Genius Genius

Discussion Forum: Race

Each posting should be no less than six complete sentences (minimum 150 words). The responses to classmates should be no less than three complete sentences (minimum100 words) and should contain some substantive information.

Why do various racial and ethnic categories of the U.S. population have different social standing? Why do some categories surpass the national average in income, while others do not? Consider both structural-functional (cultural) and social-conflict (power) explanations.

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#1 Classmate Zaid:

The reason that different racial and ethnic categories of the U.S. population have different standings is because of the way they were brought up. Many of us are taught different things some people are talked down on because of there race or religion causing us to have different social standings. Now there are different reasons why as well not only because of there race or religion it can also be based on wealth if you were brought up in the ghettos of Los Angeles you would be treated different than someone brought up in Beverly Hills. "Racial privilege reaches far back into America's past. The racial hierarchy, with White groups of European origin at the top and people of color at the bottom." (Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) You can still see this today in some areas where some people think there more privileged than other people. Now some categories do surpass the national average in income because of there race and also how they were brought up. At times race matters in some areas because people are racist and would rather hire there own race. If people are brought up in a house where there family surpasses the national average income because there family can get them a job because they know the people that work at that specific company or that specific field. Some ethnicities can can thrive in other areas because that country may like that ethnicity more. "Determining who is a minority is largely a matter of history, politics, and judgment"(Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.). All of these all depend on where you live and when and that's all that how you can be judged like let's say if your a Muslim applying for a job but there is also a white person applying for that job. Most likely the white person will get that job because of there ethnicity.

#2 Classmate Leivy

I think that various ethnic and racial categories have different social standing because of history of the Unites States. It has been passed on from generation to generation to believe that the white race is superior to any other race. They hold better jobs, they are known as "wealthy" and with better opportunites. The United states is known as the "melting pot", however, it is not to say that everyone is equally welcomed or treated the same. America is known for diversity of all cultures, but it was the English who colonized it Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. For that reason, whites have gained the overall power over any other race, making other cultures minorities and less superior.. The minorities may not have had the same opportunities as the white. Slavery happened, which made African Americans less superior to whites. From early on, we are taught in school of the struggles of all the Native Americans, African Americans and Latin Americans, the one race that never struggle were Americans, the "whites". Another example, is looking at the history of our presidents, There is no diversity until the 44th president, who was Barack Obama broke the cycle. It is expected that minorities usually don't hold the same positions are other races. In our history, whites have the held the highest job, they are business owners, our government, our city officials and for the most part any "important" job. In an article by McElwee, he writes, "After all, people can’t vote for candidates of color unless there are people of color on the ballot Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site." Until recent times, has this changed. Our congress and government is more diverse. The United States has such a diversity of cultures coming together to really make this a "melting pot" It is no longer white dominated, instead it is more equal. The stigma that the United States is a white country will soon change.