Subject:
Sociology
Material Type:
Module
Level:
Community College / Lower Division, College / Upper Division
Provider:
Ohio Open Ed Collaborative
Tags:
  • Consequences of Social Class
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Downloadable docs, eBook, Text/HTML, Video

    Education Standards

    Discuss the consequences of social class in the United States

    Overview

    OER Text material

    Economic Inequality and Poverty in the United States

    Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World Chapter 8 Section 4. Section 8.4 provides a good discussion of inequality and poverty, but it does not adequately discuss the consequences of social class. Overall this textbook misses the point that social class is economics plus lifestyle. Concepts such as cultural capital and everyday class consciousness,, although related to economics, impact lifestyle differences between classes; however, these concepts are not included in the textbook. Instructors wishing to make this case would benefit from including one or more of the following supplemental materials.

    Supplementary Material (Videos and Reading)

    Sociological Cinema: Relationship Between Class, Inequality, and Health

    This source links to a ~ 12 minute PBS video on the relationship between social class, inequality and health.  The video includes an interview with Micheal Marmot.  This is a great source for highlighting the consequences of social class even for those not at the bottom of the distribution.

    "When Social Class Chooses Your College Major”

    This is a very short reading from The Society Pages that summarizes current research on the relationship between class and choice of major. It is relevant and accessible.

    The Impacts of Social Class: Crash Course in Sociology (Video)

    This is a great ~ 9 minute video on why social class matters. The narration is very fast, but there is a lot of good material including a discussion of class socialization and how class impacts health.

    Why the Middle Class Matters? (Video)

    Great  2 ½ minute video on the middle class and why we think we are middle class by Frontline.  

    The 9.9 percent is the New American Aristocracy

    This a great article from The Atlantic about the current class structure of the U.S. and an argument for a “new aristocracy” with comparison to the old.