Mapping Inequality in an Era of Neoliberalism

"When I was a college student, I took Professor Valocchi's Social Class and Mobility course. This book accomplishes everything that life-changing course did: it expertly combines macro and micro perspectives to offer a thorough, engaging, and poignant introduction to the American class structure. It's an ideal read for anyone who wants to know more about how class works."

Jessi Streib, Associate Professor of Sociology, Duke University, USA

"Professor Valocchi's book is a necessary intervention in social class literature that posits an open system of stratification in American society. Valocchi writes a powerful analysis of the "the root causes of the class system in the United States" and ways in which class inequalities are embedded within structures that create privilege for a few and deprive most of needed resources. Moreover, Valocchi provides a useful book that is both accessible to undergraduates and appropriate for graduate-level courses. The argument that the oft-used variables to measure socioeconomic status - education, occupation, and income - are embedded in economic and political systems is deceptively simple while also thoughtful and provocative. The deceptive "simplicity" lies in the unequal outcomes that we often teach students to see. The argument is thoughtful and provocative in its analysis of the ubiquity of power and coercion in societies in generating unequal class outcomes. This book does not sacrifice the complexities of class inequality. Instead, it illuminates how social forces constantly work to sustain class inequality."

Lori Waite, Lecturer of Sociology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA