Social Inequity

Paper Summary:

When people think of social inequity, they generally frame this in terms of socio-economic class. This paper shows, however, that there are many forms of social inequity and stratification. In the United States, for example, much of social interaction is mitigated by gender and race. The paper shows, for example, statistics which present a wage gap that exists between the genders. Despite pay equity laws and a growing awareness of gender discrimination and women's rights, salary disparities continue to exist between men and women across a broad range of occupations. The paper shows how much of the overt social inequities of American society have been addressed through liberal means. These include granting marginalized groups greater access to institutions of public life. In this sense, the greater freedoms enjoyed by women and minorities are a sign of American society's progress towards a more encompassing egalitarianism. The paper shows, however, that problems such as the gender wage gap and the disproportionate percentage of African American people in jail is also a testimony to how much work remains to be done.

From the Paper:

"Much of the agitation against the civil rights movement in the 1960s was also predicated on the fear of change. While black citizens were clearly denied many rights and suffered from social inequity, opponents of the civil rights movement feared that white citizens would lose many of the privileges they currently enjoy. Viewed in this light, people's response to social inequity can often be dictated by the privileges that are accorded to them based on their socio-economic status."

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