Social Class Inequality

This essay will examine Bourdieusian concepts of Field, Capital and Habitus and determine how these interrelated concepts when combined can be used to have a better understanding of some the inequalities that take place in contemporary society. It will define the concepts of Field, Capital and Habitus and provide examples of how the concepts relate to inequality in contemporary society to explain the contrasted link between them.

In Income Inequality: Too Big to Ignore, Robert H. Frank paints a picture to the reader about the struggles of pier pressure. For example: an upper-classmen chooses to buy a big house and fancy clothing. This acts as a “frame of reference” to the changes and norms of the society. If he spends money on something nice, a middle-classmen will then go and decide to do the same thing, and then a lower-classmen…all the way down the social hierarchy. This is what he calls an “expenditure cascade.” Robert relates this with a person’s downfalls, which can be traced due to lower income inequality. Income inequality basically means that in a given quantity, the dispersion of income is underlined by the gap between individuals and or households with

In any given population, there is a difference between what people within the population earn. The uneven distribution of income in any given population is income inequality. In order for there to be income, there has to be several sources of income. These sources of income may be combinational or independent per person receiving the income. Income may result from wages, rent, bank account interests, salaries or even profits made in business transactions ( Stiglitz, 2012).

For the past 30 years the “gap” in income received by the rich and the lower class has continuously continued to increase, showing no signs of decrease anytime soon. This gap has mostly affected the middle class, which is made up of mostly African Americans and Hispanics, making America less determined to correct such an issue. Given the circumstances African American’s are the focus of this issue due to the fact they make up majority of the middle class. It is known that modern racism exist within today’s society in various ways, one of which happen to be within the economy. For decades the economy has had its downfalls, however, it’s been facing an issue that it has been hiding from the rest of the nation. The gap that everyone speaks has

In recent years, a growing gap between the wealthy and the middle class has grown, as the wealth of the world has increased significantly, yet only a minority of individuals get to enjoy it. Income inequality has been proven to be detrimental to not only the economy, but to the overall well-being of a nation as it leads to societal upset and can potentially prompt a decline in progression as a nation. Over time, income inequality has led to negative results in the United States, as well as many other nations including Greece. Consequently, the solution to prevent income inequality from deteriorating a nation and prevent economic upset is to ultimately tax those who are wealthier at a higher rate and put said money towards education and healthcare

The U.S. is the land of opportunity, but why will so many not achieve the American Dream? There is no doubt a difference exists between the rich and the poor. The most common words to describe social class are the upper, the middle, and the lower class groups of people . U.S. News (Francis) states 46.2 million people, approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population, currently live below the poverty line (Francis). Unequal income distribution contributes tremendously to poverty by making the rich, richer and keeping the poor, poorer.

The American Dream remains alive and well however due to income inequality it has failed to become a reality for the overwhelming majority. The fact that all politicians today still agree that income inequality is a major problem in the United States, shows that there persists an overwhelming need for better methods than the ones that have been tried in the past. Politicians, in their quest to win elections, emphasize the failure of our economic system to bridge and close the gap between the rich and the poor masses. The implantation, by governments, of various economic theories postulated by the great economic minds

In “Inequality Has Been Going on Forever… but That Doesn’t Mean It’s Inevitable” by David Leonhardt, he responds to the issue of income inequality between the wealthy and the poor. He starts out with explaining that rising income inequality has been going on for so long that it is starting to look inevitable. Leonhardt then states that Thomas Piketty had wrote that income inequality has been a historical norm. Piketty also writes that the inequality has risen all throughout modern history, with some exceptions including wars and depressions. Leonhardt then begins to explain that even though something may seem natural or likely, it doesn’t mean something is inevitable. Leonhardt then states that the course of income inequality can be changed. He tells that along with wars and depressions, education can disrupt income inequality. I agree with David Leonhardt that income inequality is not an inevitability, and it is something that can be changed.

Over the past 30 years, income inequality has been growing markedly as the gap between different social classes. Income inequality interests me the most as it is a future-related issue that anyone can be subject to. Briefly speaking, when incomes are distributed unequally for the same working hours/type of job depending on gender, race, disability, fortune, or age. As the gap is forming between the rich and anyone else, the middle class slowly started to fade. One of the many disadvantages that this issue carries is its effect in giving birth to discrimination between different social groups. This can also lead to decreasing employment chances depending on certain shallow details. The United Nations can address this issue by establishing a

Social class inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society. Factors of social class inequality are wealth, income, occupational, schooling, race, and ethnicity. Our society has changed from a manufacturing run workforce to a service ran workforce which has provided less jobs and increased unemployment rates. With all the changes our society has become much more depended on technology and one-minded thinking. Mechanisms that our society has are migration, emotions, youth perspective, and education.

Income inequality has been a major issue in American history. There are many different factors that contribute to inequality. These include education, wealth, discrimination, ability, and monopoly power.

As the United States faces the unceasing economics and political ills of income inequalities between social classes, the glory period of the dominant middle-class “diamond-shaped” society may be beginning to alter. Following the end of World War II in 1945, the middle class began to wear the crown of the most successful and resolute class due to new social programs and the rising economy. “In the second half, roughly from the mid-1970s, this process went into reverse. Set on apparent autopilot, the gains from growth were heavily colonized by the superrich, leaving the bulk of the workforce with little better than stagnant incomes.”(Lansley, 2014). However, this view point varies from person to person. (Bruce D. Meyer, 2014) perceives this

In my opinion education is the best tool to fight income inequality. I think that income inequality is a major problem but it is like anything else it can be mixed. If people really wanted to solve their financial problems they would attend school and to open doors for better opportunities and not settle for less in this case minimum wage. I also believe the government is doing something about it. I assist those in need.

Bourdieu argues that capital is what makes “the games of society” more than just a simple game of chance (Bourdieu 1986: 241). It is the energy that drives the development of a field through time (Grenfell 2008). Bourdieu does not restrict capital to its economic sense, however; he expands the concept to other non-economic forms. By this expansion, Bourdieu shed light on other forms of capital which are seen as disinterested and purposeless (Bourdieu, 1986). According to Bourdieu (1986), the forms of capital are economic capital (money, other financial resources and material assets), social capital refers to social networks and contacts of the individual, cultural capital is the education and knowledge and the symbolic capital is the status

At the same time, the class hierarchy and the inequality also have a lot of contact. The people who have different social background will have completely different life. Accounting to “The social class structure of Canada” in “Our society” Angelini introduced the characteristics of the upper-class people are going to the expensive private school or university and they can take over the family business when they group up. The characteristics of the middle-class people are having cars and house or condo; in addition, they have a stable job and some insurances. The characteristics of the working-class people are working with an unsafe job, less education, less opportunities to get the jobs, also low income. The characteristics of the sub working class are around 20% people are homeless people, they just live depend on the welfare, just little or no income. They just live in an independent city with special thought and culture (Angelini, 2012, p86-88). The wealthy people get the more, the poor people get the less. On the basis of these, the media also using different way to show us the inequality because of class hierarchy; furthermore, we will see that in the face of different classes, people have different stereotypes on them. Firstly, the social media showed the food what they eat. The newsfeed which the pictures showed Jack Ma ate fast noodle and pickles, people’s comment is “the richest man is so toilsome”, and surprise on it; besides, also had other pictures showed other