Income Distribution of Various Jobs [Interactive Graphic]

Flowing Data used IPUMS data to look at how the salaries of different classes of occupations were spread out over time.

http://flowingdata.com/2016/06/28/distributions-of-annual-income/

 

One of the most interesting trends is to watch how the salaries changed after the 80s.  In most occupations, you can see that a few top jobs were making bank, while most other professions stayed the same.

Cash Welfare in the United States

This summer Marketplace put out a great podcast mini series on cash welfare in the United States.  Not only was the series informative, the accompanying website contained informative info graphics that would be useful in classes.

http://features.marketplace.org/yourstateonwelfare/

When you visit the site, scroll down to the bottom of the page to locate data on your own state. A sample graph is below.

 

It would be great to pair this with readings by some of the sociologists featured in the audio series, such Kathryn Edin or Tressie McMillan Cottom.

Money in Politics [Interactive Graphic]

When I talk about inequality and power with student, we often discuss the role of money in politics.  It can be hard for students to grasp exactly how much money we are talking about but I think this interactive graphic from Slate magazine can help students visualize the issue.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/11/super_pac_money_how_political_groups_are_spending_to_influence_the_2016.html

Check it out!

Map of Social Inequality using Human Development Indicators [Interactive Graphic]

How does the United States rank on measures of health, education, gender inequality, poverty, and other human development indicators in comparison to other countries around the world?  Use this interactive map and data from the United Nations Development Programme to help students get a better grasp on the “big picture” of social inequalities.

Link: http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map

The glass escalator and men who work in predominantly women's occupations [Video]

In this video clip from Meet the Parents, Greg is introduced to two men who are doctors.  At first, the doctors think Greg is joking when he explains that he is a nurse.  Then they insinuate that Greg must have failed his boards (why else would he remain a nurse?).  I use this clip to initiate a conversation about the devaluation of women’s work and the experiences of men in predominantly women’s occupations.  I pair this clip with a discussion of the concepts “glass escalator” and “glass ceiling.”

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmhGzTEGa70

Is there a gender wage gap? An economist's argument using socialization and human capital [Video]

In this video clip, "Do Women Earn Less than Men?" by LearnLiberty.org,  the speaker uses graphics to explain the argument that once socialization and human capital are accounted for, the wage gap between men and women grows smaller.  He also articulates the argument that wage differences are due to individual choice rather than discrimination in the labor market.  Although I present this video alongside sociological arguments that dispute the one presented in the video, I do think it is useful for students to gain a better understanding of why the gender wage gap is a controversial and disputed topic.  Additionally, it is useful for them to consider how different perspectives—both using data—can come to different conclusions with different “real life” implications.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwogDPh-Sow