Race and Inequality in the United States - Research Paper Example

? Race and Inequality in United s Introduction The term racism is used to define opinions, behaviors as well as activities that divide different groups of individuals into different races and these groups share similar kinds of traits as well as abilities. Racism in other words is an act of discrimination based on race and in this kind of discrimination one race is considered as superior when compared to the other race. Inequality that is social in nature arises due to a relational process and due to this one group’s social status might be limited (Brunsma, 2013, p.718). Racial inequality is a term used to refer to various issues that take place on the level of society and these issues end up restricting the amount of chances in life experienced by a group, while increase the amount of chances in life for another group. Racial inequality has existed in United States for years and it continues to prevail even during the 21st century. It is considered that United States is a region that is experiencing post racism era and racial discrimination has been wiped off, but new ways of racial discrimination such as reverse racial discrimination and color blind discrimination are taking place (Norton, 2011, p.216; Bonilla-Silva, 2011, p.204 & Park, 2006, p.160). This research paper will focus on various aspects of race and inequality taking place in the region of United States. This research paper will focus on the past and current prevalence of race and inequality as well as how race based discrimination has impacted life in United States and Steps that can be taken to solve this issue. Body Differential treatment provided on the basis of race has been a long standing issue in the area of United States. Due to this differential treatment, different individuals belonging to different races experience difference in education, employment, health care, media representation, and participation in sports, investment opportunities as well as mortality rates (Saint, 2011, p.298 & Dubrow, 2012, p.50). Research has repeatedly proven that most of the people belonging to families who fall in the category of low income earning families are those who belong to the minority race in the United States and these families even fail to attain higher level of education. For example: a study conducted by Harrison et al. established that workers who belonged to the immigrant population were more likely to be forced to work in lower paying jobs and due to this they end up being a portion of the low income earning category (Harrison, 2013, p.390). Bailey reports that increasing in completion of college level education by low income groups only increased by 4%, while an increase in completion of college level education increased by 18% for individuals belonging to high income groups (Bailey, 2011, p.17633). Racial discrimination even impacts the investment options available to people representing different races (Kubrin, 2012, p.148). Rugh et al. states that both Latinos and African Americans had access to risky loans and lending was conducted on the basis of racial differences (Rugh, 2012, p.73). Failure to change socio economic status through wages earned and investment even leads to failure of attaining higher living standards. Su et al. reports that the degree of pollution was high in those neighborhood parks where people with lower socio economic existed and in areas where the minority of the US population formed the majority (Su, 2011, p.326). Failure to attain higher economic status as well as higher level of education even negative impacts the health conditions of the disadvantaged population. Braveman et al. and Rumberger figured out that those individuals who belonged to either middle or lower level income earning families and who had failed to acquire higher level of education were less healthier when compared to those who had attained higher level of education and belonged to high income earning families (Braveman, 2010, p.193 & Rumberger, 2010, p.253). One of the areas of human life that is mainly impacted in a negative manner is the health of the human beings. Differential treatment of people belonging to different races has led to the betterment of the health of a few individuals who belong to the superior race, while individuals belonging to the inferior race have experienced increase in health related issues over time. STDs which are even commonly regarded as sexually transmitted diseases are diseases that transfer from one human being to another when they are indulged in behaviors that are sexual in nature and when while having such encounters they do not use contraceptives. In the region of United States, individuals belonging to the race that are considered a part of the minority are at a higher risk of experiencing STDs. Dariotis conducted a study on differences in STDs experienced by the American population based on race and figured out that males belonging to the race of Latinos as well as Blacks are most likely to develop STDs and both these races represent the minority section of United States (Dariotis, 2011, p.57). One of the diseases that is transferred through sexual activity is HIV and it has been identified that individuals belonging to the minority race are at a higher risk of experiencing HIV. Singh et al. reported that during the period of 1987, individuals belonging to the race of Blacks are at a three times higher risk of experiencing HIV and this risk elevated to eight times after a period of 24 years (Singh, 2013, p.13). Another consequence that is experienced by failure to use contraceptives and safe sex methods is unwanted pregnancy. Unwanted pregnancies arise when both the sexual