The Anthology examines the social construction of race, class, gender, and sexuality and the institutional basis for these relations. While other texts discuss various forms of stratification and the impact on members of marginalized groups, Ore provides a thorough discussion of how much sytems of stratification are formed and perpetuated and how forms of stratification are interconnected. Critical thinking questions at the end of each reading, as well as part opening essays, and students in understanding how the materials relate to their lives and how their own attitudes, actions, and perspectives may serve to perpetuate a stratified system.