Need help to revise ESSAY. Cultural Diversity.

Racial prejudice implies that people of color are disadvantaged when it comes to housing and employment. Whites are preferred for superior job positions where people of color would also meet stipulated qualifications. On the other hand, social classes account for the differences in resource, wealth, and power in our society. In the United States, we have Poor, the working class, middle class, upper middle class and the upper-class social rankings (Wolff & Zacharias, 2007). A child born of a low-income family would have limited access to decent housing when compared to those in middle-class families. Lastly, gender relates to the aspect of being male, female or otherwise non-conforming to gender. Gender stereotypes that associate women to traditional duties cause discrimination in employment. In this case, men are likely to get promotions for corporate management positions when compared to women

The concept of racism in the context of employment serves as a tool to safeguard white privilege (Tomaskovic-Devey, 1993). In this case, the vastly skilled and more advantageous jobs are preserved for the whites. This is partly because of historical stereotypes that view people of color (blacks) as unintelligent. Due to this, the social networks of ethnic minorities are limited leaving little chance for them to uplift other members of their community. For example, a company with multiple African American clerks but without a single manager from the African descent provides little room for the career advancement of African Americans

In housing, I believe that residential segregation is caused by federal housing policies together with local government ordinances that restrict people of color from living in certain areas. For example, the history of African Americans characterizes them with disturbance, disregard for property values and communicable diseases which determine their fate in domestic policies. Additionally, the lower educational achievement hinders the social mobility of ethnic minorities in the meritocratic system of the U.S society (Quintana & Mahgoub, 2016). As a result, only the white majority can afford decent housing.

From a theoretical perspective, the Parsons' Functional Theory of Social Stratification suggests that status and honor influence the hierarchical positioning of individuals in society (Parsons, 1940). To achieve this, everyone has to live up to the dominant values of the society. It is this common value system which ensures that competent people fill the significant roles in the society following Parson’s predicted functional subsystems. In the context of racism, whites and people of color would assume the most respected and least respected roles under the common value systems.

When it comes to social class, the income inequality in the United States is higher in relation to other OECD countries (OECD, 2014). This has been attributed to the increasing wealth gap in the United States. The poorest 10 percent of Americans endure deficient living standards compared to the wealthiest individuals who account for approximately 20% of national pre-tax income. The inequality of disposable incomes is ranked fourth among the OECD countries. Additionally, the richest individuals are 16 times wealthier than the poorest. This exceeds the OECD average of 9.6 with Mexico and Chile being the only countries that exceed this rate. In our country, individuals occupying the upper classes afford to pay expensive fees for their children (Quintana & Mahgoub, 2016).

As a result, the children attend college and graduate with prestigious degrees that attract desirable employment opportunities. Similarly, Tomaskovic-Devey (1993) explains the notion of exclusionary social closure in which upper social classes seek to maintain their identity and benefits by locking out lower social groups from specific opportunities. In this case, individuals from the low social grow are left with less desirable jobs which contribute to poverty. From a different perspective, poor and working-class families cannot afford to live in the modern houses that upper classes do. This leaves them with the option of residing in poor and insecure neighborhoods that have recurring sanitation problems.

Applying the Conflict social stratification theories, one recognizes that conflict is inherent in all human societies. Karl Marx conflict theory assumes that the society has two antagonistic classes of people. The first class accounts for the bourgeoisie who own means of production and the second identifies the proletariat who are workers in these industries. The first groups survive by exploiting the second while the latter seeks collective bargaining to ease the implicit difficulties

Lastly, gender discrimination in employment results from particular historical and stereotypical altitudes which limit women’s opportunities. For example, the jobs of receptionists and nurses are usually associated with women. Additionally, most women rarely rise to corporate management positions in reputable companies. Tomaskovic-Devey (1993) argues that this trend is based on the master status of the incumbent that should not be granted to women. As a result, women receive lower pay than their male counterparts despite having similar academic qualifications.

According to the Davis and Moore functionalist theory, significant professional positions have to be filled continuously with the most competent individuals within the society (Grandjean & Bean, 1975). Therefore, social stratification exists as a tool to make sure that this need is met. The theory recognizes that some positions are more critical than others and that only a relatively small number of individuals within the society have the talents to fill these positions. Historically, women are not competent for such positions since they lack the abilities and skills to fit the job descriptions

In conclusion class, gender, and racial discrimination have been subject to discussion for centuries. Unlike racism and gender bias which Americans have engaged with for decades while reaping some modest gains such as a black president, class differences have not been explicitly analyzed. However, the three elements have the potential to yield a society with extreme inequality. Inequality in housing and employment results from a combination of societal factors that include; racism, class discrimination, and gender prejudice. These three factors affect ethnic minorities more than any other group. For instance, Serena Williams claims that black women have been subject to poor pay relative to their male counterparts. She states that for every dollar earned by a man, black women make a mere sixty-three cents (Young, 2017). While affirmative action is highly controversial, I believe that its enforcement in institutions limits racial and gender discrimination. This puts minimum requirements to ensure that minorities are included in employment and education. Students from the ethical minorities should also be on the forefront leading their people into an equal America. In this case, they should not only condemn racial injustices that affect their communities but also strive to uplift the lives of the segregated families.

References:

Grandjean, B., & Bean, F. (1975). The Davis-Moore Theory and Perceptions of Stratification: Some Relevant Evidence. Social Forces, 54(1), 166.