n in the stratification system is the most consistent predictor of his or her behavior, attitudes, and life chances. Social stratification links almost all aspects of society together, and therefore understanding what is happening to social stratification helps us understand a wide range of other changes in society. This course focuses on one type of stratification in particular: social class. It does so in the belief that in American society we have become conditioned to see other forms of inequality (race, gender, age) much more readily than class stratification, even when apparent differences between racial, gender or age groups may in fact be explained by their link to social class. Social class is by no means the only determinant of social life and life chances, but it is a goal of this course to "see" class and its significance where before it may have been invisible....
