Correction

Running head: INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL CLASS 1

Inequality and Social Class

Chenxi Gao

Green River College

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Inequality and Social Class

Introduction

The movie, inequality for all entails a 2013 documentary film that was directed by an

individual known as Jacob Kornbluth. It looks at the increasing and widening inequality in

terms of income that was being examined in the United States of America. The other notable

point is that the film was presented by an American economist who was also an author and a

professor known as Robert Reich. It is based on the 2010 book that was written by the

individual whose title was Aftershock. In the film, Robert Reich discusses the grave

economic as well as the social consequences which might result in case the gap between the

rich and the poor individuals in society continues widening. In relation to the above film, the

following is an analysis of the movie by examining numerous aspects that relates to it.

The major ideas that are found in this movie are public policy, income inequality and

the economics of the people of the United States. Regarding the public policy, the author of

the movie argues that the United States’ capitalism has adversely abandoned the poor and the

middle-class individuals while at the same time making the rich individuals to become even

super-richer, (Reich & Kornbluth, 2013). Regarding income inequality, there is a widening

gap between those that are poor and the rich individuals. The rich individuals are becoming

even richer while the poor ones are continuing to be even poorer, hence, there is an instance

of income inequality. Regarding the issue of economics, Robert Reich was an economist.

From the economic point of view, the environment has a role that it plays towards making the

individuals either rich or poor. The poor individuals also have no point of turning the

situation that is affecting them, hence, there is a tendency that they may continue being poor

if at all the environmental conditions do not favour them.

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The film frames the perspectives of the rich and the poor individuals as well as the

portrayal of the poor individuals in society. Due to the differences in the economic status,

there is a widening gap between those that have and the ones that have nothing to possess.

Specifically, the perspectives of the poor individuals are being framed by showing the way

that the individuals are living through the tumultuous moments. There is a feeling that the

economy has tanked and that is the major reason as to why people are leading a poor life and

others have nothing to possess. It is also notable that the film portrays a piece of different

information from the other information that I have ever heard about the social class in the

United States of America, (Reich & Kornbluth, 2013). The difference is on the view of the

social class in the film and the way it has been viewed in the other domain. While the social

class has been viewed in terms of races and either belonging in America or non-America,

social class has been viewed under the perspective of the rich and the poor individuals.

Instead of people being seen either an America or not an American, social class in this movie

is viewed in terms of the wealthy and the poor individuals.

There are also some parts of the film that are highly relatable to the content which is

found in the course that is being covered. For instance, the part of the film that is trying to

thread together the evidence that the majority of the individuals are aware of the increasing

struggle where the middle-class individuals are trying to get by. A notable percentage of the

individuals are also trying to exclude them from the other part of the society, hence, they

bring about the issue of the social class in the community. The other notable part of the movie

that is highly relatable with the content that is found in the course is the issue of the ever-

increasing costs of the avenues for the improvement. The poor individuals are trying to make

some steps of improving but those steps are proving to be very costly such that they are

unable to make any step of improving. The education is proving to be a hard thing to attain

and only the rich minority who are at a point of attaining it. The above parts of the film are

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the ones that relate to the content that is found in the course that is being undertaken (Pilgrim,

2017).

The other notable thing as far as the film is concerned is the presentation of the topic

by the filmmakers. The individual feeling and believe is that the filmmakers have not

presented the topic of concern in a way that is fair for all the sides that are portrayed in the

film. The reason for this argument is that the middle class and the poor individuals have been

presented in a highly demeaning manner. They have been presented as those individuals that

have little to offer to the community and are not at a point of making it in their lives. On the

contrary, the rich individuals have been presented as the very powerful ones, have all that

they require and are not at a point of helping the poor to make any progress in their lives.

Therefore, the presentation of the topic has not been done in a manner that is fair to all the

individuals that are presented in the movie. Additionally, the content of the film was

consistent with the individual perceptions of the social class in the US. Some have been

presented as being rich and wealthy and are living a different life from the others. The other

category of the people are the poor individuals that are struggling daily to make their lives

comfortable. Therefore, the issue of the social class has been portrayed in two different and

broad dimensions (Nichols, 2017).

Previously, the information about the issues of social class has been received from

social media and the numerous books that are found in the course that is being undertaken.

The social media especially the television has been on a high alert when it comes to the issues

of the social class. Numerous course materials are also key communicators of the information

about the issues of the social class in the United States. Therefore, the two sources have

offered a lot of information regarding the concerns of the social class in the American soils.

There were also some parts of the film that were highly surprising. One of those parts is

where the filmmakers are indicating that some inequality might be inevitable and are also

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desirable. For example, there are situations where all the individuals may not be equal in

terms of wealth or education, hence, such inequality is inevitable. It is also amazing that some

inequality might also be desirable and it is essential for making the individuals to even think

harder on the way that they will come out of the inequality that they are being exposed to it.

The inequality that is desirable is also what is making capitalism in the United States to tick.

However, at some points, the above type of inequality might become a problem, especially

where the individuals that are ranked lowly feel humiliated by the inequality (Carson, 2019).

The other surprising part is that working individuals are not familiar with the issue of

income inequality. However, they have not been at a point where they may avoid to notice

they are possessing little money in their pockets and perhaps, in their bank accounts, (Reich

& Kornbluth, 2013). The above issue is the aspect that they may not do away with it. In

relation to the film, middle-class individuals are finding it difficult to survive. They are

finding it harder and harder to survive because despite being hit hard by the poor economic

conditions, the rich and those who have large amounts of wealth are viewing them as if they

have nothing to offer. Therefore, the individuals are finding it very difficult for them to

survive under the situation which they are being exposed.

The opponents of the film have also tried to label Reich as being a

socialist/communist/Marxist. The reason for the choice of the above labels is due to the point

of view from which the individual presents the topic of inequality. On his side, the issue is of

great concern has it has numerous effects especially on the poor individuals in the society.

The individual thinking regarding the situation when inequality becomes a problem is after it

causes harm to those that are being treated unequally. For example, when poor individuals in

society are being demeaned as a result of inequality, then the issue becomes a problem.

Middle-Level inequality is the one that America might tolerate and still have a functional

democracy. It should not be at extreme levels. Inequality and democracy might be viewed to

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have a parallel relationship since inequality is a great deterrence to having a democratic

nation. In simplicity, the film is highly relevant especially under the sense that it is examining

a real-life situation, i.e. inequality in the US.

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Reference

Carson, R. C. (2019). Interaction concepts of personality. Routledge.

Nichols, B. (2017). Introduction to documentary. Indiana University Press.

Pilgrim, D. (2017). Key concepts in mental health. Sage.

Robert Reich (author) and Jacob Kornbluth. (2013). Inequality for all.