SOCY 4090: Topics in Sociology: Top Incomes and Wealth Concentration: Evidence and Implications
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Examination of specialized sociological topics (e.g., sociology of religion, Modern Japan). Section information text: A substantial body of scholarship highlights the importance of studying high-income and wealthy households for understanding broader patterns of economic stratification. Research indicates that disparities between households at the top of the income and wealth distribution and those in the rest of the distribution have increased since the 1980s, with limited evidence of reversal. In this course, students will engage the empirical, theoretical, and methodological foundations for analyzing how class inequality intersects with race and gender. We will examine trends in the distribution of income and wealth, explanations for widening gaps, and pathways to high earnings and asset accumulation. The course also considers the role of top earners and wealth holders within political, organizational, and institutional settings in the United States. Throughout, students will evaluate a variety of scholarly perspectives and policy approaches related to economic inequality using evidence-based analysis.
Average GPA: 2.91
Grade distribution records: 1,078 students across 23 terms.
Grade distribution
| Grade | Students | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| A | 401 | 37.2% |
| B | 329 | 30.5% |
| C | 145 | 13.5% |
| D | 40 | 3.7% |
| F | 88 | 8.2% |
| W | 59 | 5.5% |
Based on 1,078 student grade records across 23 terms and 16 professors.
Instructors
- Mary Mckenzie 350 students, Average GPA 3.28
- Anna Cutlip 245 students, Average GPA 2.28
- Vaughn Schmutz 144 students, Average GPA 3.11
- Murray Webster 83 students, Average GPA 3.12
- Zinobia Bennefield 67 students, Average GPA 2.11
- Sean Langley 42 students, Average GPA 3.34
- Jill Yavorsky 29 students, Average GPA 2.89
- Candace Miller 26 students, Average GPA 2.16
- Elizabeth Morrell 19 students, Average GPA 3.32
- Stephanie Smith 16 students, Average GPA 3.50
- Candace Brown 13 students, Average GPA 2.92
- Sarah Smith 13 students, Average GPA 3.09
- Mary Hausfeld 12 students, Average GPA 2.58
- Kathleen Hogan 9 students, Average GPA 2.89
- Kent Brintnall 5 students, Average GPA 2.20
- Eric Hoenes 1 students, Average GPA 4.00