Land Of Opportunity

1659 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social Inequality in the US

America: The Land of Opportunity? When individuals consider America, they see a place where they can be independent, live the American Dream, and in equality. That promise and vision has been enough to bring millions of foreign born people to become citizens to America. Are those dreams and aspirations of equality true? The further you look into it, the more you will see that opportunity is not equal. This equality lacks primarily on the basis of race, gender, and class. "Despite what we like to think about ourselves as a nation, the truth is that the qualities of our lives and the opportunities for success are highly circumscribed by our race, our gender, and the class we are born into." (Mantsios 396) Looking upon the controversial topic …show more content…

There appears to be unequal wages and different opportunities based off one’s gender, and a prejudice on how well you perform. The argument that comes to mind is that women can do everything men can do. Women have different ways of thinking and because of that, they are a huge asset to the workforce. As well as the statement that women would succeed in being put in certain positions but the men are threatened. Our women can be told they are equals, have equal opportunities of work, but the media still pushes a large form of inequality. It can be heard anywhere that there is a sizeable wage gap and that women make much less than men simply because of the fact they are women. Once again, people may claim that it is merely an illusion that America is a wonderful equalizer, since equal places wouldn't pay their women 76 cents for every dollar a male employee earns. I believe that there are many flaws in that thinking as many things are often overlooked. Women, can in fact, not do everything men can do. God created us differently for a reason and when that is tinkered with, God's original plan is discredited. I am not saying women can't work and it is a sin to make a living but there is a reason women have the ability to give birth, women are nurturing, and all of these wonderful talents that women today want to forget about. What cannot be forgotten, as it …show more content…

America is a very class-driven society. There is typically the lower class, middle class, and upper class. The media portrays the are people working hard on minimum wage living paycheck to paycheck in the lower class, people that maybe have a two income household with some spending money in middle class and kind of the "backbone of the nation" (Kendall 429), and then finally the upper class which is often portrayed very negatively. Many people go along with the thought that it is unfair to have people with so much wealth when there are others that have to work very hard to get what they want. The argument that also goes along with that inequality due to wealth is that their children will get advantages that middle and lower class people won't get. There is a lot of truth to that statement but I don't anything wrong with it. It is observed from 2008 tax returns that "There are 323,067 Americans who earn more than $1 million annually"(Mantsios 380). Yes, that is an unbelievable amount of money that anyone would want, but I think that is something that should be celebrated for the individual that has been that successful thus far. If the whole dream and hope for America is that you can have freedom to do and accomplish what you want, why are we tearing those that have become successful, down? When it comes to the topic of the

Show More
Related

  • Discrimination In Dorothy Allison's Gun Crazy

    1684 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the workplace environment it is a known fact that women are passed over for higher positions that would allow them to earn higher wages. Author of “Workplace Gender Discrimination and the Implicit Association Test" Jo- Ann Kadola stated, “Women earn 18 % less per hour than men working the same job, with the same title, with the same credentials even when a woman has a higher education.” (Kadola23) This is known as the gender gap, it happens in all occupations whether in management, directors or any high level position. Overall men and women never earn the same pay for the same job. This is known to be a worldwide fact. On every job women are always asked to prove or provide credentials for a job that men are able to obtain without proof. Kadola also stated, “Women have to show skills more often, they are required to take or be more responsible than men.” (Kadola24) Men are generally respected more. Their opinions hold more value. Men tend to have more freedom in making decisions. When it comes to merit raises they will receive a higher percentage based on the fact that they are men. When women enter the workplace it is a perceived notion that she will get married and start a family. Therefore a working mother is looked down upon based on the fact she is no staying home caring

    Read More

  • Sklar and the Economist: Inequality in America

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    America was once known as the land of opportunity. However, that is no longer the case. Americans are still suffering from a depression that began three years ago in 2008. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007, the United States unemployment rates were 4.6 percent. In 2009, one year after the depression began, the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent. Millions of Americans are living in poverty, unable to afford the basic necessities. On the other hand, there is a minuscule percent of the population that are billionaires. Written in 2005, Holly Sklar’s essay “The Growing Gulf Between the Rich and the Rest of Us” argues that if something isn’t done about the growing inequality between the rich and the poor, the American economy as a whole will weaken. A year later, the Economist published the article, “Inequality and the American Dream” implies that the American dream is broken. Sklar’s argument sheds light on the Economist’s argument. In particular, Sklar’s use of facts regarding the wealthiest Americans, the poorest Americans, and the discussion of the impact of inequality on society provide insight into the Economist’s article.

    Read More

  • Surviving on Minimum Wage: An Insight into Low-income Labor

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    On the contrary, women still get paid less than men. According to CNN Money, “men still make more than women in most professions -- considerably more in some occupations than others, according to a new study by the job search site Glassdoor”. Although we like to comfort ourselves with the idea that we have gotten our rightfully earned rights, we had not been given bathroom breaks until 1998. Furthermore, employees are still afraid to have a voice in the workforce. Employers establish rules that let laborers know that they are inferior.

