The Virtuous Cycle Essay

1739 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Income distribution in america essay

C. Wright Mills had a dream, and his dream was for everyone to understand his notion of “sociological imagination,” which he explained as: “neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both” (Mills 1959:1). A more contemporary sociologist, Annette Lareau, had similar ideas and led an extensive research comparing the influence of class and race when it came to children’s ability to succeed in school. Lareau (1995:351) concluded that “the largest differences between the families we observed were across social class, not racial groups. Combining the wisdom of Mills and Lareau, one can see a major cause of many economic and social inequalities in the United States: the working class is still …show more content…

He argued that improving the working class benefits the society as a whole, which is evident by the period from 1945 to 1975, when the U.S. economy flourished as economic inequality fell. Unfortunately, Reich noticed that the U.S. has actually slipped into a vicious cycle instead. Just a glimpse at the statistics on the U.S. economic inequality is already disheartening. The lowest fifth of American households had a mean income of $11,552, while the highest fifth enjoyed a mean of $170,844 and the top five percent almost reaching three hundred thousand dollars (U.S. Bureau of Census 2012). This economic inequality in the United States is not God-given, but brewed by the ways this society is fashioned. In this consumer based economy where goods and services form the supporting pillars, our working class shares the least proportion of wealth for their endless work in the manufacturing and service sectors. So the ones keeping the cogs running here are literally becoming the cogs, and they lose their rights to the American Dream. Barbara Ehrenreich is the perfect example. She depicted her attempt to live with not one, but two working class jobs.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Class In America By Gregory Mantsios

    1572 Words  | 4 Pages

    Social and economic class is something we as Americans like to push into the back of our minds. Sometimes recognizing our class either socially or economically can almost be crippling. When individuals recognize class, limitations and judgment confront us. Instead, we should know it is important to recognize our class, but not let it define and limit us. In the essay, “Class in America”, Gregory Mantsios, founder and director of the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education at the School of Professional Studies, brings to light the fact that Americans don’t talk about class and class mobility. He describes the classes in extremes, mainly focusing on the very sharp divide between the extremely wealthy and extremely poor. In contrast, George

    Read More

  • Nickel And Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

    1376 Words  | 3 Pages

    A big disadvantage that the lower class has compared to the wealthy is a lack of quality education. While serving as a waitress, Ehrenriech learned about many different people. Some of these co-workers were immigrants who had recently come to this country. “I learn that he [George] is not paid by Jerry’s but the ‘agent’ who shipped him over--$5 an hour, with the agent getting the dollar or so difference between that and what Jerry’s pays dishwashers”(38). Their contracts lacked any benefits, and they were paid below minimum wage. People, like George, cannot read their contracts before they sign because they don’t understand the language. The critic would argue, “…They are baffled at the idea of fighting the class struggle of which…Ehrenriech appears to be the only person complaining about the situation…” In Georg...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Class In America-2009, By Gregory Mantsios

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mantsios defends his claim by sharing the four myths and opposing seven realities of the American dream of equal opportunity. Then comparing three profiles of people from upper, middle, and lower classes, then by proving the correlation between educational attainment and classes. In a country with democratic principles, the general public makes an impact on the country, but it’s truly governed by politicians and the incredible power of wealth. Mantsios gives up the economic spectrum break down by giving the facts on the differences between the one who have very little, a lot and not enough money. One myth that Mantsios makes in his essay is how “all Americans do not have an equal opportunities to succeed. Inheritance laws ensure a greater likelihood of success of the offspring of the wealthy” (295). The huge gap between the upper and lower classes shows the social struggle. Higher income classes have a more likely chance for successful inheritance which allows the wealth to get passed on to the offspring. However, Davidson contradicts the theory’s that were presented by Mantsios by stating “Maddie represents a large population: people who, for whatever reason, are not going to be able to leave the workforce long enough to get the skills they need”(349). However, if Maddie works hard enough she can prove Mantsios wrong. That doesn’t mean she has to go to college or get a higher education, of course, that would make everything simpler. All she has today is work her way up in the company to make something of herself to show that she can still reach her full

    Read More

  • Robert Reich Inequality For All

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the documentary “inequality for all”, Robert Reich examines the overall state of inequality in America, and explains the intricate processes involved in the economy, which determines the distribution of wealth, and how both the middle and upper classes utilize it. During the introduction of the documentary, Reich states “I like having a Mini Cooper. I sort of identify with it…. We are sort of together, facing the rest of the world”. Although Reich is making a comparison between the size of his car and himself, the overall inference of this quote refers to the immense scale of the American economy. In this sense, Reich acknowledges that he, and many other Americans, are unequal to upper class residents; although, the inequality itself isn’t labeled as a negative consequence. In fact, Reich acknowledges that “some inequality is just inevitable”, meaning that inequality within an economy is an intended consequence of American capitalism which, if done correctly, can create prosperity for any economic class. Instead of seeing inequality as either black or white, Reich examines the different effects of inequality at different magnitudes, and asks whether inequality can be a problem, and if so, when it becomes one. To do

    Read More

  • Economic Inequality - Taking Sides Article

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    Briefly state the main idea of this article: The main idea of this article is that economic inequality has steadily risen in the United States between the richest people and the poorest people. And this inequality affects the people in more ways than buying power; it also affects education, life expectancy, living conditions and possibly happiness. Another idea that he brought up was that the American government tends to give less help to the unemployed than other rich countries.

