Who Gets What and Why? (CBL)
This is a Community Based Learning section. Most people understand that some individuals in society are rich while others are poor. However, most people do not have a grasp of the social forces that create such outcomes. Income inequality in the United States has grown since the 1980’s—even among people who work full-time and consider themselves middle class. Downsizing, outsourcing, lower wages, and reduced benefits have led to continued, and growing, inequality. What has happened to create this environment? Who is affected by our current state? What can be done to create change? This is a course in critical thinking and analysis where the subject of social stratification becomes a lens through which power, wealth, social position, opportunity, life expectancy, and health are explored. The influence of social stratification on subjects such as education, employment, wages, race, and government policy is examined, developing a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and its role within American society.