Social And Racial Inequality In Education & Employment

Name Institutional affiliation Lecturer Date Social Inequality Introduction Social inequality is a description given to the uneven distribution of resources and opportunities. In the modern context, inequality is prevalent in social class, ethnicity, gender, and age. Studies indicate that social inequality leads to social stratification which displays inequalities that are found in the distribution of income, wealth, power and status. America is a perfect example where racial inequality is prevalent and as such it is becoming a tradition. There are indications according to studies that whites are more advantaged than blacks and Hispanics. Statistics have it that blacks earn 24% less; they are likely to be imprisoned 6 times more and have a shorter life span than their white counterparts (Fryer 2). In the case of the Hispanics, they earn 25% less than their white counterparts and are more likely to be incarcerated three times more (Fryer 2). Neo-racial discrimination has been a subject of heated debate with some pundits suggesting that it could be genetically inclined, institutional or personal discrimination, and cultural backwardness as witnessed in the minority groups of the US (Fryer 2). This paper seeks to explore more on the social inequalities with a special focus on education, housing and employment. Racial Inequality in Education Education is fundamental to all the young people for the sake of the acquisition of skills and the necessary knowledge to enable them become prosperous in life. This being the case, the US has exhibited high rates of inequality in the education sector. Averagely, students who hail from minority backgrounds, poor families and immigrant communities do not get a chance to clear their school at the expected time as compared to their white counterparts. In essence, they end up exhibiting inferior academic skills and at the same time they receive lesser certificates and degrees on average (Gamoran 9). America faces another problem of mass incarceration, especially the African Americans. Incarceration affects both the culprits and their families. Imprisoned individuals have lesser chances of completing their formal studies and this trickles down to their immediate family because of the insufficient financial resources. Most of the African American families are made up of single parents. This has led to cases of disturbed early childhood development in such families. Education has been affected by socioeconomic factors in the American community. There is a wide gap between the rich and the poor. So many poor children are not able to access quality education as compared to the children from rich backgrounds (Gamoran 15). Most of the schools have a policy of excluding students from school, which is at the time known as suspension. Based on the racial factor, the most affected are the black students. This action has a detrimental effect on the overall performance of the student which will have a future ramification to the students general work life. Should the student be expelled from school, so much can transpire in the minor’s life academically. Statistics indicate that it is more likely for the expelled students to achieve any meaningful qualification at the age of 16 years (Gillborn, Rollock, Warmin...