The Role Of Social Inequality In The United States

In modern society, most humans believe in equality, a system in which every individual is treated the same regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, etc. While it is evident that society has not reached this point, it must be noted how differences among groups of people can separate them into categories. These categories that groups of people fall under in society are what make up stratification, or a system of different hierarchies in society. Stratification leads to social inequality because it separates people based on contrasting qualities.
To understand these hierarchies in which people are placed under, the standards of equality must first be understood. The standards of equality are ways in which equality is perceived.
These views can either validate or disprove different types of equality depending on the eye of the beholder. The most accepting standard is the ontological view--the belief that everyone is equal in the eye of God. In this regard, inequality is completely invalidated. This view is not as widespread as others, however. The view that would support stratification in America would be the view of equality of opportunity. Practiced in nearly all capitalist societies, this standard is based on the fact that as long as everyone has the same opportunity to obtain wealth, they are equal. Where an individual ends up is according to them, and wherever they fall on the social ladder is a result of their choices. In the United States, stratification seems to be at an all time high.
The most clear way this can be seen is through financial well-being. In a perfect world, everyone in the United States would have equal income and equal wealth; however, this is not the case. The top 1% of people in the United States own approximately 40% of the nation’s wealth, and the bottom 80% own approximately 7% of the nation’s wealth (TED Talk, 9/22). This drastic inequality in wealth between Americans contributes to the different hierarchies, or classes, in America because wealth is inherited, leaving little room for people to change classes. For example, a woman whose family has a lot of wealth will be able to attend college, obtain a degree and find a white-collar job, which she will then pass down to her children, her children to their children, and so on. A woman without wealth, on the other hand, will not be able to afford to attend college and will mostly likely fall into the working class, which will continue in her children. Since the nation’s wealth is so unevenly distributed, it will result in nearly inescapable unequal classes of
people.
Yet, wealth inequality is not the only factor that leads to stratification.
Gender, for example, plays a very large role in how equally people are treated. In the 1950’s, much emphasis was placed on women being faithful wives that cook and clean for their husbands while the man would go out and make the family income. Although this is not commonly practiced in America, there are lasting effects on women because of it. The nearly comprehensive system of patriarchy places women at strong disadvantages, especially in professional settings, where they are less likely to receive higher salaries or be offered higher positions because of the old shared belief that women are inferior to men. Race can also put individuals at a disadvantage. Being a white American comes with much more privilege than being another race and being an American. Being a person of color in a predominantly white society can make an individual a target of racism, discrimination or oppression, depleting their chances of being accepted into a particular society. This is known as white privilege, and it further divides America into more
hierarchies. On a larger scale, global stratification entails much larger differences in inequality. The size of the wealth gap in America compared to other countries is astoundingly larger. In the United States, the top 20% of our nation is nearly 8½ times as rich as the bottom 20%, whereas in Japan, the top 20% is about 3½ to 4 times as rich. In this regard, the United States is almost twice as unequal as other developed countries. This wealth inequality among countries leads to other factors that cause even more global stratification. For example, child well-being is significantly higher in countries whose wealth inequality is low, while it drastically lower in countries whose wealth inequality is high. Cases of mental illness, crime and physical health in countries with less wealth inequality versus countries with more wealth inequality show a negative correlation, as well. Therefore, the citizens of countries with less wealth inequality are much better off than the citizens in countries with more. There is a gap in the understanding of why the inequality difference between countries is so astoundingly large. A possible explanation can be found in smaller, more equal countries such as Sweden, Finland and Norway, which are all mostly homogenous populations. Allowing less foreigners into a country creates a more tightly knit society where everyone can be seen as an equal simply because they are from the same ethnic background. This leads to a smaller wealth gap, smaller population and more trust between citizens, ultimately leading to higher equality throughout the country. In comparison, more unequal countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, are melting pots filled with all sorts of different people from all over the world. They are much more heavily populated and diverse, which can lead to general mistrust and misunderstanding of other kinds of people, leading to a very unequal global society. While heterogenous populations may be a possible explanation as to why there is large inequality between countries across the globe, the question still remains open ended.