SOCY 406/606: INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL POLICY
Spring 2004
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to
the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for
those who have too little. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, second
inaugural address, 1937
Professor: Marina Adler, Ph.D.
Office: 232 Public Policy Bldg.
Phone: (410)
455.3155
Office Hours: Mo and Thu 3-4 and by appointment
E-mail: adler@umbc.edu
Home Page: http://www.research.umbc.edu/~adler/
__________________________________________________________________________________
COURSE CONTENT AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Many
consider the study of social inequality the heart of sociology because every
known society has a social stratification system. Sociologists are
interested in how these social hierarchies emerge, are maintained, are
reproduced, and change. Unlike “common
sense” explanations, sociological analysis usually locates the major causes of
inequality in the social structure and in various institutionalized processes
rather than in individual inadequacies.
We will examine the theoretical and empirical issues relevant to the
sociological study of race, class, and gender inequality and the social
policies designed to address these inequalities in historical, political, and
cultural context.
This course is designed to
equip you with conceptual and analytical tools that let you go beyond popular
mainstream ideas about the structure and dynamics of social inequality in the United
States. It focuses mainly on the three
basic forms of inequality (economic, power, and status inequalities) and their implications. These include the growing gap between the rich and the rest of
the population, variations in the social realities of race and gender, and
“welfare state” policies dealing with these problems. The course also aims to stimulate ideas and discussions about
strategies offering possible solutions to these problems. Related concepts, such as individualism and
collectivism, domination and exploitation, social citizenship and
responsibility, and economic justice will be critically analyzed.
This survey course cannot
give attention to every important issue related to inequality. For example, inequalities based on sexual
preference, age, education, or disability will not be covered in depth in this
course. Nevertheless, if students are
interested in these or other excluded topics, they are welcome to discuss this
with the professor and to study them for their papers.
During the course students should learn to:
- understand and critically examine
the key concepts used in classical and contemporary theories of social
stratification.
- understand the historical
conditions that contribute to current patterns of inequality.
- recognize and critique the underlying ideological assumptions,
premises, and hidden values of U. S. social policy in comparative
perspective.
- describe current empirical
patterns in race, class and gender inequality and their effect on peoples’
lives.
- analyze,
compare, synthesize, and critique scholarly work in this research area.
- ask
and answer important questions related to U.S. social policy, and its
relation to inequality, social citizenship, and social responsibility.
This course is intended to
be a participatory experience. It
includes short lectures, lengthy discussions about readings, and analytic
exercises. These activities are aimed at
sharpening critical thinking and debating skills. Another agenda involves the sociological analysis of how societal
structures affect your life. In
the process many of your assumptions and values about how the world works will
be challenged. Rather than reacting
with anger, students are encouraged to re-examine and question structures of
dominance inherent in societal systems, which are maintained through economic,
political, and social forces.
Intellectual curiosity, initiative, eagerness to learn, and willingness
to work hard will be rewarded. I am
hoping we can establish a comfortable learning environment based on cooperation
and collaboration rather than competition.
One goal for this course is to create a sense of community. In order to accomplish this you need to take
a productive role in your educational experience and actively engage in this class.
For that purpose we will use Blackboard for e-mail
discussion and increased access to various course-related materials. Make sure you check Blackboard and your
email at least once a week for posted messages and announcements
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
Readings
Reader: David B. Grusky (editor) 2001.
Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological
Perspective. Second Edition.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
[Assignments on schedule under GRUSKY]
Textbook:
Marger, Martin N. 2002. Social Inequality. Patterns and Processes. Second Edition.Boston, Il: McGraw-Hill. [Assignments on schedule under MARGER]
Additional readings: available
in folders on library reserve and on Blackboard
Class Participation and Attendance
Lectures will be related to, but will not cover every
aspect of, the assigned readings; they are designed to supplement, not to
replicate or replace the readings. The readings are assigned for
each class meeting and students are expected to be familiar with the material
when it is assigned. Because this
course is taught as a seminar, students should attend class regularly and
inform the professor of scheduling problems.
