Inequality in America

Article Review # 109763

African-American Studies > Racism
Latin-American Studies > Race, Class, Gender Issues

A review of Edna Bonacich's article "Inequality in America: The Failure of the American System for People of Color "and Jonathan Kozol's article "Still Separate, Still Unequal: America's Educational Apartheid".

1,151 words () | 0 sources | 2006 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the articles "Inequality in America: The Failure of the American System for People of Color", written by Edna Bonacich and"Still Separate, Still Unequal: America's Educational Apartheid" by Jonathan Kozol. The paper explores Bonacich's claims that racial inequality is rooted in economic inequality, and also explains Kozol's contests on the belief that the public school system in the United States is no longer segregated. The author analyzes how Kozol's indictment of the educational system illustrates the problem with which Bonacich is concerned with.

From the Paper:

"Describing the unequal distribution of wealth, benefits, and property in the United States, Bonacich is able to demonstrate the large difference between the bottom of the social and economic basement and the top. Furthermore, she maintains that those few found in the elitist position are able to reap the benefits of material wealth such as social status, political voice, and job availability. The middle class' role in this hierarchy can be depicted as the "semi-elite," given a better social and economic standing by the dominating high class as compensation for there services. Their sole purpose is to keep this system of inequality in balance by regulating the poor class. While the utter poor find themselves living in impoverish conditions, working undesirable jobs, and seen as social scum. She asks how are those located at the bottom of the system going to strive to better them selves if there is no hansom reward for their work and how much harder does person making a six figure salary work than one making only a four figure; proclaims that those found at the bottom are seemingly trapped in this basement."