Recent Trends in Social Mobility (US)

Abstract

This activity is designed to teach beginning sociology students about the concepts of social mobility as well as familiarize them with recent trends in social mobility within the United States. The sociological understanding of stratification is dependent upon recognition that systems of stratification are at least partially closed, allowing for only...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

College 100

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

This activity takes about 40 minutes to perform. Groups of 2-4 students take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete the questions. Discussing the answers takes another 10 to 15 minutes. At the conclusion of the activity, I begin a lecture focused on the findings of some classic studies of social mobility, gender differences, and prospects for future social...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. [1] Students will learn basic familiarity with tables displaying statistics
2. [2] Students will learn some of the basic measurements sociologists use to assess social mobility
3. [3] Students will learn the trends in social mobility in the US since the 1950s.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. [1] Students will display basic familiarity with tables by answering questions (1-4) that require locating specific statistics
2. [2] Students will display basic familiarity with some of the measurements sociologists use to assess social mobility by answering a questions (#1-4) that requires interpretation of basic statistical measures of mobility
3. [3] Students will display an understanding of recent trends in social mobility by using data to characterize contemporary patterns of mobility since 1950.