All students must be prepared to summarize and critique the assigned
readings in order to facilitate in-class discussion. The professor reserves the right to ask students specific
questions about the assigned materials
Guidelines to
prepare for class participation: Students
should take notes while reading the assigned materials. Write down answer questions such as: What are the reading's main points? What concepts are introduced and how are
they defined? How do these readings
relate to what I experience in the US? Do the readings support or challenge my
values and beliefs? What do I find confusing, difficult to understand, great,
awful, etc. in these readings? Bring
your notes and answers to class, and be prepared to contribute to the class
discussion!
Webpage reactions: Webpage reactions are due on various days
during the semester (see schedule) (max. 10 points each). They will be part of
your participation grade. Format for
reactions are on Blackboard.
Take Home Essay
Replacing the Final in-class
exam is a take home essay exam. As
indicated on the schedule, all students will prepare essays consisting of
answers to several questions about materials covered in class and the readings.
You may either turn them in typed on paper or as a Word
document attached to an e-mail. Handwritten
work will NOT be accepted (no exceptions). Graduate students are expected to discuss readings in a more
thorough manner than undergraduates.
Group Poster
Project
You will be assigned to a
group of 4-5 students who will create a poster presentation on an issue related
to inequality in Baltimore. As part of
this project you will research an inequality issue (child poverty,
homelessness, food insecurity, welfare) locally and prepare a class
presentation about the information you have collected. This research involves library data
collection, internet research, visiting places such as a soup kitchens, food
banks, welfare offices, and homeless shelters, and interviewing staff
persons. Your presentation should be
informative, engaging, and creative. The grade for the project will be a
combination of a group grade (50% - professor assigns grade based on project
quality) and individual grade (50% - average: every group member assigns a
grade to self and others). Details on
the assignment are forthcoming and will be on blackboard.
For an additional 75 points
students enrolled in 606 (graduate students) will expand upon the group
project in an individual paper. In other words, as an
extension of the project, they should turn the poster presentation into a paper
(about 10-15 pages typed) summarizing the background information, posing a
research question, describing the process of data collection, and formulating a
conclusion with policy implications.
Book Review (606 only)
Students enrolled in 606 (graduate students) also have to
write a short, individually produced paper (about 5 typed, double-spaced pages)
about a book you will read. You will select your book from those on the
syllabus (each has a date associated with it on the syllabus) in the first or
second class period. You will write the
review according to specifications on blackboard. This is not simply a book report or book summary. In addition, at the date specified for the
book you (and who ever else read the book) will lead an in class discussion of
the book. You will have to coordinate
with the others who also read the book how the material will be presented and
how the discussion will be lead.
Although you should briefly describe the key arguments and findings of
the author(s), you should focus on how this particular book relates to the theoretical
and conceptual issues discussed in class or covered in other readings. You must also provide a critical assessment
of the arguments and/or data presented in the book. You should be prepared to pose discussion questions and answer student
questions. Details and examples of
professional book reviews are on Blackboard.
Extra Credit
You may receive extra credit
points by serving food at a Baltimore soup kitchen and writing a 1-2 page paper
on your experiences. You may also
write about additional webpages and readings sent to you by the professor. There will also be various opportunities for
extra credit for attending on- and off-campus events.
EVALUATION
Final grades are determined
by the total number of points earned in the semester based on one (1) paper
(606 only), one (1) book review (606 only, with discussion), one (1) group
poster project, one (1) take home essay, and participation (regular attendance,
reading responses, internet reactions).
If, at any time during the semester you encounter difficulties or
special circumstances, contact the instructor immediately in order to work out
solutions as soon as possible. This
grading scheme is subject to change.
The
points for the final grade are calculated as follows:
SOCY 406 SOCY 606
1 Paper @
75 points= ---- 75
1 Book review (& discussion) @ 75 points=
---- 50+25=75
1
Group poster project @ 100 points= 100 100
1
Take home essay @ 100 points= 100 100
10 Reactions @
10 points= 100 100
Total = 300 450
Assessment of course work
In general you can expect a
B grade if you attend class regularly, participate, complete good assignments
on time, and produce a solid research paper or exam. Especially insightful in-class participation, extra effort, and
excellent written work will increase the grade. Sloppy and/or late work, infrequent class attendance and
participation will reduce the grade.
