SOC 150 - Essay - 1000 words

Day #9 of 20:

SOC150: SOCIAL PROBLEMS

June 11th, 2018

UIBE SUMMER SESSION

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Racial Discrimination

Gender Discrimination

Two major periods over the past 60 years regarding social mobility

• From 1942-1973 – All Americans tended to share in the post- World War II prosperity, including Blacks and immigrants who had experienced racism in the decades prior to the 1940s.

• However, from 1973-present, a much more complex system of mobility emerged, especially with a split labor market in what is now known as an hourglass economy

• Some have argued that the kinds of optimism (about a meritocracy and equal opportunity and the American Dream) that existed and were in fact good for Americans prior to the 1970s are now quite outdated.

Mobility Research

• Upward mobility has slowed somewhat since the late 1970s, accounting for about a quarter of mobility.

• Downward mobility has increased dramatically, accounting for about 1/3 of mobility

• Occupational inheritance in the U.S. is fairly high at the top and bottom of the occupational structure.

The Missing Class = 57 Million Americans

The Hourglass Economy is the consequence of:

• Privatization • Deregulation • A system of rigorous

credentialing (that is, getting degrees for a job).

• These three processes were part of the larger trend on:

• Deindustrialization

Definition

• Privatization is the “outsourcing” of government services and functions (such as healthcare, housing, education) to private firms. More importantly, it moves the burden of government spending for citizens to individuals’ responsibilities.

Deregulation

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Definition

• Deregulation is the reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually enacted to create more competition within that industry. It results in less protection for workers and more power for corporations.

Definition

• Deindustrialization is a general term used to describe the shift in production from dramatic reduction of manufacturing work to a service economy beginning in the United States in the mid- to late 1960s. Changes in skills required for work and changes in the location of work stemming from the shift in output are often included as part of the concept of deindustrialization. The changes in location involves the dramatic rise of outsourcing of labor.

Deindustrialization

From the post-war prosperity to the 1970s

Macro Story

U.S. As World Leader after WWII.

•Bretton Woods •IMF/WB

Global Impact

•Structural Adjustments Policies (SAP)by the IMF

SAP on Poor Countries

1. Control of National Budgets, including wages and public provisions

2. Develop export-oriented economies with no price controls

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