It should come to no surprise that there is a fair amount of unjust inequality present in the world today. People of color are discriminated against because of their race/ethnicity; our heteronormative culture oppresses those with differing sexual orientations; patriarchal structure marginalizes women etc. however, there is a form of inequality that is less discriminating and affects people of all races/ethnicities, sexual orientations and genders: class inequality. This pervasive form of inequality is defined by The New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream? as “a structured system of unequal rewards that provides enormous advantages to a small percentage of people in the United States at the expense of the overwhelming majority” (Perrucci, Wysong 4). In other words, there is an uneven distribution of “rewards” that affords advantages and opportunities to some while unfairly constraining the lives of others (Perrucci, Wysong 2).
According to Perrucci and Wyson, class inequality in America is perpetuated through problems in our class structure that very few people are aware of. A large, disadvantaged portion of Americans are being distracted with issues of race/ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation while the issue of class conflict goes unrecognized. The majority of the population is persuaded that America’s system of class is “fair” and “just” while a disproportionately large amount of the nation’s wealth is held and manipulated by a small, well-organized and privileged minority. This elite class then able to transfer this wealth on to later generations to continually perpetuate the presence of this privileged upper-class (Perrucci, Wysong 4). This transfer of wealth is possible simply because with it comes the ability to control resources, information, and votes which are all necessary components in perpetuating inequality (Perrucci, Wysong 5).
Our society is fueled by the 140 million disadvantaged Americans who contribute to the labor force every day and it is this very population that is being manipulated to think that their treatment in the workforce is fair. Most of us are sold on the idea that the rewards you receive in life are in direct correlation to how hard you work. We operate under the misconception that all poor people are lazy and those who are rich must have earned their wealth. However, very few of us understand that the factors that determine our economic success are not always within our personal control. The fact is that the opportunities that we are afforded in life are largely shaped by our social class location which we have very little control of and although the class system isn’t fair, there is very little we can do to change it (Perrucci, Wysong 2).
Resources:
Perrucci, Robert, and Earl Wysong. The New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream Third Edition?. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.
URL for Image:
http://itsoureconomy.us/2014/02/social-inequality-and-the-war-against-the-working-class/
According to Perrucci and Wyson, class inequality in America is perpetuated through problems in our class structure that very few people are aware of. A large, disadvantaged portion of Americans are being distracted with issues of race/ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation while the issue of class conflict goes unrecognized. The majority of the population is persuaded that America’s system of class is “fair” and “just” while a disproportionately large amount of the nation’s wealth is held and manipulated by a small, well-organized and privileged minority. This elite class then able to transfer this wealth on to later generations to continually perpetuate the presence of this privileged upper-class (Perrucci, Wysong 4). This transfer of wealth is possible simply because with it comes the ability to control resources, information, and votes which are all necessary components in perpetuating inequality (Perrucci, Wysong 5).
Our society is fueled by the 140 million disadvantaged Americans who contribute to the labor force every day and it is this very population that is being manipulated to think that their treatment in the workforce is fair. Most of us are sold on the idea that the rewards you receive in life are in direct correlation to how hard you work. We operate under the misconception that all poor people are lazy and those who are rich must have earned their wealth. However, very few of us understand that the factors that determine our economic success are not always within our personal control. The fact is that the opportunities that we are afforded in life are largely shaped by our social class location which we have very little control of and although the class system isn’t fair, there is very little we can do to change it (Perrucci, Wysong 2).
Resources:
Perrucci, Robert, and Earl Wysong. The New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream Third Edition?. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.
URL for Image:
http://itsoureconomy.us/2014/02/social-inequality-and-the-war-against-the-working-class/