Sociology Studies - Social Inequality Course

The free online course Sociology Studies - Social Inequality is the second in a series of online courses that gives the leaner an understanding of inequality in society and how many of these inequalities have come about. The course begins by using the United States as a case study where learners will explore open and closed stratification systems including caste and class systems along with the idea of an ideal system based on merit. You will then look at social stratification globally, looking first at how countries are classified and the cyclical nature of poverty and how this affects the poorest countries. Next, you will explore race, ethnicity and minorities, the prejudices and discrimination that occur and why they persist in a society. You will also learn about gender, gender identity and gender roles and why these are commonly associated with inequality due to historically strong cultural norms. Finally, you will learn about education, how prejudices often persist at an institutional level, and how this impacts on the individual throughout their life. This free course will be of great interest to anyone with an interest in areas as diverse as medicine, politics, law, urban organization, and marketing, and anybody who would like to know more about inequalities within a society.

CERTIFICATION
To qualify for your official ALISON Diploma, Certificate or PDF you must study and complete all modules and score 80% or more in each of the course assessments. A link to purchase your Diploma certificate will then appear under the My Certificates heading of your My Account page.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Having completed this course you will be able to:
- Differentiate between open and closed stratification systems;
- Distinguish between caste and class systems;
- Describe different sociological models for understanding global stratification;
- Describe how studies of global stratification identify worldwide inequalities;
- Describe the differences between relative, absolute, and subjective poverty;
- Describe the economic situation of some of the world’s most impoverished areas;
- Define a majority group and a minority group;
- Explain the difference between stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and racism;
- Identify different types of discrimination;
- Define and discuss what is meant by gender identity;
- Discuss the role of homophobia and heterosexism in society;
- Identify differences in educational resources around the world;
- Describe the concept of universal access to education.