Specifically, an A means excellent work, which demonstrates
comprehensive command of course content, exceptional ability to apply concepts,
superior ability to organize and express ideas, and critical thinking, good
attendance and participation. A B means good work, which demonstrates solid command of course content, good
ability to apply concepts, good organization and expression of ideas, regular
attendance and participation. A C means fair work, implying acceptable command of course content, basic
ability to apply concepts, and moderate organization and expression of ideas,
moderate attendance and participation.
A D means marginal work, with little command of
course content, some ability to apply concepts, and limited ability to organize
and express ideas, irregular attendance and participation. An F
means unacceptable work and implies
lack of command of course content, inability to apply concepts, to organize and
express ideas, lack of attendance and participation.
POLICIES
General
Excessive absences or tardiness
will affect your final grade negatively.
You are responsible for being informed about any scheduling changes or
announcements about assignments made in class or via email. Plan ahead in completing the
assignments. For your own protection,
photocopy all assignments before turning them in. Always make sure you have a duplicate file of your work on disk. It is the responsibility of the student to
prepare assigned materials on time and to discuss problems with deadlines with
the instructor. Deadlines missed without promptly presenting a
valid excuse (contact the instructor on the same day as the missed deadline) will
be counted as "0" points for the assignment (no exceptions).
Academic Misconduct
By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UMBC’s scholarly community in which everyone’s academic work and behavior are held to the highest standards of honesty. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong. Academic misconduct can result in disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, suspension or dismissal. To read the full Student Academic Conduct Policy, consult the UMBC Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook or the UMBC Policies section of the UMBC Directory. Also consult the resources on Blackboard about Plagiarism.
Academic misconduct may
include but is not limited to the following (adapted from UMBC’s policy):
- Cheating: Using or attempting to use
unauthorized material, information, or study aids in any academic
exercise, such as exams, quizzes, papers, homework, etc. That includes
copying information from classmates’ papers, homework, exams, quizzes,
etc.
- Fabrication: Intentional and unauthorized
falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic
exercise, such as exams, quizzes, papers, homework, etc.
- Facilitating academic dishonesty: Intentionally
helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic
dishonesty.
- Plagiarism: Representing the words or ideas of
another as one’s own in any academic exercise. That means that ANYTIME you
use the exact words from a published source (including the internet), you
have to put them into quotation marks and attach in parentheses the page
number and all biographical source information. If you use the contents of any published source (including
the internet) by PARAPHRASING it, you still have to acknowledge it in
parentheses.
- Buying papers on the internet or elsewhere and
turning them, or any parts of them, in as one’s own original work
constitutes cheating. Turning in a paper that was authored by another
person in total or part also constitutes cheating.
COURSE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS, ACTIVITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS
This schedule is subject to change. Readings are due on the date they are mentioned on the schedule, i.e., read by Week 2. In the event class is cancelled (e.g., due to weather, etc) please keep reading for the next week.
Week 1: 1/29 Introduction to the course
Goals of the course and overview of the issues
related to inequality and social policy
Sign up for book review (606) and group poster
project
Start reading!
Week 2: 2/5 Thinking
about inequalities – the
nature and dimensions of inequality
Social differentiation, social inequality, social
stratification
Readings: GRUSKY Part I: p. 3-39
MARGER Chapter 1 and 2: p. 1-48
Do
the Social
Stratification Virtual Tour at http://camden-www.rutgers.edu/%7Ewood/332virtualtour.htm
Follow the instructions
(I strongly recommend jotting down
your answers on a separate piece of paper as you proceed, so that you won't
lose your work if the computer does not cooperate), print your answers and bring the results to
class next time (2/12)!
Optional: GRUSKY p. 77-84 (Lenski)
Week 3: 2/12 Thinking about inequalities – the
history of inequality
The
development of slave, caste, estate, and class systems
Readings: GRUSKY
Part II: p. 55-76
MARGER Chapter 6: p.
142-155
Turn in the results of the Social Stratification
Virtual Tour (10 points)
Week 4: 2/19 Theories of inequality: Marx,
Dahrendorf, Wright
Marxist
and post- (or neo-) Marxist approaches
Readings: GRUSKY
Part III: p. 91-116
MARGER Chapter 8: p. 198-210
Turn
in reaction 2/19 to: Marx,
Karl and Friedrich Engels. 1992. The
Communist Manifesto. New York: Bantam.
