As the national organization for sociologists, the American Sociological Association, through its Executive Office, is well positioned to provide a unique set of services to its members and to promote the vitality, visibility, and diversity of the discipline. Working at the national and international levels, the Association aims to articulate policy and implement programs likely to have the broadest possible impact for sociology now and in the future.

Sociological studies of inequality and stratification examine the distribution of wealth and power within and across societies and the systems of stratification that develop including class, caste, race, and gender. Forms of inequality that arise among individuals and groups may include income, occupation, education, or health. Sociological research includes comparative studies that identify similar and different sources of inequality, stratification, and mobility across societies. It measures their impact on individuals, families, and communities and their persistence over time and across generations. Sociologists analyze processes in institutions such as the economy, education, or religion that generate, maintain, and change social inequality and systems of stratification.