Name: Dana Dunn Office Number: University Hall 458

Office Telephone Number:817-272-2661 Email Address:

Office Hours:Monday and Wednesday, 12:00 to 12:30 and at other times by appointment

Course Number and Course Title: SOCI 3336/HONR 3336—Social Inequality

Course Description: This course focuses on the causes and consequences of social inequality. Social inequality is a universal phenomenon, and is as old as society itself. The focus of this course is on social stratification—the structured inequality of entire categories of people who have different access to social rewards and opportunities as a result of their position in the social hierarchy. Throughout history such inequality has been a source of tension, conflict, violence, injustice, oppression and social change. In this course we will examine several types of social inequality (e.g., class, caste, sex, racial/ethnic). We will explore the bases of such inequality (wealth, power, prestige), and how patterns of inequality are maintained or changed over time.

Social stratification is central to the study of sociology because it affects every aspect of our lives. Sociological research shows that our scores on I.Q. tests, our educational achievement, the size of our families, our tastes in art, literature, movies and recreation are all linked to our position in the social hierarchy.

Student Learning Outcomes:

(1) Students will be able to explain key sociological concepts related to stratification and inequality.

(2) Students will be able to apply the major theoretical frameworks of sociology for better understanding the causes of social inequality.

(3) Students will be able to explain how social inequality is related to all aspects of our lives.

Required Textbooks: Social Stratification and Inequality by Harold R. Kerbo (7th edition) and Class Matters by Correspondents of the New York Times.

Course Requirements and Determination of Final Grade:

EXAMS: SOCI students and HONR students: There will be 4 exams of equal weight. The dates for the exams are September 24th, October 25th, November 15th and December 15th (final exam, time 8:00 to 9:00). Exams will cover lecture, readings, and any videos shown in class. The final examination is not comprehensive. All exams will consist of multiple choice and/or true-false questions and short answer questions may be included. There will be a brief oral exam review at the end of the class session before each exam. It is important that you be present for this review as the review material will not be reproduced by me outside the classroom. Each exam will constitute 22% of your overall class grade for SOCI students and 20% of your overall class grade for HONR students.

Make up exams will not be given. In the event a medical emergency, etc. causes you to miss an exam, documentation must be presented in order to be eligible for an alternative assignment in lieu of exam. This assignment will be a 10 page paper. This paper will be due on the last day of class.

Required Project: SOCI students and HONR students: News Story Diary—Pick a newspaper, preferably international in scope, and keep a diary of articles illustrating the concepts used in this course. You can do this with a print newspaper that you have access to, or use one of the hundreds of newspapers available online. You may also access newspapers through the UT Arlington library. One excellent source is the New York Times ( as it has very thorough coverage. Another good choice with excellent international coverage is the International HeraldTribune ( Another good source is the BBC news web site: You may also wish to examine these sites which list papers available online. They may be useful to in selecting the paper you wish to use for your assignment: and

Once you have selected the news source you will use for your project, you should periodically review the source and select the articles relevant to this course. For each article you select you must cite the title of your article, the author, the date, and provide a brief summary (a paragraph or two). The summary should describe the articles main point/s and indicate how it is related to material covered in the course lecture or readings.

Grades for the project will be determined as follows: Good reviews of 30 articles will result in a grade of A (100). Fewer reviews or less than adequate reviews will result in proportionately lower grades. This assignment will count for 12 % of your overall course for SOCI students and 10% of your overall course grade for HONR students.

Your news diary is due on December 6th. Late submissions will not be accepted.

HONR STUDENT REQUIRED PROJECT: This paper is to be completed by Honors students only. It will count for 10% of your overall course grade. The paper is due on December 6th. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Select one of the four perspectives on poverty described in chapter 9 of your Kerbo textbook. Write a 5 to 7 page, double-spaced, typewritten paper, applying the perspective you select to any two or more of the selections addressing poverty in the Class Matters book. The first step you should take in the paper is to briefly explain the perspective on poverty that you have selected. Then you must provide ample examples from the Class Matters readings to indicate why this perspective is appropriate for better understanding the nature of poverty. Given your choice of perspectives, what can be done to reduce the problem of poverty for the individuals or groups in the reading materials you selected? What types of policies would prove most effective, and why?

Calculation of Final Grade:SOCI students: Each exam 22%, Project 12% HONR students: Each exam 20%, Project 10%, Paper 10% For all students, class participation will affect borderline grades. If you are generally present and participate, I will round up, if not, I won’t.

Attendance Policy: Class attendance is not taken, but those who attend class regularly make better grades. Those who miss class regularly typically do poorly because much of the testing is based on class lectures. Not all of the material covered on the test is in the text book.

Drop Policy: See university drop policy in the university catalog. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance.

Americans With Disabilities Act:

The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at Also, you may visit the Office for Students with Disabilities in room 102 of University Hall or call them at (817) 272-3364.

Academic Integrity:

Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.
"Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2)

Student Support Services Available:

The University of Texas at Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. These resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals to resources for any reason, students may contact the Maverick Resource hotline at 817-272-6107 or visit for more information.

E-Culture Policy:

The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University email address as an official means of communication with students. Through the use of email, UT-Arlington is able to provide students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation may be sent to students through email. All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it is available at New students (first semester at UTA) are able to activate their email account 24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active as long as a student is enrolled at UT-Arlington. Students are responsible for checking their email regularly.You may use email to communicate with me about this class. I will respond to email messages within two days.

Course Topics List and Reading Assignments:

  1. An Introduction to the Sociological Inequality: Definitions and Dimensions, Readings: Kerbo (K) chapters 1 and 2, Class Matters (CM) chapter 1. You are also encouraged to review the Class Matters website described in the book.
  1. The History of Social Inequality, Readings: K chapter 3
  1. Stratification Theories and Theorists: Conflict, Functionalist and Eclectic Perspectives, Readings: K chapters 4 and 5
  1. The American Class System I—The Advantaged Classes (Upper and Corporate Class), Readings: K chapters 6 and 7, CM chapters 2,10,11 and 12
  1. The American Class System II—The Middle Classes, Readings: K chapter 8, CM chapters 7 and 9
  1. The American Class System III—The Poor, Readings: K chapter 9, CM selection 8
  1. Gender, Racial Ethnic, and Age Stratification, Readings: K chapters 10 and 11
  1. Social Mobility, Readings: K chapters 12 and 13, CM 3,4,6,13 and 14
  1. Stratification Beyond the United States: The World Stratification System: Readings: K chapters 14 and 17