Written by Peter Kaufman (SUNY New Paltz) and Todd Schoepflin (Niagara University) as part of the Third Edition of A Sociology Experiment. To read this chapter, add it to your cart, complete the checkout process, return to this page, and select “Read Now” to open the Bookshelf reader.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Discuss how social class shapes people’s lives;
• Analyze the relationship between social class, inequality and poverty;
• Describe various indicators of inequality;
• Define poverty and its characteristics; and
• Explain how inequality and poverty relate to characteristics such as race and gender.

Discussion Podcast

You can listen to this chapter’s accompanying discussion section podcast on Apple, Spotify, or our Spreaker page.