Available on line at: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm
(read Chapter 1 and browse through the
others) (10 points)
Week 5: 2/26 Theories of inequality: Weber, Giddens, Mills
Weberian
and post-Weberian approaches
Readings: GRUSKY
Part III: p. 132-142; p. 152-162 and p. 202-211
MARGER Chapter 8: p.
210-224
Book review:
Chuck Collins and Felice Yeskel.
2000. Economic Apartheid in
America: A Primer on Economic Inequality and Insecurity. New York: The New
Press. This book is an expose of the
growing economic gap between the rich and poor in the global economy. This book is written with passion and a
definite point of view. It reflects the
work of scholars associated with the organization United for a Fair Economy. This book documents the growing inequality in the U.S. and
explores the reasons for it. Illustrated with excellent graphics and polemical
in style, it should be read, like all books, with a critical eye. Updated
information is available at the Economic
Apartheid Information Center and the Economic
Apartheid Action Center.
Week 6: 3/4 Occupational
and market structures and processes of stratification
Occupational hierarchies, social mobility, status
attainment
Readings: GRUSKY
Part III: p. 255-271; p.373-403; p.435-446.
MARGER Chapter 6: p.155-171
Turn
in reaction 3/4
to: http://www.inequality.org/franknovfr.html
(read the Frank
article, on the left browse “the overclass”) (10 points)
Book review: Fraser,
Jill Andresky. 2001. White Collar Sweatshop. The Deterioration of Work and its Rewards in Corporate America.
New York: Norton and Co. Includes facts, figures and case
stories on 24/7 overwork of the American people. Discusses corporate policies, reduced salaries, pensions,
benefits, enslavement to technology and job insecurity.
Week 7: 3/11 Inequalities,
culture, ideology
Middle class society and the
legitimation of inequality
Readings: MARGER
Chapter 4 and 9: p. 81-113 and 225-254
Turn in reaction 3/11 to: http://www.worldrevolution.org/Projects/Features/Inequality/USInequality.htm
(10 points)
And
http://www.inequality.org/factsfr.html
Book review: Barbara
Ehrenreich, 2001. Nickel and Dimed. On (Not) Getting By in America. New
York: A Metropolitan/Owl Book. This book shows low-wage America –
its tenacity, anxieties and generosity, including the many survival strategies
used. It is very insightful, humorous
and passionate. It should change the
way we view the working poor.
Week 8: 3/18 The
new economy and the new poverty
The working poor and the
“underclass’
Readings: GRUSKY
Part VI: p. 651-660
MARGER
Chapter 3: p.49-80
Turn
in reaction 3/18 to: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/
(under “what’s new” click on 11/19 Updated 2002 estimates for Children in
Poverty and then select “children in poverty” and browse through the various
links and figures) (10 points)
In-class Video: The Food Line
Book review: William
Julius Wilson. 1997. When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban
Poor. This book explores how contemporary poverty in the
U.S. is different than poverty before, how it came about, and what needs to be done
about it.
Week 9:Spring Break (3/22-3/28) ENJOY!!
Week 10: 4/1 Race, class and gender
intersections: “Welfare reform”
The feminization of poverty and public
policy
Readings: MARGER
Chapter 7: p. 172-197
Lichter,
Daniel and Rukamalie Jayakody, 2002. “Welfare reform: How
do we measure success?” Annual Review of Sociology 28:117-141. [Reserve]
Turn
in reaction 4/1 to: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
(browse through at least 5 of the news/hot topics and the “did you know
that”)(10 points)
Turn in progress report for group project
In-class Video: Ending Welfare as we know it
Book review: Edin, Kathryn and Laura Lein. 1997.
Making Ends Meet. How Single Mothers Survive Welfare and Low-Wage
Work. New York: Russel Sage. "Why have so many Americans come to see welfare as
'dependency' and work as 'self-sufficiency'?" the authors ask. According
to Edin and Lein, the answer lies partially in the fact that most discussions
of single parents occur without accounting for what welfare provides--or fails
to provide--and what it actually takes to support a family.
