SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Race and Gender
1 a.) As defined by sociology, a minority group is one that is singled out and treated as lesser people, and given less say and resources than those who are of a higher station in society ((Ed.), (n.d)). The importance of having different ‘classes’ in society is that it defines who will be the one who serves those at the top and those who will be at the top. Although the separation of each class gives a clearer definition of who we are in society we should not allow that to stop us from striving to move up the stratification ladder. The poor in the U.S. begin at the door step of the single minority single White mothers, who make up the bottom thirty percent of the population (Meyer, 2014). Black women are even more of a minority than the White woman in today’s society. This is closely followed Black men and the Hispanic population coming in at 27 and 26 percent-respectively (Commerce, 2014). Women are minorities in many areas such as employment, education, and government support. Women are overlooked when it comes to being ‘allowed’ into certain jobs, neighborhoods, colleges and universities. Women are in general paid less for more work, longer hours and with less benefits. The working conditions for women are less stable than those of a man in the same position. The wages that they work for are even lower than that of their White contemparies and the conditions are even worse for them. Women earn about 77 cents for every
Throughout the semester, we have discussed many different social justice issues. One issue that has stuck with me is gender and racial inequality. Gender inequality is very important to me because I was raised by a single mother and surrounded by women all the time. I do not believe that anyone should be payed or treated differently due to their gender. While growing up, I saw that women are capable for doing anything and often times have to work harder than men to prove themselves. Racial inequality is an issues that is important to me because I feel that all individuals should be equal. I think Dr. King’s idea of color blindness, not today’s definition, should be something that we as a society strive for. We need to move past the idea that
This article speaks on several different aspects of race and ethnicity. It touches on the subject of
Black Americans have a history rooted in the struggle for equality and recognition as members of the American society. Over time, since the creation of the Constitution, blacks have continued to search for their role in America and have gained some formal standards for the black race. Although at the framing of the Constitution, blacks were not given the regard as citizens or even whole people, time progressed and gave way to opportunities to acquire legal aid in the crusade for racial equality. With the ability to utilize the court system, its formalities, and ultimately its power to enact national laws, blacks were able to win civil rights litigations, thus making advancements as a race.
In support of race as a social construct, and to counter racism, race equality has been preserved in international and national laws and in governmental and institutional policies. Race and the related and newer concept of ethnicity are prominent in modern multi-ethnic societies. Race and racism are current subjects in the United Kingdom because of the 200th anniversary of the UK’s 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. It’s a good time to reexamine the role of the most important contributor to the scientific concept of race, Johann Blumenbach, whose insights and errors provide important lessons for us
This Paper was written to discuss social inequality related to race relations. By comparing two articles “Ethno-Racial Attitudes and Social Inequality” and “What happens before? A field experiment exploring how pay and representation differentially shape bias on the pathway into organizations” this paper will explore racial social injustices with the intent to showcase the thinking about race relations and social inequality.
Racism, “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race” (Merriam-Webster). Racism, a broad topic that continues to be a problem in our society that affects all races regardless of class and color. Racial inequality, “a disparity in opportunity and treatment that occurs as a result of someone’s race” (Merriam-Webster). One’s identity of race should not determine an individual’s lifestyle. This problem existed in the past, and continues to be a problem in our current society. Although racial inequality continues to be a problem in our modern society, acknowledging racial inequality is important before change can take charge. In
One of the biggest struggles that our country has had to overcome is the fight for racial equality. The fight for legal, racial equality was only half the battle; achieving recognized, public equality was a very time consuming task. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The legalization of this act was the result of massive amounts of hard work. Many people had to come together in order to make a change. They fought for what they believed in, and racial equality would not have been legalized had it not been for their strength in numbers. If I could be a part of any historical event it would be the fight to legalize racial equality.
The race is a social construct that has real life consequences. The race is a fiction created by the dominant part of the society in order to legitimize their supremacy on those they wish to regulate. Racism: a term that was first coined by the Nazis in the 1930s in their attempt to make Germany clean of Jews . The race is a social construct that has both biological and cultural aspects but not based on scientific truths.
