The Oxford Handbook of Social Stratification

The Oxford Handbook of Social Stratification brings together leading experts to demonstrate the value of stratification research for sociology's past and future as a population science. In an era of profound transformation, characterized by growing inequalities, political unrest, technological disruption, demographic changes, and global crises, the need for rigorous scholarship on social stratification is crucial. This Handbook provides a forward-looking overview, illustrating how the field remains grounded in its scholarly roots while expanding to address contemporary social inequality dynamics. With historical insights, analytical precision, and methodological rigor, the Handbook serves as both a comprehensive field assessment and a roadmap for future research. Part I covers core concepts such as social class, gender, race, education, and life course analysis. Part II offers state-of-the-art research insights on social mobility, family dynamics, education and labor markets, migration, discrimination, and policy, connecting these to classical sociological questions. Part III explores future research directions, incorporating innovations from behavioral and cognitive sciences, sociogenomics, cultural analysis, and responses to global crises. Broad, cohesive, and accessible, the volume is an indispensable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in understanding the construction, maintenance, and challenge of social hierarchies and their impact on shaping 21st-century societies.