The Role Of Social Inequality In The United States
In modern society, most humans believe in equality, a system in which every individual is treated the same regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, etc. While it is evident that society has not reached this point, it must be noted how differences among groups of people can separate them into categories. These categories that groups of people fall under in society are what make up stratification, or a system of different hierarchies in society. Stratification leads to social inequality because it separates people based on contrasting qualities.
To understand these hierarchies in which people are placed under, the standards of equality must first be understood. The standards of equality are ways in which equality is perceived. …show more content…
The most clear way this can be seen is through financial well-being. In a perfect world, everyone in the United States would have equal income and equal wealth; however, this is not the case. The top 1% of people in the United States own approximately 40% of the nation’s wealth, and the bottom 80% own approximately 7% of the nation’s wealth (TED Talk, 9/22). This drastic inequality in wealth between Americans contributes to the different hierarchies, or classes, in America because wealth is inherited, leaving little room for people to change classes. For example, a woman whose family has a lot of wealth will be able to attend college, obtain a degree and find a white-collar job, which she will then pass down to her children, her children to their children, and so on. A woman without wealth, on the other hand, will not be able to afford to attend college and will mostly likely fall into the working class, which will continue in her children. Since the nation’s wealth is so unevenly distributed, it will result in nearly inescapable unequal classes of …show more content…
Gender, for example, plays a very large role in how equally people are treated. In the 1950’s, much emphasis was placed on women being faithful wives that cook and clean for their husbands while the man would go out and make the family income. Although this is not commonly practiced in America, there are lasting effects on women because of it. The nearly comprehensive system of patriarchy places women at strong disadvantages, especially in professional settings, where they are less likely to receive higher salaries or be offered higher positions because of the old shared belief that women are inferior to men. Race can also put individuals at a disadvantage. Being a white American comes with much more privilege than being another race and being an American. Being a person of color in a predominantly white society can make an individual a target of racism, discrimination or oppression, depleting their chances of being accepted into a particular society. This is known as white privilege, and it further divides America into more
To understand these hierarchies in which people are placed under, the standards of equality must first be understood. The standards of equality are ways in which equality is perceived. …show more content…
The most clear way this can be seen is through financial well-being. In a perfect world, everyone in the United States would have equal income and equal wealth; however, this is not the case. The top 1% of people in the United States own approximately 40% of the nation’s wealth, and the bottom 80% own approximately 7% of the nation’s wealth (TED Talk, 9/22). This drastic inequality in wealth between Americans contributes to the different hierarchies, or classes, in America because wealth is inherited, leaving little room for people to change classes. For example, a woman whose family has a lot of wealth will be able to attend college, obtain a degree and find a white-collar job, which she will then pass down to her children, her children to their children, and so on. A woman without wealth, on the other hand, will not be able to afford to attend college and will mostly likely fall into the working class, which will continue in her children. Since the nation’s wealth is so unevenly distributed, it will result in nearly inescapable unequal classes of …show more content…
Gender, for example, plays a very large role in how equally people are treated. In the 1950’s, much emphasis was placed on women being faithful wives that cook and clean for their husbands while the man would go out and make the family income. Although this is not commonly practiced in America, there are lasting effects on women because of it. The nearly comprehensive system of patriarchy places women at strong disadvantages, especially in professional settings, where they are less likely to receive higher salaries or be offered higher positions because of the old shared belief that women are inferior to men. Race can also put individuals at a disadvantage. Being a white American comes with much more privilege than being another race and being an American. Being a person of color in a predominantly white society can make an individual a target of racism, discrimination or oppression, depleting their chances of being accepted into a particular society. This is known as white privilege, and it further divides America into more