In more broad terms, the field of sociology in which this thesis belongs is called social stratification. The theory of stratification makes a clear distinction between positive social returns and the opportunities to reach these returns. If the opportunities for positive social returns are distributed equally in society, inequality in outcomes is often viewed as acceptable. It is therefore understood that the paths individuals choose to follow in life, even if they lead to different outcomes, are tolerable. Of course, equal opportunities at the beginning of life and the ability to make well-informed choices should be available to everyone in society. However, how equal the
opportunities at the beginning of life truly are, and how informed the choices individuals make truly are, can in many cases be questioned.
Central research themes within the field of social stratification typically deal with questions regarding stratification based on socio-economic class, education and sex. Historically, the most important stratification determinant has been socio-economic class. In later years, however, some criticism has been raised against this view, and education and ethnicity, for instance, have been proposed as alternative stratification factors. Further, it is also expected that in advanced industrial societies, human and political capital will replace economic capital as the main stratification forces.
The accumulation of welfare problems and social exclusion is related to social stratification through previously mentioned socio-economic class, education and sex. These characteristics are therefore often included as explanatory variables in statistical analyses of social exclusion. For this reason, social exclusion can be viewed as one of several possible outcomes of social stratification. Furthermore, we should be aware of the connections between class, education and sex. Education is often closely related to socio-economic class, and occupational segregation is related to both socio-economic class and education. A typical research theme within social stratification deals with inequalities on the labor market and whether these inequalities have to do with the employee’s sex or socio-economic background.
