SOC 203 Social Inequality (Not offered 1997-98)

Since the Enlightenment, the struggle to reduce social inequality has legitimated major revolutions in political-economic systems. Within revolutionized societies, that struggle still motivates political conflict, as is evident in the collapse of the Soviet Union and ongoing political discord in the United States. In this course, we will briefly survey patterns of unequal distribution of prestige and power in kinship, caste, feudal, capitalist, and communist societies. The bulk of the course will focus on the dimensions of inequality in capitalism, both at home and abroad, and on the intergenerational reproduction of inequalities based on class, race, and gender. The course will conclude with a consideration of contemporary politics and policies, including the question of whether some forms of social inequality are just or inevitable. Requirements: two short papers and a take-home final exam. No prerequisites. Open to first-year students.