Black People

Familiar to almost every individual in this country is the passage in the Declaration of Independence that states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” (Jefferson par. 2). This statement would seem imply that all people, regardless of creed, gender, race or ethnicity, have equal access to advancement in all facets of life. However, despite this concepts’ status as a foundational American ideal, complete equality among all groups of people has never been a reality in this country. Instead, different categories of people are ranked into a hierarchy and maintain various degrees of wealth, power, and prestige, often as a result of prejudice and discrimination. An area where this stratification is extremely pronounced is the difference in opportunities for women relative to those of men. Since the conception of this nation, women have been the subordinates of men. For many years, women were denied basic freedoms, such as the right to vote and own property, and they are still currently denied the right to make some decisions regarding their own bodies. In today’s society, it is widely recognized that men control more wealth, have greater opportunity for advancement, hold more powerful positions, and are more respected than women. In this paper, I will explore several aspects of inequality that contribute to gender stratification.

In the past century, the number of women in the labor force has increased dramatically. In 2009, “[w]omen comprised 46.8 percent of the total U.S. labor force (Quick). This stands in stark contrast to the number of women in the labor force in previous years. However, women are still disproportionately represented in many occupations, such as secretaries, administrative as...

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...ly stated, women, occupational segregation is a problem for many categories of people in the United States. All of these disadvantages in employment have resulted in an over-arching problem for ethnic and minority groups: low income.

Income varies drastically between different groups of people in the United States, a fact which suggests that discrimination is widespread in this country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average median income for families was “$58,407” in 2006. Considering this fact, the $40,000 that the average Hispanic American family makes is extremely low. Even lower is the average median family incomes of African Americans and Native Americans, which are $38,206 and $38,800, respectively. Income is such an integral part of every person’s life, affecting not only a person’s house, car, and clothing but also their health and education.