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Inequality: Pretense or Presence?

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Inequality: Pretense or Presence?

In the United States today, we live in a society that works under the façade of seeming equal, of appearing, outwardly at least, free of discrimination and applying equal opportunities to the rights, liberties, and freedoms to all its citizens. However, that’s just it: An external façade. Yes, beneath the gleaming faux-marble exteriors of newly gentrified urban areas, and even within the corporate infrastructures supposedly promoting hiring equity, something is rotting. That is, of course, the neglect and altogether ignorance of the presence of racial and gender inequalities pervading and saturating society. What makes it such an easy issue to disregard today, as many would, is that these inequalities have primarily left the blatantly overt realm of existence, and yet have remained fetid seeds corrupting the social structures and environments from underneath society’s direct awareness. There would be those, today, who would have you believe we live in a color and gender-blind world, far removed from the inequalities of the past, or that the apparent problems presented through racial and gender inequality are simply small issues undeserving of our immediate attention. I believe both of these perceptions to be flawed, and I will work to address both race and gender inequality as true social problems, what aspects of society work to influence their presence, and what policies are being proposed to solve them.

To begin, it has long been felt, lately, that race has become an issue of the past. That the abolition of slavery and the induction of civil rights laws working to try and protect the livelihoods of all people, regardless of race and ethnicity, have all but dismantled social/structural discrim...

... middle of paper ...

...sider a blow to one as a blow to everyone, and work to promote equal opportunities for everyone.

As we have seen, inequality is still as pervasive and insidious today as it has always been, but taking new forms to achieve its purposes. While overt discrimination fades away as a social taboo, institutional discrimination against race and gender still exists today. As Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, once conveyed, “There can be no peace as long as there is grinding poverty, social injustice, inequality, oppression, environmental degradation, and as long as the weak and small continue to be trodden by the mighty and powerful.” And, indeed, it will be only through profound changes through developing policies and programs working to benefit the disadvantaged, promoting true social equality, that we will make any steps toward encouraging and upholding a better world.

In this essay, the author

  • Opines that racial and gender inequalities have largely left the overt realm of existence and remained fetid seeds corrupting the social structures and environments from underneath society's direct awareness.
  • Argues that the abolition of slavery and the induction of civil rights laws have all but dismantled social/structural discrimination and inequality based on race.
  • Argues that the concept of a difference in race is socially constructed.
  • Argues that gender discrimination isn't inherent, but it's developed by the environment and become social inventions.
  • Analyzes how women are forced into service and care roles in the public world, and how social interaction maintains the perceived difference and inequality in gender.
  • Argues that conservatives believe that the only way for society to flourish is by defining and taking advantage of the inherent differences between all people.
  • Argues that liberals believe in the inherent commonalities between humans and that unequal opportunities created by dominant social groups create vast inequalities and social gaps.
  • Opines that inequality is still pervasive and insidious today, but taking new forms to achieve its purposes.
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    • Regrets that we must go to press again without a single line from you pen or the ability to tell our readers where you are or what you're doing.
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    • Opines that douglass and delaney should be applauded for laying the groundwork with which the american black citizen can fight for his or her rights.
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    • Analyzes how delaney eloquently represents the outrage and the pain of seeing his fellow people enslaved. douglass relies more heavily on reason and patience.
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    • Explains that one of the greatest victories in feminism was achieving the voting rights. women were not allowed to vote even though united states had amendment 15 in the constitution.
    • Analyzes how progressives and victorians influenced women's mind set in addressing the problems of equal rights.
    • Explains that slavery was a big issue before civil war, but it didn't solve the issue of segregation in the society. the federal government tried to fix this problem by offering federal funding in school, jobs and housing system.
    • Explains that americans still live in the isolated ethnic groups despite the policies and cases used to blend the races together.
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