The Causes Of Social Inequality In The United States

If I was to be told the phrase, inequality is making us Americans sick, I would consider it as people who create unequal opportunities due to people being different are mentally sick. While that is a valid topic, the documentary Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and in Wealth brings to light a staggering statistic, that illness, in general, is largely due to the less obvious effects of segregated class systems that exist all over the nation.

Living in a society that does not help its people to live comfortably and provide facilities for them to achieve their demands, is harmful. One of these harmful affections is “social inequality” in each diverse society. Social inequality occurs when resources in each society are distributed unevenly, typically through norms of allocation, that engender specific patterns along lines of socially defined categories of persons. The United States contains one of the most common social inequalities for its population and that is “social stratification and mobility” and the government should strictly investigate this social inequality for people who are living in the United States.

One of the main topics discussed during this political science course is the political and economic inequality that has recently risen to staggering levels in the United States. Although political and economic inequality seem to be some of the most pressing issues we face today, little has been done to close the gap between the middle and upper classes. By looking at how our government and society behaves, one can see why the inequality barrier is such a difficult obstacle to overcome. Politicians may be more focused on staying in the good favor of their party than their people, but they are still elected by the majority. If more citizens took a more proactive approach to politics, social movements would be more successful and more balance would be brought to the political spectrum; however, money, powerful officials, and a general lack of interest prevent the government from maintaining a system that benefits everyone equally.

Americans today live in a distinctly unequal society. Inequality is now wider than it used to be in the last century, and the division in income, wages, and wealth are broader than they are in other developed economies of the world. Wealth inequality is the imbalance of wealth or income within a society, and it is one of the most vital economic challenge the US is facing today because the distribution of wealth is more dispersed, making the inequality in wealth distribution at its highest. While the matter has been discussed for many years, the actual income disparity in the U.S. has heightened and is now verging on an extreme gap that portends to impede long-term economic growth. The huge gap between the wealthy and poor is squeezing the U.S. economy, the wealth gap threatens economic growth by diminishing social mobility and producing a less-educated workforce who are not able to compete in the global economy. unrestrained level of income inequality causes political pressures, it discourages trade, investment, and hiring. The present level of income inequality in the U.S. is shrinking GDP growth, and the world's largest economy is struggling to recover from the Great Recession.

Economic inequality is directly linked with the unequal or highly wide gaps in the income levels of different groups. The reason why economic inequality is seen as a threat, regardless of its presence in big numbers, is because it leads to deterioration of the well-being and solidarity of several macro-economic factors. When there is unavailability of equal opportunities for different ethnic groups residing in a country, then economic inequality would keep on ascending. The inequality of income and financial status is sometimes associated with the social problems which are deep rooted within the societies from past. Even after hundreds of laws, acts and welfare programs, the situations stay more or less same. It shows that the efforts required to eliminate the poverty and narrowing income gaps are not honest and are initiated only on temporary basis. It is not possible to completely wipe away the element of economic inequality from any society but the mission should be to provide as much assistance required as possible to keep the economy smooth and running without pushing for any depressing outcomes.

As an American, we revel in our freedoms. Not everything is free, however, we have laws that were created for safety. They help keep everyone happy, alive and well. The foundation for these laws came from the founding fathers; they wished for Americans alive then, alive now, and alive years from now feeling safe and free. However, there are fatal flaws in the documents created by the founding fathers. These documents are not effective in establishing and preserving freedoms of Americans because they confined the definition of a valued American to white males as well as allowed the means of corruption to enter our laws through lack of rigidity.

Inequality is a problem that has had an effect on the United States for many years. Although throughout the years the severity of inequality has fluctuated, it has increased greatly within the past two decades. There are many factors that could have influenced this increase. Some of the factors include technology and deindustrialization.

When thinking about social institutions and how they shape society, it becomes clear that they have a very large role in maintaining inequality. The very nature of social institutions make them very hard to change and when an institution begins based on, or allowing for inequality, it can be extremely difficult for things to change.

