Using What You Know About Stratification in the United States

question 22

Essay

Using what you know about stratification in the United States, what kind of synthesis of functionalism and conflict theory could you offer to account for the major features of the country s class structure? Be sure to use specific facts to support your theory.

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Definitions:

Inventory Turnover

A measure of how quickly a company sells its stock of goods in a period, calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold by the average inventory level.

Equity Multiplier

A financial leverage ratio that measures the portion of a company's assets that are financed by shareholders' equity.

Debt-to-equity Ratio

The ratio that demonstrates the comparative financing from shareholders' equity and debt for a company's assets.

Times Interest Earned Ratio

The Times Interest Earned Ratio measures a company's ability to meet its debt obligations by comparing its income before interest and taxes to its interest expenses.