Biography

Apt received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts (USA), her Masters in Sociology from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts (USA), and her Bachelors in Sociology from Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). She also has a Certificate of French Studies from Ecole Lemania in Lausanne, Switzerland. As she was finishing her coursework at Northeastern University, she learned that she was the recipient of an internship in Applied Medical Sociology from the American Sociological Association. She chose to assume this honor at the University of Texas Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, in San Antonio, Texas, where she worked for 2 years. During this time she did HIV/AIDS research and wrote HIVAIDS education materials which she and her staff used with high-risk individuals incarcerated in the county jail in San Antonio. During this time she also taught at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and team taught a course in psychiatric interviewing for medical students during their second-year psychiatry rotation. Dr. Apt has taught courses in Medical Sociology, Human Sexuality, and the Sociology of Genocide. She is also the host of a live, call-in radio program called “Talk to Me,” which is broadcast on 90.3 FM-WSSB in South Carolina. The subject of her radio show is sexuality and relationships.

Abstract

The United States is stratified on the basis of class and there is both upward and downward mobility. An individual’s social class is determined by three factors: education, occupation and income. It is often assumed that there are three social classes in the United States: upper, middle, and lower, but this method of categorization is simplistic and does not give an accurate picture of America in the 21st century. The presentation will explain the stratification system as it currently exists in the United States, and will describe key characteristics of individuals living within each stratum. Specifically, the presentation will focus on the health issues faced by Americans in each social class, and will illuminate how social class can affect one’s health, and how health can affect one’s social class.