    Read More

  • Critical Race Theory: Race As A Factor In Inequity

    4780 Words  | 10 Pages

    Woodson (2010) presents a cogent argument for considering race as the central construct of understanding inequality in America. Woodson’s most notable publication, “The Mis-Education of the Negro,” identifies the school’s role in structuring inequality

    Read More

  • The Mexican American Family

    3712 Words  | 8 Pages

    Rothenberg, P. 1998. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. New York: St. Martin's Press.

    Read More

  • Social Class And The Hidden Curriculum Of Work By Jean Anyon Summary

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some people may believe that education all over the United States is equal. These people also believe that all students no matter their location, socioeconomic status, and race have the same access and quality of education, but ultimately they are wrong. Throughout history, there has been a huge educational disparity between the wealthy and marginalized communities. The academic essay “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon, an American critical thinker and researcher in education, conveys that depending on the different economic backgrounds students have, they will be taught in a specific way. He reveals that the lower economic background a child has then the lower quality their education will be and the higher their economic background is the higher quality their education is. Anyon’s theory of a social ladder is extremely useful because it sheds light on the

    Read More

  • The American Dream And The Decline Of The American Dream

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Essentially, Americans would have equal opportunity to prosper through education and hard work. However, in a study published by the National Center for Education Statistics, Americans were shown to have less equal opportunity than any other country elsewhere in the West (Krugman 567). Ultimately, the results of the study revealed that, “it would be closer to the truth, though not the whole truth, to say that in modern America, class—inherited class—usually trumps talent” (Krugman 566). Consequently, the effects of low upward social mobility, or the ability for individuals to move upward in social status, can be detrimental. Specifically, American children born to low-income families are more likely to have health problems that derail their life chances due to lack of insurance (Krugman

    Read More

  • Inequality And Inequality In Education

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    For decades, the United States educational system has provided opportunity for millions of Americans to attend school. However, the gap between the lower income and middle-class students continue to narrow in terms of who will drop out and who would succeed. The articles I chose speak both of issues regarding education and inequality and the growing gap of educational success between the haves and the have nots. In addition, how race and lower class play a large factor on those who succeed and those who do not.The articles also bring to life possible factors such as funding towards a child’s education, in particular the early years, parent involvement and race.

    Read More

  • Against Schools

    2166 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Quality of a child’s education often either limits or opens up a world of opportunities. Those who study the purpose of public education and the way it is distributed throughout society can often identify clear correlations between social class and the type of education a student receives. It is generally known by society that wealthy families obtain the best opportunities money can buy. Education is a tool of intellectual and economical empowerment and since the quality of education is strongly influenced by social class, a smaller portion of the American population obtains the opportunities acquired from a top notch education. Many people believe that educational inequalities are perpetuated from the interests of specific classes, but some researchers like John Gatto believe that there are even stronger social forces in play. In the essay “Against Schools” the author John Gatto presents three arguments: (1) that are educational system is flawed, (2) that the American educational system is purposely designed to create a massive working class that is easy to manipulate, and (3) alternative teaching methods should be applied to teach children to think for themselves. In this essay I will be summarizing and relating each of these arguments to other educational essays. Also, I will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument.

    Read More

  • Why The Rich Are Getting Richer And The Poor, Poorer Essay

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    Economics of Reich “Why the Rich are getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer” written by Robert Reich, describes as the title says, why the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer. In Reich’s essay, he delves into numerous reasons and gives examples of each. It makes one wonder if the world will continue on the path of complete economic separation between the rich and the poor. One very important factor Reich examines in his essay is that large corporations are always trying to find the edge, whether that is new technology or cheaper wages. One may ask, how does that affect me?

    Read More

  • Social Class in the Classroom

    2183 Words  | 5 Pages

    Social class is a determinant used to define where a family stands in terms of salary and socioeconomic status. However, it is used to determine what will be offered to the family, for example, the type of school that each child will attend. But what it does not determine is the success of that student’s education attainment. Money can buy a college education yet, it will not buy literacy.

    Read More

  • How Wealth Affects Education

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    In an education journal, Anyon (“Social”) provides the reader with the concept that there are four different types of schools, working class schools, middle-class schools, affluent professional schools, and executive elite schools, after observing five schools. The working class schools are made up of parents with blue-collar jobs, with less than a third of the fathers being skilled, and the majority of them being semiskilled or unskilled. “Approximately 15 percent of the fathers were unemployed… approximately 15 percent of the families in each school are at or below the federal ‘poverty’ level…the incomes of the majority of the families…are typical of 38.6 percent of the families in the United States” (Anyon, “Social”). In a more recent study conducted by Anyon (“What”, 69), she states that,

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of The American Dream

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Money is an essential part of life where every people can satisfy whatever they need and every person in America has a chance to find a job. However, some of the people in the country wanted to go on with their life freely by being a part of a welfare. Furthermore, distribution of wealth is a huge demand of every citizen. Everyone today is trying to look down for every people in the lower class, as they did not give any benefit to the country, waiting for the benefits that they will receive from the government. For instance, when most lower class people have gone through a financial crisis due to overspending, insufficient fund or pay for their work to support themselves and/or their family. The example shows that lower class people made the economy of the country unstable, however, the middle class and the higher class is at fault as well. Furthermore, even though the benefit of that the lower class received is from the middle class, the middle class as well benefits from the higher class. To sum up, every class is at fault towards giving the country’s economy a positive

    Read More

More about The Virtuous Cycle Essay

Open Document