Dr. Pfeffer writes in his syllabus for SOC 221 - Social Inequality, “The topic of social inequality has recently garnered much public attention. As a topic of scientific study, social inequality has a long and rich history and, in one way or another, continues to underlie most sociological inquiry. In this course, you will gain a broad overview of social inequality by learning about the main theories and empirical findings provided by classical and current sociological research.”
How and why this course is different
Dr. Pfeffer tells students, “there are parts to your learning that will be the same for all students (required assignments) but, you also will be able to choose your own pathway through this course. You will pick from a variety of assignments according to your own interests, curiosities, and strengths (or weaknesses!).”
The urgent relevance of the course topics becomes clear in the work of Dr. Pfeffer’s students. They are fully engaged in the topic and are given the freedom to choose from a menu of assignment formats, including videos and field trips.
Fabian T. Pfeffer received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a researcher, his main interests are the comparative study of social inequality and its maintenance across time and generations. Dr. Pfeffer’s current work focuses on wealth inequality and its consequences for the next generation, the institutional context of social mobility processes, and educational inequality in the United States and other industrialized countries, and the transmission of inequality across multiple generations.
For more information about Dr. Pfeffer see his personal website: http://fabianpfeffer.com/
