Includes bibliographical references (page 41).

Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Note on statistics and reading charts -- Statistical measures -- Household characteristics -- Race and household status (by figures on poster) -- Occupation -- Occupations by household status (by percentage) -- Occupational definitions -- Occupations by race/ethnicity -- Income -- Income by race -- Defining 2000 standards of living for a family of three -- Couple vs female heads of households -- Single men vs single women -- Whites vs blacks -- Latinos vs other races/ethnicities --55-64 year olds vs 19-34 year olds -- Married 35-54 year olds vs seniors -- White vs black children (0-18 years) -- Professionals vs blue/collar service -- Educational attainment -- Distribution of real income changes for prime-age adults -- Pressured American middle class -- Family income at selected points of the income ladder, 1979 and 1997 -- Percentage change in hours worked and hourly wage rates of prime-age working husband-wife couples, 1973-1988 -- Income distributions 1979-1997 -- Shrinking middle class, but more are well-off -- Distribution of functional employment, 1959-1997 -- Distribution of occupations, 1959-1997 -- Real annual earnings of different occupations, 1959-1997 -- Household incomes of high school dropouts, aged 25-34, in 1979 vs 1997 -- Wealth -- Wealth holdings by income level -- Wealth holdings by asset level -- Conclusion -- Appendix 1: Combining income, occupation and family status to create the figures on the poster -- Incomes of married couples by occupation of husband (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of male-headed households (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of female-headed households (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of single men (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of single women (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is a professional (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is a professional (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is a clerical or sales worker (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is a skilled blue-collar (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is a less skilled blue collar or service worker (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is a farmer or farm laborer (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is unemployed (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband not in labor force (by icons on poster) -- Occupations and incomes of married couples, husband is retired (by icons on poster) -- Nonwhite husbands and wives (incomes in thousands of dollars) -- Appendix 2: Data sources and their reliability -- Appendix 3: Suggestions for classroom use -- Appendix 4: Bibliography and further readings. Synopsis: A much-anticipated update of the classic book-and-poster set depicting who owns what, who makes how much, who works where, and who lives with whom. Generations of teachers, union organizers, and activists have relied on this book-and-poster set, originally published in 1979, to illustrate the magnitude of America's economic divide which has only grown ever since. This completely updated edition, drawn from the 2005 Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census, brings together fresh primary data to provide a clear-and "eye-opening" (Chicago Tribune)-picture of the U.S. social structure. Folded inside the companion booklet, the poster depicts color-coded figures that make it possible to compare social groups at a glance and to understand how income distribution relates to race, sex, education, and occupation. With charts and careful explanations, the booklet shows how to make the most of the poster in the classroom and beyond, and reveals the considerable changes in America's social landscape over the last few decades. Rose's latest findings reveal that recent economic growth has mostly benefited the wealthiest households, that the term "middle class" has lost most of its meaning, that a gender gap persists in the workplace, and that, on average, African Americans and Latinos still earn far less than other Americans. Bringing to life the dry statistics underpinning our discussions of inequality, Social Stratification in the United States is, in the words of Barbara Ehrenreich, "a unique achievement."