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There has been a rise in the levels of global inequality, which stems from the organizations and institutions that we interact with within our daily lives. Inequality has become inevitable due to preferences in social structures. There are several types of inequalities. This essay focuses on social inequality and the influence of social organization in inequality, examples of social inequality, and the measure put in place by the United States in reducing inequality and promoting “liberty and justice for all.”
Social inequality is an aspect of sociology that studies and analyzes the distribution of goods and burdens in society. Social inequality is the extent to which an individual’s social background defined by their parent’s economic status and social class influences the individual’s opportunities in life. Inequality had decreased in America from 1990 to 2010 but has recently increased in some American states. Social Inequality has been fueled by an unequal global landscape, economic disparities, and job insecurities. Inadequate opportunities that result in inequality have created frustrations across the globe despite advancements in economic growth and improved living standards. Gender, Ethnicity, race, geographical areas, and socioeconomic class greatly influence the opportunities one accesses in life.
Identity is one of the major causes of social inequality globally. However, new avenues for social inequality have risen based on the internet and mobile technology. Technological advancements tend to create a division where there are losers and gainers; highly skilled individuals are more advantaged by the new technology while the middle-skilled workers and low-skilled workers are affected negatively concerning job destruction. Technology has contributed to rising social inequality, tides and migration, urbanization, and climate crises such as hot and dry climate and global warming. Climate change influences the depth of poverty by making it difficult for people to get out of poverty and increases the chances of falling into poverty due to price shocks due to unpredictable changes in agricultural production, environmentally triggered crises, and natural disasters. Climatic changes are likely to interfere with the economic opportunities of future generations. The World Social Report has called for nations to come together and harness these changes to bring about sustainability and equity in the world before they divide the nation beyond the present gap.
Some social inequalities can be traced from ancient times, which have progressed over time despite various global changes, such as discrimination based on Ethnicity. Ethnic minorities have remained exploited and disadvantaged even in nations that have placed policies that ensure equity among the citizens. The minority group is always characterized by low human capital and assets. Nations with high levels of social inequality face a challenge in reducing the socioeconomic gap and eliminating poverty compared to nations with low levels of social inequality. Inequalities in health and education have created obstacles for individuals struggling to get out of the poverty cocoon and which transits from one generation to another. Social inequalities concentrate political influence on members of the upper social class, which widens the opportunity disparities gap. This concentration of political influence on the well-off creates mistrust in the ability of the state to address the needs of the minority, which destabilizes the political system and interferes with democracy. It is a call for nations to institute policies to control equity in trade, technological advancement, and climatic changes to curb the social iniquity crisis.
There are several types of social inequalities. However, some of the social inequalities include wage inequality, education inequality, and health inequality. Wage inequality in the United States has increased drastically before the Great Depression. Wage inequality has been attributed to differences in race, gender, and Ethnicity. Men are likely to be paid more than their female counterparts in the same job group, the CEO of a company is paid up to 100 times the wage of an average worker. When it comes to job interviews, applicants with “white-sounding” names are more likely to receive callbacks than their counterparts. Racial gaps have also been witnessed in education where high-school drop-outs rates are higher among the Hispanics than among the whites, while in college enrollment, the whites have registered a higher rate of enrollment than the Blacks. For racial and ethnic minorities, health takes many forms of disparities despite the advancement in health technology. The black Americans and Hispanic communities continue to face discrimination in accessing health services. Millions of children below the age of 18 lack health insurance with children from low social class and other races besides the whites being affected more.
Social inequality is a dangerous crisis as it leads to mistrust in the Government in taking care of the minority group while favouring the majority. The United States government has placed policies that aim at ensuring equity and justice in harnessing the bitterness that rises due to social inequality. The Government has revised legislative frameworks that contributed to inequality among people and regions and developed a participatory framework in politics where there is democracy; the Government has also addressed regional inequality by improving general infrastructure and decentralizing public services.
In conclusion, the Government of the United States can implement social programs targeted t reduce health and education inequalities and ensure that participants cannot access income equality and the minority. The Government should also include other measures of social inequality, not only income inequality. Eradication of social inequality is a collective effort of every individual at a personal level; everyone should embrace equity and justice.
References
Allen, Ng (2017). The times they are a-changing: technology, employment, and the Malaysian economy. 1/17. Discussion Paper. Khazanah Research Institute
Cao, Shixiong, and Heran Zheng (2016). Climate change adaptation to escape the poverty trap: role of the private sector. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, vol. 2, No. 10.
DESA, U. (2020). World social report 2020: Inequality in a rapidly changing world. New York, NY: Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.
