Social Inequality In The United States

In every society, stratification of the members of society into various groups and classes is present. Social stratification exists because social structure in the society is very important – they reflect the ability of certain people to access the resources in the society. For instance, dominant groups are privileged with great power, and high social status; however, minority groups are singled out for unequal treatment, and are subject to collective discrimination. This pattern of unequal access to resources in the society thus gives rise to social inequality. In the United States, the four major groups of racial minorities are the Native Americans, the African Americans, the Asian Americans, and the Hispanic Americans. Throughout the
However, despite the large population, the Blacks in the United States are considered a minority group and thus are subject to social inequality by the rest of the members in the society – they are often subject to the collective discrimination by the dominant white people in the nation. For instance, in the American legal system, the Blacks are at a disadvantaged position. That is to say, the issue of law and criminal justice might not apply equally to the white people, and the black people. This type of discrimination showed clearly when slaves in American history accounted for two-thirds of a person for voting during congressional apportionments. The Dred Scott versus Sanford case in 1857 is also an example of discrimination. In this 1857 case, the court determined that slaves were not liberated merely because they traveled through free states where slavery was considered illegal. This showed that constitutional rights and privileges did not extend to the slaves who were African Americans. The Supreme Court in ruling the case stated that “African Americans are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word 'citizen' in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to the citizens of the United States” (Finkelman, p. 3). Even though this attitude that exhibited racist notions are no longer a part of the American legal system nowadays, the fact remains that studies show that African Americans are more likely to be convicted in the court to an institution if compared to the whites. Statistics show that one in every three African American men is imprisoned due to violation of the law (Mitchell, p.