Social inequality exists in the United States through the Elite’s power to maintain their dominance in the United States capitalist system. The Elite Ruling class is made of the upper class and this class of individuals share similar ideology and are the members of the United State’s Superstructure. The Elite Ruling Class members of society are the decision and policy makers in the United States. Research and history has proven that many policies and decisions made by the Elite Ruling Class serve their own interest and promote their ideas. These decisions are the source of the inequality in the United States and it contributes to their ability to maintain their dominant status. The inequality is trickled down to the other classes through social policy and social institutions that affect our lives everyday citizens. A major example of this social inequality can be seen in the United States housing market or home ownership. A significant amount of studies, statics and data supports the evidence of social inequality within the US housing market or home ownership. The following passages will discuss social inequality in the United States as it is connected to Karl Marx’s theory of capitalism’s power and influence of the Elite Dominant i.e. the Ruling Class view as it relates to homeownership within the United States. Karl Marx’s theory however focuses mostly on economic s and the difference between upper and lower class not race. It is also important to point out that the Elite

The population of the poor in the United States represents roughly 15 percent of the total population (Macionis 2013:41). As of 2012, the poorest 20 percent of the United States only represents 3.8 percent of total income earned (Macionis 2013:35). People do not choose to be poor, and most of those who are impoverished try to overcome this challenge. However, there is a trend that is evident and is continuously noticed in society. Those who live in poverty experience worse health care, education, social status, and wages than the upper class. I believe socioeconomic status serves a large role in whether an individual is likely to experience poor health. Policies that increase unemployment insurance or allocate for equal distribution of wealth and opportunity are viable solutions to socioeconomic inequality (Babones 2010:141). The social conflict theory best explains the socioeconomic inequality in the United States and helps sociologists interpret how inequality causes increased health issues for the lower class.

It would be within reason to assume that when it comes to jobs the most qualified individual should get the position. However, the sad truth is that in today’s society this is not always the case. We would like to think that this nation is beyond racial barriers, glass ceilings, and students left behind, but the truth is we are not. Inequalities like these are some of the main reasons America has such a large wealth gap, and has become stagnant when it comes to upward mobility. We know that inequality of opportunity is largely at fault when it comes to individual gains in upward mobility yet it continues to happen. What is upward mobility and why do we care? Upward mobility is defined as “rising from a lower to a higher social class or status”

Enrolling in this class, I was extremely aware of the majority of the social stratification classifications

Income inequality has been an ongoing issue that has affects many American citizens for decades. Some Americans are more affected by income inequality than other Americans. This is an unfortunate fact, but there seems to be no easy solution and it seems it is getting worse. American citizens are losing hope in the system, and their voices screaming for change that benefits all, are rarely heard.

Life is hard it consists of effort, work, and dedication, all of which make life a bit more livable, but nonetheless the struggle still exists. This struggle is due to the constant tension between acquiring wealth, which apparently makes life worthwhile, while disdaining one’s personal passions, which has become a social norm. This is interesting, because it shows how easily controlled the human mind can be. In reality this is the heart of the argument: do people wish to be controlled by their jobs and those in power, or do they want to be in control of their lives by doing what they please? Therefore, America being as modern and progressive as it may seem harbors and endorses a new kind of slavery that leaves people devoid of their ambitions

A social issue (social problem) refers to an issue that others recognize as a problem within society. Different social problems in our culture include but are not limited to cultural discrimination, poverty, social inequality, racial discrimination, and urbanization. Social inequality refers to a lack of social equivalence, where individuals in a society do not equal one another because of their communal status. Sometimes when social inequality takes place inherently discrimination, prejudice, and racism take place. Each of these issues differ from one another but the commonality is the mistreatment of an individual based on the individual characteristics either physical or personality. Social inequality includes issues such as voting rights, freedom of speech, and unequal distribution of income/wealth. Society is organized by social hierarchies based on class, race, and gender.