This module examines socio-economic inequality with a focus on wealthy and powerful elites in the context of globalised capitalism. From Marx, Weber, and Durkheim onwards, sociologists have sought to understand how economic activity is organised in capitalist societies and the relationship between capitalism and socio-economic inequality. The past three decades have seen growing inequality in the UK and worldwide, where the explosion of wealth at the top has gone hand in hand with a concentration of political power among the few. This trend has triggered renewed sociological interest in social inequality in capitalist societies and the role of economic and political ‘elites’, meaning those with disproportionate wealth and political power.
In this module, we will explore the changing nature of capitalism and socio-economic inequality since the mid-19th century, focusing on how elites accumulate wealth, their role in capitalist societies, and how wealthy lives are organised and experienced. The module introduces research and debates from economic sociology, the sociology of inequality and elite studies. Students do not need any prior economic knowledge to take the module.
- Module Supervisor: Sarah Kunz