864–1920)

Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)

Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)

Marx, Weber, and Globalization

Chapter 10: Contemporary Explanations of Inequality

Functionalist Theory of Stratification

The Social Construction of Inequality

Theories of Social Reproduction

Labor Market Theories of Earnings Inequality

Theories of Global Inequality

Part 3: Consequences of Social Inequality

Chapter 11: The Impact of Inequality on Personal Life Chances

Basic Life Chances: Physical Health

Basic Life Chances: Psychological Health

Basic Life Chances: Food and Shelter

Life Chances in a Global Context

Chapter 12: Social Consequences of Inequality

Inequality and the Measurement of Crime

Street Crime and Inequality

White Collar Crime, Corporate Crime, and Punishment

Hate Crimes and Inequality

Social Inequality and Environmental Equity

Inequality, Trust, and Societal Well Being

Social Consequences on a Global Scale

Chapter 13: Social Inequality and Social Movements

The Labor Movement

The Civil Rights Movement

The Women’s Movement

Part 4: Stability and Change in the System of Social Inequality

Chapter 14 Social Mobility and Status Attainment

U.S. Mobility over Time

Comparative Studies of Mobility

Status Attainment: What Determines How Far One Goes?

Mobility and the Attainment Process among African Americans

Patterns of Mobility and Attainment among Women

Chapter 15: Justice and Legitimacy: Assessments of the Structure of Inequality

U.S. Attitudes about the Distribution of Income and Wealth

What Is a Just Distribution?

Bases for the Legitimation of Structured Inequality

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