Social Stratification in Present Day
Social stratification is still very much present in today’s society. Research proves that social inequalities can cause problems in society which include increases in: homicide, infant death, obesity, teenage pregnancies, depression, anxiety, teen suicide, and an increase in incarceration rates (Clark, 2009). With this being said, I will discuss three areas that have been plaguing the United States since the beginning of time. Racism, gender inequalities, and class advantage are the biggest issues in society today and without education and hard work, will continue to cause controversy amongst people. For this assignment I have taken 3 articles published in the last 3 days to represent the prevalence of social stratification. According to Brakanic, If a person displays opinions in common with a group, they are likely to be seen as a leader. Voicing prejudices common to group members is a way to serve as a standard for the group they represent (165). The first newspaper article was published in my local newspaper the St. Paul Pioneer Press. It is titled “Maine mayor, Somalis should leave culture at the door.” It describes the Mayor of Lewiston, Maine publically saying, his city’s Somali immigrants should, “Accept our culture and leave your culture at the door. His comment has not only offended the people of Lewiston but now--thanks to the internet--the world has heard his prejudiced opinion. Approximately 6,000 Somali born immigrants have immigrated to the town of Lewiston for affordable housing and safety. Since Mayor Robert Mcdonald has received negative feedback, he has tried to rescind his earlier statement and stated, “they don’t need to give up their language, religion or traditions, they should just try to assimilate to American culture. John McConahay would term this blatant remark as, “old fashioned prejudice” (Brakanic, 170). I believe that this racist remark is a good example of Robert McDonald’s social perception. He views Somali immigrants as
References: Canfield, C. (2012, 10 04). Maine mayor:somalis should leave culture at the door. Pioneer Press. Retrieved from http://www.twincities.com/ci_21697061/maine- Bellafonte, G. (2012, 10 05). Before a test a poverty of words. NY Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/nyregion/for-poor-schoolchildren-a-poverty-of-words.html? Quartz, A. (2012, 10 06). Why women hide their pregnancies. NY Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/opinion/sunday/why-women-hide-their-pregnancies.html?hp Bakanic (2012). Prejudice: Attitudes About Race, Class, and Gender [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/books/0558302521/id/pg_133 Super, J. C. (2005). Education in the united states. (1 ed., Vol. 3, p. 1,159). West Virginia: West Virginia University. Retrieved from http://salempress.com/store/samples/seventies