US History and Government - Essay Example

First Sur United s History and Government The mentioning of the term “minority group” often occurs in conjunction with the discourse of collective rights and civil rights that profoundly gained prominence in the twentieth century. The perception that an individual belongs to a minority category fuels discrimination regardless of personal achievement. Alternatively, prejudice may result from the prevailing political and sociological structures. The paper examines how the status of the marginalized groups changed over time majorly in the twentieth century and some of the similarities and differences existing between these social and political changes.

In 1990, American women would only vote in four Western States (Merchant, Gratton, and Gutmann 703). However, at the end of the century women could vote in all the States in U.S. with many of them intensifying their involvement in politics. Correspondingly, Merchant and his colleagues record that only six percent women were in the paid labor force in the United States (705). At the culmination of the twentieth century, approximately sixty-four percent of women were in the paid labor force. Further, in 1900, women accounted for one percent of lawyers and six percent of doctors, percentages that rose substantially to twenty-nine percent and twenty-six percent respectively.

For women who strived for independence, this was a remarkable step in their quest for political and social freedom. During the twentieth century, household income of marginalized groups such as the African Americans improved (Steele 756). As recorded by Steele the gap in earnings between the marginalized Black Americans and Whites decreased (757). In the middle and on the start of twentieth century, blacks hardly earned forty percent of white’s incomes while, at the end of the century, they received eighty percent of what Whites earned.

As these elements of discrimination prevailed, the youth from both divides of discrimination suffered as the political authorities disregarded their participation in the political arena and the job market. Most importantly, as Trujillo notes, the youths from the racial minority groups faced intensified opposition in the earth 1999s as compared to the White children (81). The factors that contributed to the revolution of the social and political status of marginalized groups in the twentieth century were majorly legislative in nature.

The nineteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, guaranteed women’s rights to vote. Trujillo recognizes political change as a critical milestone in the campaign for women’s rights that began in the middle of the respective century (81). Further, in 1981, President Reagan nominated Day O’Connor, the first woman to the Supreme Court. Similarly, in 1984, Representative Geraldine Ferraro received a nomination to run for vice president. These profound appointments changed the perception of the role of women in the society.

In a similar measure, were also youth empowered significantly through the review of their age of transition to adulthood. The age at which they filled adult roles extended and the combinations of their duties varied over the century. Due to the increasing complexity of the world towards the end of the century, it became increasingly difficult to specify their transition ages to adulthood. Therefore, employers began considering them for casual duties in various parts of the country. Additionally, the increased empowerment of the racial minorities especially youths was due to greater access to higher education in the 1960s as noted by Hirsch (1138).

The changes had similarities and few differences. Both changes in the social and political status of the ethnic minorities and women involved the emergence of campaign movements that advocated for equal rights and justice. Unlike the two, the social status change of the youth was not influenced by the social movements. Instead, it was due to increased complexity of the world. The change of status of the racial minorities and women were similar in all cases involved granting of rights and opportunities for advancement.

The change in political status of women led to the intense participation of women in politics; this was the same case with the change in political status of racial minorities. In conclusion, the political and the social status of the marginalized groups changed positively leading to improved lifestyles of the victims of prejudice. Works CitedHeadlee, S. Work, Family, and Faith: Rural Southern Women in the Twentieth Century. Journal of American History 93.4 (2007): 1332-1333.Hirsch, S J. ‘The Socialist Impulse: Latin America in the twentieth century’.

Choice 47.6 (2010): 1138-1139.Merchant, Emily, Brian Gratton and Myron Gutmann. ‘A Sudden Transition: Household Changes for Middle Aged U.S. Women in the Twentieth Century’. Population Research and Policy Review 31.5 (2012): 703-726.Steele, Brian. American Capitalism: Social Thought and Political Economy in the Twentieth Century Edited By Nelson Lichtenstein. The Economic History Review 61.3 (2008): 756-758. Trujillo, Susan. Sources: 100 People Who Changed 20Th-Century America. Reference & User Services Quarterly 53.1 (2013): 81-81.