Stratification Economics

This project is an ongoing effort to formalize a stratification economics framework that connects the empirical analysis in my research to its theoretical foundation. Stratification economics recognizes that power structures--laws, institutions, and social norms--construct and maintain social groups, group identities, and hierarchies, then unequally set different “rules of the game” across them. These social constructions, together with relative rank and unequal economic endowments, shape both individual utility and patterns of interaction, resulting in persistent inequality. 

My objective is to apply this framework to the study of group inequality. As I work toward this, I will share the development of the framework piece by piece to engage in open dialogue and constructive feedback.

Stratification Foundations: Groups and Endowments 

This note introduces the first building block of the framework: how power structures define groups, construct social hierarchies, and establish group-specific “rules of the game.” It formalizes how individuals draw from unequal, group-conditioned endowment distributions. It contrasts the structuralist perspective of stratification economics with the traditional individualist view to show how group-level advantages and disadvantages shape individual opportunities. 

Stratification Foundations: Identity and Utility

This note develops the second building block of the framework: how group identity shapes the structure of individual utility. It formalizes how individuals weigh private payoffs, group welfare, group status, rank, and identity-linked penalties. It contrasts the structuralist perspective of stratification economics with the traditional individualist view to show how group-conditioned utility inputs and parameters systematically generate unequal outcomes even among individuals with identical private tastes, but different group identity.