Increases in Income Inequality

Abstract

Since the 2008 financial crisis, Americans have become more interested in inequality as evidenced by the surprising popularity of Piketty’s Capital. This activity is designed to introduce students to one important aspect of this contemporary inequality: the income gap between those at the very top of our stratification system and the average worker in the...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Stratification/Mobility

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

College 100

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

The authors of this activity have used it in classrooms ranging in size from 15 to 70 students, although it could be used in even larger courses. It is purposely designed to be a brief introduction to the subject of income inequality and is therefore most appropriate for lower-level Sociology courses (Introduction to Sociology, Modern Social Problems,...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. [1] Students compute the income gaps using ratio measurements.
2. [2] Students become familiar with trends in income stratification and inequality from 1965 to 2017
3. [3] This activity can be used to introduce students to several topics in stratification such as current income inequality and changes in inequality over time

Goal Assessment(s):

1. [1] Students will develop a chart of income gap comparisons for CEOs and workers based on their calculations for predicted ratios and actual ratios.
2. [2] Students will answer reflection questions regarding increases in income inequality from 1965 to 2017 by interpreting a bar graph representing changes in income inequality over time.
3. [3] Students will answer additional essay questions, multiple choice items, and matching questions to assess their overall knowledge of income inequality and changes in income inequality over time.