Power Privilege and Social Work Identity

Power and Inequality
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Power and inequality are a sort of measure of the origin and maintenance of different inequalities across time and societies. Inequality has always been a societal problem; therefore, numerous researches have been conducted to understand the drivers of the inequity and how they can be mitigated. For instance, findings by Oxfam show that eight billionaires in the world control more wealth than the poorest 50% of the world's population. This essay focuses on the idea of global power, influence and how they contribute to economic inequalities in Australia. I will also conduct a personal reflection of my contribution to the inequality and being part of the solution through social work.
Inequality is a social issue that has plagued all countries in the world. Even the richest countries grapple with this issue and there is a constant strain between the rich and the poor. At its core, inequality represents the unequal division of opportunities and resources. The same logic can be applied to Australian society as wealth inequalities continue to increase. Between 2003 and 2016, the average wealth of the highest 20% rose by 53% ($2.9 million). The middle 20% rose by 32% in the same period while the lower 20% decreased by 9% CITATION UNS18 \l 1033 (UNSW, 2018). In a modern global economy such as Australia, the resources are governed by structures of capitalism and rules regarding inherited wealth. Power and privilege are obtained through a successful concentration of wealth, which reinforces inequality CITATION Dar16 \l 1033 (Walker, 2016). Therefore, it's no surprise that the eight richest individuals are men and mostly white. This reinforces the idea that an individual lucky enough to be born white and middle- or upper-class families will have social advantages that make them wealthier and healthier CITATION Pet17 \l 1033 (Callero, 2017). Therefore, identity in terms of age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status plays a part in society's inequality.
Am I unique? According to Marx, answering the question reflects a person's historical, material and economic contexts. As humans, we have developed hierarchies and pecking orders over the years and for some families over centuries. Social work ensures individuals pursue social change, development, understanding human behavior, economic and cultural institutions. In terms of my neighborhood, I don't consider myself unique since my friends and I share a fairly similar model of upbringings. I was born in a middle-class environment that afforded me and my friend's considerable advantages. Over time, the community has received investments, and its gradually turning into an upper-class community. This change has been coming for years, and for the first time, one can argue that inequality is becoming more obvious.
My campus life has also opened my eyes to the significant gap between children from different backgrounds. Some children float their way through the university while others struggle to get money for books. As a middle-class student, I can see both sides as, given the right circumstances, I can fall into the privileged and less privileged category. For instance, my family's economic status means that my school f...