partners want to indulge in sexual affairs without wanting to give birth to a child. Patterns of unwanted pregnancy are even quite different in United States when compared on the basis of race. Finer et al. reported through his study that women belonging to the race of African American experienced the highest rate of unwanted pregnancies when they were compared to their white counterparts (Finer, 2011, p.482). Obesity is considered as an epidemic in the region of United States and is one of the most widespread health related issue experienced in the region. An individual is said to be experiencing obesity when his/her body fat has crossed the appropriate levels and is at a higher risk of developing diseases which may lead to death and other fatal health issues. Though obesity is experienced throughout the nation, certain people from certain races are at a higher risk of being obese as compared to people belonging to other races. Singh et al. states that children belonging to minority races including Hispanic and Indian race were at a higher risk of becoming obese as compared to children who belonged to advantages families (Singh, 2010, p.40). One of the causes of obesity is the environment in which individuals survive; people living in environments where they have easy access to unhealthy food are at a higher risk of being obese. Lewis et al. states that individuals living in poor neighborhoods and mainly comprising of African American population have less healthy food options as compared to their counterparts (Lewis, 2005, p.668). Similar results regarding food options available to the minorities of United States were even proposed by Morland et al. who figured out that the probability of locating a supermarket in white majority neighborhoods was four times higher than supermarkets being located in black majority neighborhoods (Morland, 2002, p.28). Another reason due to which individuals experience obesity is because of lack of appropriate amount of exercises and those individuals who belong to the minority races are more likely to experience obesity due to the lack of physical exercises they indulge in. Lee et al. states that those individuals who belong to the white race of Non-Hispanics spent more time in both physical and leisure activities as compared to people belonging to the race of African, Asian and Hispanic Americans (Lee, 2010, p.825). Obesity is not only the health related issue experienced by individuals belonging to disadvantaged groups; there are various other diseases that individuals from these groups are at a higher risk of experiencing and due to this their life expectancy has declined overtime. Singh et al. figured out that those individuals who belonged to the less advantaged portion of the society experienced higher number of death due to cancer as compared to those who belonged to strong backgrounds (Singh, 2011, p.25). Similarly Geronimus et al. reported that when females from the black population experience the age of 49 to 55, they tend to be 7.5 years older as compared to their white counterparts (Geronimus, 2010, p.36). These findings have even been confirmed by Newspaper media in the region of United States. Kim et al. figured out that highest amount of coverage for health related issues was provided to the race of African Americans as compared to Latinos, Native as well as Asian Americans (Kim, 2010, p.100). It has been long since the civil rights movement and the fight of the minority races for equal rights and treatment have ended, but the promises that were made as a result of the civil rights movement have not been fulfilled and minority races still experience racism at the hand of the justice system of the United States (Miller, 2010, p.806). The criminal justice system has been quite unfair in assigning imprisonment to members of different races and this is quite evident in the procedure they use to select individuals while incarcerating them ((Wakefield, 2010, p.280). Warren et al. conducted a research to figure out the discrprincies in the level of incarcerations taking place in US and figured out that individuals belonging to minority races are more likely to experience imprisonment while the majority of the criminal activities such as drug related offences are mostly conducted by the majority races of United States (Warren, 2012, p.70 & Kakade, 2012, p.1309). The single solution to the elevating issues of racial discrimination and inequality in the region of United States is better jobs as well as investment options for the minority races of United States of America (Saporu, 2011, p.80). Better employment options as well as better investment options will assist minority races to gain better education which will help them in changing their lifestyles and this change will positively impact their health outcomes. Conclusion Differential treatment of individuals on the basis of race is still a problem experienced by the United States even during the 21st century when their own president belongs to a minority racial group of the nation. Due to this kind of treatment, those belonging to the minority race end up experiencing fewer chances in life while those belonging to the majority race are experiencing more chances in life. For example: Those belonging to the minority race are underpaid and forced to perform lower level jobs and their access to investment and financial options are even less lucrative when compared to similar options available to the majority races. Due to their failure to earn well, individuals belonging to the minority race end up failing to get better education and better lifestyles which impacts their health and wellbeing in a negative manner. 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