Social Inequality in America - Assignment Example

Social Inequality Question Social inequality has been a topic of heated discussion in the United s of America over several centuries and distinction has given an important area of social inequality. In the special selection of related stories and articles by the title 'Class Matters', the New York Times Correspondents purport that class really matters in American life and they provide convincing evidences to support and establish their claim. Once the Americans were too specific about class distinction and the upper crust always vacationed in Europe and worshiped an Episcopal God; the middle class drove Ford Fairlanes, settled the San Fernando Valley and enlisted as company men; and the working class belonged to the A.F.L.-C.I.O., voted Democratic and did not take cruises to the Caribbean. Although the country has gone a long way toward an appearance of classlessness, class is still the prevailing force determining the way people are distinguished in the contemporary America. As Janny Scott and David Leonhardt maintain, "class is still a powerful force in American life. Over the past three decades, it has come to play a greater, not lesser, role in important ways. At a time when education matters more than ever, success in school remains linked tightly to class. At a time when the country is increasingly integrated racially, the rich are isolating themselves more and more. At a time of extraordinary advances in medicine, class differences in health and lifespan are wide and appear to be widening." (Scott and Leonhardt) Therefore, there are several evidences from education sector, health industry, and financial sector which prove the increasing influence of class in American life. Social inequality in health sector provides one of the most important evidences for the escalating influence of class in American life. Citing examples from the experiences of people belonging to different social classes, an architect, a utility worker, and a maid, Janny Scott maintains that heart attack is the great leveler of social inequality at the start of the health issue, but their experiences diverged in the months that followed according to the class they belonged to. The elusive combination of income, education, occupation and wealth which determines the social class of individuals played a powerful role in Mr. Miele's, Mr. Wilson's and Ms. Gora's (people belonging to different classes) struggles to recover. "Class is a potent force in health and longevity in the United States. The more education and income people have, the less likely they are to have and die of heart disease, strokes, diabetes and many types of cancer. Upper-middle-class Americans live longer and in better health than middle-class Americans, who live longer and better than those at the bottom." (Scott) According to the scholars who have researched social factors in health the gaps among the various classes are widening. In their attempt to support the claim that class matters in American life, the New York Times Correspondents provide examples from marriages that cross class boundaries. Although these challenges are not as obvious as those that cross the lines of race or nationality, "people who marry across class lines are also moving outside their comfort zones, into the uncharted territory of partners with a different level of wealth and education, and often, a different set of assumptions about things like manners, food, child-rearing, gift-giving and how to spend vacations. In cross-class marriages, one partner will usually have more money, more options and, almost inevitably, more power in the relationship." (Lewin) According to the New York Times Correspondents, evidences from religious practices also suggest that class matters in American life and the growing power and influence of evangelical Christians illustrates this social inequality. "Their growing wealth and education help explain the new influence of evangelicals in American culture and politics. Their buying power fuels the booming market for Christian books, music and films. Their rising income has paid for construction of vast mega-churches in suburbs across the country." (Goodstein and Kirkpatrick) Similarly, their charitable contributions finance dozens of mission agencies, religious broadcasters and international service groups. Therefore, even the Christian mission is based on the class differences and the growing power and influence of evangelical Christians indicates this fact. In other examples, the New York Times Correspondents provide evidences from the education sector where class has an important influence on the college dropout boom, from the market sector where the buying capacity of the Americans is determined by the social class, etc. People who illustrate the influence of class in American society of the day include a lawyer who rose out of an impoverished Kentucky hollow; an unemployed metal worker in Spokane, Wash., regretting his decision to skip college; a multimillionaire in Nantucket, Mass., musing over the cachet of his 200-foot yacht. In short, the series of articles on class in America by the New York Times Correspondents argue that class now seeming more elusive than ever and it matters highly in American life. Among the evidences they provide, the evidence from the healthcare industry in which the cancer patients are given treatment based on their class seems to be most convincing. Question 2 Exploring the stories of numerous families and individuals in his The Working Poor: Invisible in America, David K. Shipler makes an essential investigation into the lives of America's low-wage earners and families living in or near poverty. According to him, several Americans who work hard every day are still in the ranks of the poor and he provides several convincing evidences to suggest the reasons for this fate of the working poor. Thus, he maintains that America's disregard for its working poor, the interlocking nature of the problem of poverty, and the diversity are the roots, causes, and conditions of poverty faced by low-wage earners. First of all, so many Americans who work hard every day are in the ranks of the poor because of the workings and effects of tax payments and refunds. Secondly, it is the result of the abuse of the poor by public and private institutions. Third, the spending habits of the working poor affect the condition of the working class today. Next, the consumerist culture of the United States has contributed to the situation where so many Americans who work hard every day are in the ranks of the poor. Finally, the omnipresence of money has been a guiding factor in the lives of the working poor. Among these reasons for many Americans who work hard every day being in the ranks of the poor, the workings and effects of tax payments and refunds seems to be most important one to the author. "For many working poor, the Earned Income Credit represents a once-a-year, significant source of income. It may equal the down payment on a car or house, pay other taxes, or pay a significant portion of bills or debt, and is hailed by Shipler as one of the few programs in place with a positive effect." (Book Summary) Therefore, the workings and effects of tax payments and refunds in the American system suggest the most important reason for many Americans who work hard every day being in the ranks of the poor. Works Cited "Book Summary." The Working Poor: Invisible in America. David K. Shipler. Foundation for Community Empowerment. 2005. Oct 06, 2009. . Goodstein, Laurie and David D. Kirkpatrick. "On a Christian Mission to the Top." ." Class Matters. The New York Times. 2005. Oct 06, 2009. . Lewin, Tamar. "When Richer Weds Poorer, Money Isn't the Only Difference." Class Matters. The New York Times. 2005. Oct 06, 2009. . Scott, Janny. "Life at the Top in America Isn't Just Better, It's Longer." Class Matters. The New York Times. 2005. Oct 06, 2009. . Scott, Janny and David Leonhardt. "Shadowy Lines That Still Divide." Class Matters. The New York Times. 2005. Oct 06, 2009. . Read More