Racial inequality is regrettably imbedded in the history of the United States. Americans like to think of the American colonies as the start or founding of the quest for freedom, initially, the ending of religious oppression and later political and economic liberty. Yet, from the start, the fabric of American society was equally founded on brutal forms of supremacy, inequality and oppression which involved the absolute denial of freedom for slaves. This is one of the great paradoxes of American history – how could the ideals of equality and freedom coexist with slavery? We live with the ramifications of that paradox even today and effects how all Americans live and thrive in the United States.
Racial inequality is one of the first things that comes to mind when people hear “diversity”. My goal in this paper is show effective ways to encourage community diversity while simultaneously discouraging conflict. Webster’s dictionary defines diversity as “The condition of having or being composed of different elements, especially the inclusion of different people in a group or organization” (Webster). Education is a key component to help shape a person’s attitude toward society Greaney). The beliefs, perceptions, and understandings that people acquire doing their adolescence years tend to influence how they perceive things in life. (Epstein 1997; Seixas 1993) Providing educational information on different culturals is one way to encourage
The concept of equality is an organization which promoting racial equality. Yes, I do see it happening more frequently than in the past. Women has equality in position that was suited for men. Woman can run for Presidency, and minority and African American’s have better opportunities in the workplace and a college education through available funding resources. Nothing in the nature of aging produces any particular set of attitudes. Rather, attitudes toward the elderly are rooted in society and differentiate from one social group to another. Even, from an origin perspective, in our reading the functionalist focus on how the withdrawal of disengagement, activity, and continuity from the elderly commencing position of responsibility benefits society.
Gender, class, and race are different forms of categorical inequality established by exploitation meaning that a certain class, gender, and race gets an overwhelming amount of opportunities than those of the opposite group. We have all been affected by these types of inequality in one way or another. Unfortunately in my case my gender and race has affected certain aspects of my life in a negative way. I identify as a hispanic women, which means that in the United States I am a double minority. Being a women, especially in my household, always put me in acquiring less power than the men and boys. Also, being hispanic has put me in a disadvantaged position throughout my life.
The 21-st century is characterized by the continuous economic downfall. The relationship between race, class and gender should be evaluated to identify the life chances of people to improve their relative position in our socially stratified world. The increased rates of unemployment, homelessness and poverty show that our society requires implementing a transformative approach to reduce social stratification. The term social stratification is applied to identify and asses different forms of inequality that exist in the US society. Patricia H Collins suggests, “while a piece of the oppressor may be planted deep within each of us, we each have the choice of accepting that piece or challenging it as part of the 'true focus of revolutionary change'” (p. 680). Inequality has become a universal feature of our society; therefore, it exists everywhere and concerns race, class, and gender as the key categories of society.
Gender inequality and racial prejudice are alive and well in the United States and around the world despite the strides that have been made here over the past fifty years. Over time fixed notions about gender differences have been interwoven into the fabric of society, each leading to complex interactions among people. Traditionally, most of these rigid views have supported the dominance of men and the subservience of women in most social structures. In her article entitled: Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color, Kimberle Williams Crenshaw introduced the term “Intersectionality.” Intersectionality is the theory that different types of discriminations interact with one another. This notion goes hand in hand with Judith Butler’s ideas described her article titled “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory” which uses the term “gender acts” and deciphers a probable cause of various discriminatory practices encountered in contemporary society. Since both gender inequality and racial inequality share a common thread, I believe that what intersectionality represents will help understand Judith Butler’s view on gender classification and the dynamic it has caused on our social and political formation.
All people need to work for a living, but some may have it easier than others. Racial inequality, specifically relating to minorities and white individuals is a current issue that needs addressing. It is sad to say, but Hispanics and blacks make significantly less money than their white counterparts. In 2012, whites were making an average of $51,017, blacks and Hispanic respectively making $39,005 and $33,321.1 Currently, the rankings of average wage earned by race is as follows, Asian Americans, white Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans and finally Native Americans. We like to believe that such a thing does not exist as our past dealing with inequality has left a permanent scar on us, just saying something racially offensive may