Mapping Inequality in an Era of Neoliberalism

Offering a unique, comprehensive, and critical introduction to increasingly visible social inequalities, this textbook examines the political and economic causes and cultural consequences of a stratifying system that allocates material resources and human dignity on the basis of private profit and labor exploitation.

Stephen Valocchi is Professor of Sociology at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he has taught courses in social stratification for several decades. He is author of two books, Capitalisms and Gay Identities (2020) and Social Movements in the United States (2010). He is also author (with Robert Corber) of Queer Studies: An Interdisciplinary Reader (2003).

Part I: Power, Power: Who Has the Power? 1 Mapping Inequality: The Start of the Journey 2 Capitalism and Class 3 Capitalisms and Inequalities: The Shift from the Social Contract to Flexible, Neoliberal Capitalism 4 Ideologies and Cultural Scripts as Power 5 Economy and Work in the Era of Neoliberalism 6 The Neoliberal State and Inequality 7 Education, Neoliberalism, and Inequality Part II: From Power to People: The Interpretive Approach to Inequality 8 Living in Neoliberalism 9 Economic, Social, and Cultural Capitals 10 Telling Class Stories I: Cultural Scripts and Meaning-Making 11 Telling Class Stories II: Capitals and Identities 12 Conclusion: Reaching our Destination: Now What?