Social Stratification and Inequality

In his newly revised fourth edition, Harold Kerbo continues to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date exploration of the economic and social divisions in human societies. While the book is grounded in the nature of social stratification in the United States, the fourth edition maintains a commitment to keeping a global perspective. To that end, this edition includes detailed timely information on stratification around the world, addressing the ways in which governments, corporations, and workers cope with milestone changes such as greater European unification and an increased U.S economic presence. Extensive comparative information, as well as an overview of how, historically, social stratification has changed and evolved, gives readers a global perspective on class conflict. Praised for its thorough research and scholarship, the new edition includes current statistics and the latest trends in the field. Each chapter has been fully updated to include new material on the cornerstones of social stratification; the growing poverty rate, the effects of welfare reform on gender and race inequality, and the status of global attempts to relieve social stratification in the wake of continued changes in the world system.