    Read More

  • A Classless Society In Mantsios's Class In America

    1410 Words  | 3 Pages

    With each class comes a certain level in financial standing, the lower class having the lowest income and the upper class having the highest income. According to Mantsios’ “Class in America” the wealthiest one percent of the American population hold thirty-four percent of the total national wealth and while this is going on nearly thirty-seven million Americans across the nation live in unrelenting poverty (Mantsios 284-6). There is a clear difference in the way that these two groups of people live, one is extreme poverty and the other extremely

    Read More

  • Racism and Poverty: Barriers to Achieving the American Dream

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    The phrase “The American Dream” is an incredible thing. The promise of that dream has convinced hundreds of millions of people that, as a citizen of this country, you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. Whether you want to be a doctor, athlete, or even a president, those things should all be within your reach, regardless of your class or race! America is the nation where dreams can come true. Unfortunately, for a large number of people that believe this, this is a concept that does not apply to them. Many Americans find opportunities are denied to them because of their race. Others can be found living in poverty and far from anything that would be considered desirable. Statistics show that the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans earned 9 percent of all U.S. income in 1979. Did you know that the same 1 percent earns 24 percent of all U.S. income today? That is a staggering example of the income inequality in America. The American Dream is that if you work hard and have the ability you will succeed, but that has become an impossibility for millions of disadvantaged Americans because the income inequality has been steadily increasing since the 1970s and racism and poverty are constant barriers to their success and financial security.

    Read More

  • Social Stratification Analysis Paper

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is a pay gap between men and women in the U.S. The pay gap affects women of all educations levels, and backgrounds. But white men are the largest demographic in labor forces so they possibly favor each other as opposed to women. The graph didn’t specify the type of jobs, or whether they were working parts time or fulltime. But in 2016, women working full time in the U.S. were paid 80% of what men were getting paid. There are some occupations that have not reached the equity but some have like retail, banking and real

    Read More

  • Negative Essay On Inequality In America

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    America’s upper class has been getting richer since the past three decades, and we have still not found a way to stop this. We have been unable to find a way to distribute America’s wealth equally, so we can have a decent lower class and a good middle class. Inequality has caused many people to struggle in various ways, but their is alway another side to the story.

    Read More

  • Income Inequality

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came into existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens.

    Read More

  • Women’s Inequalities in the Workplace

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the workplace, women do not receive the same benefits that men do. Some women do the same job, for the same amount of hours, and still do not receive the same pay for their work. Is there a specific reason behind this? No, it is just one of the many inequalities that goes on on the job. As pointed out in the essay by Susan Faludi, Blame it on Feminism, women earn less. The average women’s paycheck is twenty percent less than their male counterparts. Men with only high school education’s make more than some women who have graduated college. Most women are still working the traditional “female” jobs: secretaries, teachers, and nurses for example. Construction work, engineering, and doctor’s, are considered “out of our reach” and men’s jobs. Women are very capable of doing these jobs, but most times when applying for a “man’s job” are not taken seriously. American women are more likely not to receive health insurance and twice as likely not to draw pension then American men. They face the biggest gender-biased pay gap in the world.

    Read More

  • Do Women Deserve Equal Pay Essay

    1415 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the beginning of history and to this day women still get paid less than the average man, but why? Whoever said that women are incapable of good work performance? Whoever said that women do not have the same responsibilities to maintain? What really makes a women’s work inferior to men? The answer is nothing. Today, women are depended on just as much as men, and are capable of performing at their level. However, a full-time working woman earns only seventy-seven cents for every dollar a man makes. These days women make up half the workplace in our society; they work just as hard and for the same reasons. Women deserve to be paid at an equal rate as men because they are relied on to uphold the same responsibilities and are just as qualified to perform at a man’s level.

    Read More

  • Low Income Inequality Essay

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    The most pivotal reason why income inequality is unjust in the United States is because it gives the wealthy an unfair advantage of control over the lives of others. When wealth is given more to those with high paying jobs compared to those stuck on the poverty line, it creates an atmosphere of discontent among those struggling for a better life. Employees that have a higher income often control aspects of the lives of poorer citizens. The rich have the ability to create alliances between their equally prosperous peers, thus having the ability to monopolize businesses while paying employees little pay for the amount of work. According to Harper’s Magazine, Americans are no longer able to count on an open market to manage their ideas and work.

    Read More

  • Debunking the Myth: America as a Land of Opportunity

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    For centuries the belief that America is the land of opportunity has been spread through society by rich, white men. The vast majority of the population has been silenced through oppression. The history of America is stained with blood, and success is measured in body count. For some in society America might be considered the land of opportunity, but for them to succeed they must climb onto the backs of others. The oppression that exists in society from the 1500’s onward till today represents the blatant fallacies that exist in the statement “America is the land of opportunity.” Starting with the mistreatment of the Native Americans and then continuing onto the oppression and general practice of slavery, white men have been forcing themselves ahead of everyone else through immoral and selfish practices. In a way, yes; America is the land of opportunities, rich, white men can accomplish whatever they set their minds to with the help of those below them. The reality for the vast majority of americans is a world of oppression and suffering with no hope of success, so for that reason America as a whole is not the land of opportunity.

    Read More

  • Gender Pay Gap Essay

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women’s right to equal pay or gender pay gap has been a subject of discussion over the years in the united states, women perform similar jobs to men, but are paid

    Read More

  • Gender Inequality at a Workplace

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gender Inequality at a Workplace Historically, males and females normally assume different kinds of jobs with varying wages in the workplace. These apparent disparities are widely recognized and experienced across the globe, and the most general justification for these differences is that they are the direct outcomes of discrimination or traditional gender beliefs—that women are the caregivers and men are the earners. However, at the turn of the new century, women have revolutionized their roles in the labor market. Specifically in industrialized societies, the social and economic position of women has shifted. Despite the improving participation of women in the labor force and their ameliorating proficiency and qualifications, the labor force is still not so favorable to women.

    Read More

  • Land Of Opportunity

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    The quote states “Everyone in this country has the opportunity to succeed”. My position on this quote is everyone truly does have the opportunity to succeed. The word I would like to focus on is opportunity. Opportunity is defined as a good chance for advancement or progress (Merriam Webster). I believe everyone has a good chance of achieving their own definition of success in this country.

    Read More

More about Land Of Opportunity

Open Document