Sociological Issues About Social Class and Poverty, Race and Ethnicity, Gender

Sociological Issues About Social Class and Poverty, Race and Ethnicity, Gender

Social Class and Poverty

Consequences of poverty in the US

There are two main consequences of poverty that can be defined. The first one is food insecurity, which threatens the well-being of families (Leon-Guerrero). The inability to acquire enough food or get a varied diet negatively impacts people’s health and their capacity to perform other tasks to improve their life situation. Due to a number of reasons, proper nutrition can be harder or more expensive to get for poor people, which worsens the problem even more. The second problem concerns housing. The low income of the poor combined with a rather small selection of comfortable, affordable housing creates a serious risk for many people (Leon-Guerrero). Individuals unable to secure a home are susceptible to many dangers and risks, and often do not enjoy the same quality of life as those who can afford a good place to live.

The Elimination of US Poverty

It is difficult to say whether poverty can be completely eliminated, even in the context of the United States exclusively. The government would need to assist the marginalized groups and impoverished people while giving them an ability to act for themselves and grow. Some of the possible steps for combatting poverty would be: raising the minimum wage, ensuring employment opportunities for all people, universal work benefits, and more affordable housing. By enhancing the quality of life and access to support for people, the government gives them more time and opportunities to improve and move up the social ladder. To oppose poverty the federal government should recognize it as a systemic issue, not an individual one, and strive to make the county more equal for everyone.

Race and Ethnicity

The Difference Between Institutional and Individual Racism

Racism is a complex issue that has been discussed and challenged by many people, and still affects the United States. Racism can be viewed from two different perspectives – as a systematic issue, or as a personal one (Leon-Guerrero). Individual racism describes the discrimination and sentiments of inferiority displayed by one individual towards another. This type of discrimination is local and can be fought by introspection, addressing one’s personal beliefs and prejudices, as well as appropriate punishment.

Institutional racism, however, is much more nuanced than the individual one and requires conscious effort to recognize and solve. Systemic racism describes the policies, customs, and practices that result in the exclusion of certain groups (Leon-Guerrero). Some forms of systemic racism are intentional, others are a result of ignorance or prejudice of their creators. Institutional discrimination can be further divided into three types: segregation, exclusion, or expulsion (Leon-Guerrero). The first, segregation, is the separation of ethnic or racial groups, both physical and social (Leon-Guerrero). Exclusion is the restriction of entry or participation, and expulsion is the removal of a group under the threat of violence of intimidation (Leon-Guerrero). Institutional discrimination has a way bigger impact than a personal one, as it affects more people and is more difficult to notice and actively oppose. Since the systems of discrimination benefit a certain group of people more than others, that group would actively oppose the creation of new systems, making it difficult to change society.

Deficiency and Structural Discrimination Theories of Racial and Ethnic Inequality

There are multiple theories to describe racial and ethnic discrimination. As the instances of discrimination can often wildly differ, it is important to understand the types of injustice people can suffer. Discrimination can be explicit, displayed with an intention to cause harm and discomfort to the affected group, or impose unjust laws and limits. This can be demonstrated by violence or verbal abuse towards a demographic, segregation, or other antagonistic approaches. Unconscious discrimination as a result of biases or prejudices is also an act of discrimination. These subtle beliefs can impact a person’s judgment and treatment of non-white people and conflict with a person’s desire to not be racist.

The last type of discrimination that is important to consider is statistical discrimination. It occurs when an organization uses a set of beliefs about a group of people to judge a person from that group. The perceived characteristics of a group are applied to an individual. The problem is that many of these characteristics stem from bias or racial prejudice, giving an inaccurate representation of both the individual and the demographic. This approach c