In America today there is a great deal of anger, strife and unrest. In fairness it is impossible in a diverse land to “please” everyone. The reality is that much of this social unrest stems from a number of reasons. Three of those reasons include income, race and gender as it exists in this modern era. While each can be discussed and addressed individually, they are, in fact, completely intertwined. Despite the ideal that America is based on the ideas of equality for all Americans is something of a myth in many towns, cities and states across the country. There are distinct classes in the United States and the gap between these classes is getting wider and wider from border to border (Johnston 1). Economic, racial and gender inequalities continue to be perpetuated and American citizens are suffering for it. In a way the three are like an endless, vicious cycle. If one is poor, they are more likely to be a minority or female. Someone who is a minority is more likely to be poor and woman. Finally if one is female then they are more likely to be poor and a member of a minority group. This means that in order to fix these socioeconomic class issues all three would need to be addressed simultaneously if they hope to put a stop to this kind classist inequality.
Economics are something incredibly important, particularly in a capitalist society. In American it is money that sets the tone for how some people are perceived, categorized and treated. People with the most money are elite in many ways (Zweig 1). They have access to the best that money can buy. Today if one has money then the world is theirs to enjoy, but if one does not have money they find themselves at a continuous disadvantage in modern society. The best healthcare, education and overall financial security are not as available. For the poor healthcare is general and provided by the government, education success is low in socioeconomically depressed areas and finally struggle to make ends meet at low-paying minimum wage jobs. The gap can be so high that the wealthier are literally making 100 percent more than their poorest counterparts and the average company worker would have to work a full month to make what their CEOs, often, makes in one hour, as explained in the 2012 video, “Wealth Inequality in America.” The gap between the rich and poor is widening, the rich are getting richer and the poor appear to be getting poorer. In fact, today they are discussing a new upper-class, people they refer to as the hyper-rich; the wealthiest with billions of dollars at their disposal. These privileged few are living a life very different from middle-class, and certainly, the poorest people living in the poorest communities (Johnston 1). However, one thing that people will notice is that these poorest neighborhoods are primarily made of women and members of racial minorities. That is because the three are interconnected.
The perspectives on race have changed and race relations have come a long way over the last hundred years, but racism has not been eliminated and the stereotyped perspective on race is still alive in the present era. Science has proven that race is a product of society not biology. Under the skin we are all essentially the same (Understanding Race 1). While American holds to the idea of equality to all, which is not necessarily the experience of all Americans living in the United States. People of African American descent and people of Hispanic and Latino American descent are most often found in the poorest neighborhoods. This is because minorities have a more difficult time finding work it comparison to their white counterparts (Carter and Reardon 6-7). Because children are being raised in these impoverished environment they are less likely to do well in school, least likely to attend college and most likely to enter into a life of crime, because their options and opportunities are limited. Because they are a minority, they are more likely to be poor and, therefore, more likely to enter into criminal activities. However, while minorities make up a large portion of the poorest communities, the largest presence in such communities are women, very often single mothers and quite often minorities (Carter and Reardon 4-5).
Gender equality is a debated topic that goes back generations. History is an endless story of women being oppressed and subjugated by men and their patriarchal societies. This kept women with few rights throughout the ages and dependent on men for support (Nordberg 1). Once that changed and women were taken more seriously they have had to fight for equality socially, professionally and philosophically for decades. Unfortunately, while women are considered equal in the eyes of the law that does not always means that things will always work out in societal terms (Carter and Reardon 7-8). Women are equally as capable as men, but there are aspects to being a woman in the modern world that can force them into the poorest lifestyles. First and foremost a large portion of the women living below the poverty line are single mothers. These mothers often work multiple jobs, make low wages and must also include their children’s needs without the presence and, often, without the contribution of the fathers in these scenarios. This prevents many women from being able to climb their way out of poverty. This is highly common among women considered to be a minority.
That being said the relationship between poverty, race and gender is entirely intermixed. One cannot solve any portion without addressing all three. It is that vicious cycle, previously mentioned, women, particularly single mothers, are often poor, which means they will likely not have access to the best employment opportunities and educational options, many of these people are minorities. The three go hand-in-hand. It will require great change in order to end the vicious cycle and bring closure to the widening distance between the wealthiest and the poorest of Americans (Carter and Reardon 1). Address the economic issues and allow hard-working poor to earn realistic and gainful employment so that poor neighborhoods can be transformed. Greater attention must be turned onto the plight of single mothers and how to give them a path out of poverty. Finally, the social issues regarding race in the United States must be addressed. If this country truly wants to be considered truly equal then creating a hyper-wealthy class and a destitute class is not the answer and is it not what the founding fathers of this country was trying to escape, the gap between the nobles and the commoners; today it is the wealthy and privileged and the “disenfranchised.” It is essentially the same premise; like history repeating itself.
In the end, one would have to be blind to believe that the issues regarding economics, race and gender inequality are not still ever-present in the modern era. We see it all of the time. Again it is a self-perpetuating that primarily affect negatively the poor, minorities and women. If some Americans have their fresh meals prepared by a private chef in the million dollar estate overlooking the ocean and other Americans are left scraping up change to get enough “Top Ramen” to feed a family of four, then there is clearly something wrong because there is nothing equal about that. The issues of economics, racial and gender inequality is all part of a class system that places some in a good and fortunate light and others left to an impoverished and unfulfilled life. This does not mean that, as some political parties argue, that the wealth accumulated by the very rich should be given to the poor as charity. This would not encourage people to climb out of poverty, it would simply make them more dependent upon the wealthier citizens. However, the mentality of “pay-it-forward” is likely what is needed. Contributing to getting children off of the street and into beneficial classrooms, aiding impoverished mothers and giving them a path out of poverty through education and job training and, finally, the racial inequalities have to be acknowledged and address; pretending they do not exist will not make them go away. Until this is done their will continue to be a class system that benefits some but not others. The contributing factors of income, race and gender will continue to lead to inequality and unrest in the present day America.
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