Week 11: 4/8 Race, class and gender intersections: Race and ethnic inequality
Segregation, affirmative
action, immigration
Readings: GRUSKY
Part VI: p. 555-568; p. 611-623; 660-670
MARGER Chapter 10 and 11: p. 255-313
Alejandro Portes. 2002. “Immigration’s Aftermath.” The
American Prospect 13, no. 7, April 8, 2002. http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/7/portes-a.html
Turn
in reaction 4/8 to: http://www.understandingprejudice.org/demos/
(do at least one survey/test and under reading room, check out the articles on
prejudice and affirmative action)
In-class Video: Bowling for Columbine
Book review: Conley, Dalton. 1999. Being Black, Living
in the Red. Berkeley: University of California Press. This book
demonstrates that many differences between blacks and whites stem not from race
but from economic inequalities that have accumulated over the course of U.S.
history. Property ownership--as measured by net worth--reflects this legacy of
economic oppression. The racial discrepancy in wealth holdings leads to
advantages for whites in the form of better schools, more desirable residences,
higher wages, and more opportunities to save, invest, and thereby further their
economic advantages.
Book review: Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2003. Racism without Racists. Color-blind racism and the persistence of
racial inequality in the U.S. New
York: Rowman and Littlefield. This book
analyzes white racial attitudes and examines the framework of “colorblind
racism” – the notion that race is no longer an important issue in social policy
making. It presents strong evidence of
persistent racism and prejudice.
Week 12: 4/15 Race, class and gender
intersections: Gender inequality
Gender segregation, wage gaps, comparable worth
Readings: GRUSKY
Part VI: p. 671-688; p.719-760
MARGER Chapter 12: p.314-345
Turn
in reaction 4/15 to: http://www.prospect.org/issue_pages/children/
(browse through at least 3 of the articles and read “Family-friendly Europe” by
Karen Christopher) (10 points)
Book review: Hochschild, Arlie. 1997. The time bind:
When work becomes home and home becomes work. New York: Metropolitan books.
This
book discusses the conflict between work and family responsibilities and its
relationship to gender inequality and policy.
Book review: Crittenden,
Ann. 2001. The Price of Motherhood. Why
the most important job in the world is still the least valued. New York: Henry Holt and Co. This persuasively written book presents evidence
showing how women have consistently been disadvantaged by policies because they
are raising families.
Week 13: 4/22 The politics of power and
inequality
Power Elites, class consciousness, voting,
corporate power
Readings: GRUSKY
Part VII: p. 805-845
MARGER Chapter 5 and 13: p.114-141 and p.346-376
Turn
in reaction 4/11 to Internet guide to
power structure research at http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/%7Evburris/whorules/ (read about power structure research and
browse through the various resources) (10 points)
Book review: William G. Domhoff. 2002. Who
Rules America? Power & Politics.
Boston: McGraw-Hill. This book provides an empirical and
thoughtful analysis of the ruling class in America. It should help you see how the inner circle of the corporate
elite serves to perpetuate inequality. This text provides a richly-textured
analysis of the interrelations of economic and political power in the U.S.
Week 14: 4/29 The
future of stratification – social justice and social change?
Post-industrial society and post-modernism
Readings: GRUSKY Part VII: p. 859-890
Feagin, Joe R.
2001. “Social justices and
sociology: Agendas for the twenty-first century.” American Sociological
Review 66:1-20. [Reserve]
Kerbo,
Harold R. 2003. “World stratification and globalization:The
poor of this earth.” Pp.550-589 in Social Stratification and Inequality. New York: McGraw-Hill. [Reserve]
Turn
in reaction 4/29 to William K. Tabb: Globalization is AN Issue; the power of
capital is THE issue: http://www.monthlyreview.org/697tabb.htm
(10 points)
Book review:
Schram, Sanford F. 2000. After Welfare. The Culture of
Postindustrial Social Policy. New
York: New York University Press. By focusing squarely on the cultural dimensions of
social welfare policy, this book shows recent turns in policy and politics. It
shows the close connections between the cultural and material aspects of
policy.
Week 15: 5/6 Local
inequalities (last day of class)
Group poster presentations - bring some
goodies to share!
Take Home Essay and 606 paper due May 13 noon my mailbox
(The exam
period for this class: May , 3:30-5:30 pm; will only be used if we run out of
class time).
Book review: Ritzer, George. 1993.
The McDonaldization of Society. Pine Forge Press: Thousand Oaks,
CA. Ritzer raises issues about modernity, contemporary U.S
culture, and society.
Extra credit:
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/index.html