The US economy faces challenges of inequality with a big wealth and pay difference between the rich and the poor. This disparity is also experienced between the blacks and the whites, with most whites belonging to the upper economic classes, while the blacks belong to the poor economic classes. Inequality in the Unites States is the highest when compared to other countries which are on the same economic level such as the UK (Desilver, 2014). There is a wide gap between the rich and the poor in the United States. These facts have a significant impact on the health, economy and the population at large. This paper will discuss various facts of the US economy using various theories. There exist numerous systems which explain the various social economic statuses affect individuals in the society. Interaction, functionalism and the conflict theory explain how socioeconomic differences arise from many factors and additionally explain certain perspectives which affect social classes.
According to the conflict theory, the tension and conflict arise when resources, power and resources are redistributed unevenly among the masses. These conflicts lead to social change. These conflicts lead to economic development such as the revolution from the agricultural era into the industrialization era. Power is thus defined as the control of resources and wealth and the control of the political era and institutions which make up the society. Others factors which determine ones social statuses are gender, age, culture, sexuality, religion and race. Inequality in the US economy is the highest in the world currently. In the year 1992, 1% of families in the US economy accounted for over 10% of the pretax income in the US economy. Another 90% of families were only responsible for only 64.7% of the income. By the year 2012, the 1% of the population was receiving over 22% of the pretax income, while the 90% were responsible for less than 50% of the income.
According to the Karl Max conflict theory, the consequences of conflict and tension in the society. Industrialization led to the formation of the powerful individuals who were the minority group in the society, bourgeoisie, who owned the means of production. The majority people in the society involved themselves with working for the owners and were responsible were living with minimal resources therefore leading to a conflict of the classes. In the United States, these groups have divided themselves into the middle-class income earners, and the rich who make the minority. These are the employers for most of the people of the in the society. There is also the poor in the society who are living below the poverty levels. These circumstances have led division between the various economic classes. Women and men are viewed differently in the society, and men are expected to have a top socio-economic status. The conflict and tensions caused by the socio economic differences reveal themselves through discrimination. The wealthy form a small minority while the poor are left to form the larger majority which accounts for over 90% of the population.
According to the functionalism theory, social order in the society is needed. Functionalism leads to stability in the society. Functionalism views the society as a collection of parts that are delicately interconnected which must work together for the social harmony of the system as a whole . According to the theory each individual in the society has a specific role to play in the society. When one individual in the society is faced with a crisis others must step up to fill the void that has been left by that individual. Social institutions play a major in the society and are responsible for order in the society. These institutions include government, family, media, education, religion and economy. Institutions only exist in the society because of the function they play in the society. Institutions in the United States are closely knit together due to the functions they play in the society. For instance, children who refuse to go to school become socially deviant behavior are not law abiding and may end up in institutions such as jails.
If these institutions fail to serve the community, the society will do away with such institutions. A good example of how the system works is the relationships between the government and the society. The government educates the society while the society pays taxes which facilitate the government to perform the functions. In turn, the society expects children to gain information and knowledge in school which aids them in taking care of the children. Children expect to get good jobs after they complete their education which will make them law-abiding citizens who pay taxes and support the state in serving their functions. Human functions are divided into those which are intentional and obvious and those which are unintentional and not well known to the society.
The interactions theory focuses on the details which go on in the lives of individuals in the society. Creation of self is determined by symbols to define concepts of themselves and maintain certain impressions of themselves. Interactions in the society depend on how people make meaning and shape in the society. These interactions are between individuals and groups. Our actions and behavior are the main concepts of interaction in the society which arise from our interpretation of various problems. Human beings are defined as social actors, and people adjust to behavior to the actions of other actors. Social constructions are made by the society, depending on interactions and behavior in the society. The interactions theory is in contrast with the functionalist theory. According to this theory interactions in the society such as discrimination are known to influence how individuals in the society relate to each other. The blacks have been discriminated over the years and blacks make only 65% of what the average white American makes.
The interactions theory argues that the society has a common perspective on what issues such as crime are in the society. The interactions theory is associated with labeling of various members of the society. For example, the police are likely to label the black youths as criminals in the society. This can lead to victimizing of certain individuals in the society. These labels often lead to stereotypes and often people tend to behave as they are stereotyped. Black youth are more likely to adapt to socially deviant behavior. The society is also likely to take sympathy with those groups which are victimized. For example, the media is likely to take sympathy with the others in the society who are victimized and marginalized. For example, the black movement in the United States with the media and activists joining the black community to fight for equality against discrimination in the society. According to the interaction theory, the social order is a state of the mind which leads to people perceiving what they believe as a state of social order. Stereotypes are a common occurrence in this theory (Bates, 2015).
In conclusion, the US economy is characterized by large inequality gaps which are caused by differences in the wealth of the people of the United States. According to the interaction theory, the society constructs its ideas on social order which are used to create labels in the society. These stereotypes are then used by the society who either sympathize with these stereotypes, and these stereotypes are likely to behave how the society expects them to. The functionalist theory argues that various institutions in the society are there to maintain social order in the society. These institutions support each other, and when some of these institutions fail to make sense to the society they are taken away from the society. According to the conflict theory, social are caused by social economic classes which lead to barriers between various classes in the society. There are minority powerful and rich individuals while the majority are living below poverty levels and are deprived of benefits and resources in the society.
References
Bates, R. A. (2015). The Sociological Perspective Revisted. The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology, 1-9.
Desilver, D. (2014, January 7). 5 facts about economic inequality. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/07/5-facts-about-economic-inequality/
Hammond, R., Cheney, P., & Pearsey, R. (2015). Introduction to Sociology. Retrieved May 22, 2016, from http://freesociologybooks.com/
Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2007). Understanding Social Problems. Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA.
