Vasi Papadopulos
Mr. Lofaro
20 American History
September 28, 2015
The American Ideal
As expressed in the constitution, the United States has not lived up to the ideal of equality. Economic inequality has surged into a greater issue over the past several years. Gender inequality is something that has began to reduce in the US ever since the 1900s. Even though big changes have been made, gender inequality stills exists in the workplace due to many reasons. Furthermore, ever since colonial times, racism has been a prodigious problem in the United States . Examples of racial inequality includes poverty and education, as a result, racial inequality has become an obstacle America has been facing all throughout our history
First, economic
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Subsequently, even though big changes have been made, gender inequality stills exists in the workplace. In the United States, the percent of women engaged in the workforce is falling behind other western countries. The United States ranked 22nd best in terms of gender equality out of 135 countries. Researchers say that that the United States is falling behind due to the lack of business and social support for working women. In addition to this, the United States is the only industrialized nation that does not have paid parental leave. Moreover, in an Huffington post article, Katy Hall found that as a result of the Family Medical Leave act of 1993, new parents are guaranteed their jobs twelve weeks after their baby is due. This act does not require the company to give fully paid maternity leave. Unpaid parental leave could make a woman not want to work since if she does it would be harder for her to start a family. Hence, this makes it harder for women to work. If a woman is not having paid maternity leave, then this will cause her to have problems when trying to provide for her child if she does decide to have one. Moreover, a study directed by researchers at San Fernando Valley State College said that “ when an individual with a PhD applies for a position at a university, that individual is significantly more likely to be offered a higher level
“The Broken Contract: Inequality and American Decline” by George Packer explores the ideas of how different inequalities create an unwritten contract, the rise of organized money, and the mocking the American promise. Packer discusses how these inequalities will continue to weaken American democracy unless something is done to fix the problem. Analysing this specific topic is important because it is of current interest in today’s time; these are issues we are facing as a country presently. A constantly asked question in society today is “What would happen if certain individuals did not face inequalities?” This essay will further analyze the ideas of discrimination and inequality and what our country would be like if we did not
A question most fascinating to me is where in history does the first hint of American ideals and identities originate from? If we were to look at where the fiery passions of an American identity first arise we have to look to where the colonists first fought for their right to be a recognized citizen of America. American colonists formed their identity through the ideas of liberty, resistance to unfair British jurisdiction, and cultural diversity. Their identities formed between the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War as these two events deeply brought out what the colonist’s ideals were and what they fought for so passionately. Between these years 1763 and 1775 we see the first American ideals being born in the colonies. An example of such ideals is the want and need for Liberty. A reason for wanting liberty was that British control suppressed the lives of the people living in America and over time grew harder for colonists to live with. Americans are revered to have a passionate patriotic view of their country and this is true as it is seen throughout history but in my research I will try to explain where these ideals first arose.
Equality served as a cornerstone of America's foundation, but its people have not fulfilled its potential.
Jill Lepore's essay puts a spotlight on the growing issue at hand and provides heartfelt examples of the dangers that inequality has caused America; she provides facts that show the growing dilemma that inequality is causing U.S. citizens. In this essay, there will be an analysis of some of the facts and evidence Jill Lepore has provided of this growing issue within America.
There is immigration mostly found throughout the U.S. It consists of foreigners coming from out of countries without paperwork. In the article “The Americanization Ideal” by: Barbara Jordan. She explains how the congress is giving more hope to immigrants. Newspaper tell us more about what’s going on. This article also says how the “alien” can be good or bad. Either way he/she should be able to become an American, and deal with less racism. By doing this, we should show more American civic culture as it says by: teaching the language, history, and rules/regulations. Now naturalization is mostly needed for this goal to become a success and together we can become one
institutional racism, wage inequality, feminization of poverty, and generational poverty have posed the greatest barriers to overcoming urban poverty in the United States. Systemic racism negatively impacts equitable opportunity in education, housing, employment, debt, health care, political representation, and immigration, while at the same time supporting a justice system that disproportionately punishes and incarcerates persons of color. Wage inequality prevents workers from earning a livable wage (with insurance and sick leave), depriving families the stability to provide food, shelter, and a sense of financial security, requiring household earners to work multiple, low-paying jobs without set schedules and benefits, keeping families from
All men are created equal yet the glaring disparities between races and ethnicities say otherwise. The African American demographic of America has the lowest poverty rate and household income than all other races and ethnicities. The statistics about African American poverty are staggering in regards to more than just unemployment, food insecurity, and nutrition. In the 21st century, decades after the civil war and desegregation, and with such a diverse population, the poverty in our country still pertains to race and the color of our skin. The following paragraphs will explicate the various distinctions in socioeconomic statuses of the African American and white populations of America. It is not my intention to pit the white and black
Racial inequality has been a problem plaguing this country since its inception. Even today we can see the extent of the issue in almost every facet of life. There is racial inequality within the workforce, resulting in a vast differential between incomes of different races. Racial inequality also lives within our health care system, meaning that millions of Americans are not covered by government issued health insurance, but the majority of those not covered belong to a racial minority. The most devastating place that racial inequality has managed to creep into is our education system, basically setting many American children up for failure.
Racial injustices and inequality have been in place in various areas of operation within the society. The existence of the notion that a given race is more superior to another has been the main source of the constant injustices across different communities. The inequality and racial injustices within the societies are deeply rooted which it makes difficult to develop policies and strategies that can have a significant impact if the past events and actions are anything to buy. Thus, the increasing inequality across the United States is based on wealth and social status where racial consideration is key in many societies. Even though there have been efforts to ensure that there is better engagement among different races within the country, there are no significant steps that have been made as the inequality among races keeps increasing.
In this course I have learned about different social problems in societies worldwide. Some of these include poverty, social inequality, discrimination of race and culture, urbanization, and more. After learning all these subjects and more, I have decided to do my final on social inequality and minorities in the United States. I chose this particular topic because I have seen this in almost every place have lived. I find it appalling that minorities are still not treated 100% equal. We as Americans know what inequality is and know how it is used in our everyday society. I want to explore this topic and show how real and big this
Women in the United States should be guaranteed a paid maternal leave. The United States is the only industrialized country that does not guarantee paid maternity leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act was passed in 1993, and it protects a woman’s position at her job for 12 weeks: It does not mandate pay (Holohan). Paid maternity leave is not unheard of in the United States. California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island- these are the states that offer some form of paid leave to new mothers. It is not enough to only have four states offer paid leave. Only 12% of Americans are able to take a paid maternity leave (NPR). Paid maternity leave should be mandated in every state.
Throughout America’s past, racial inequality has been a reoccurring theme in our society. Ever since the Europeans invaded America the white man has been superior compared to all ethnicities. No more than two hundred years ago, African Americans were slaves and only counted as three fifths of a person. Within the past hundred years African Americans have managed to obtain more equality in some situations, but in other cases racial inequality has become worse than it was when segregation took place. The gaps between the quality of education of white and black students receive appears to be growing instead of shrinking. The lack of quality education blacks receive has contributed to significant health differences between
The description of issue due to racism and sexism is given below supported by educators articles which includes Dr. James Waller and Sikivu Hutchinson. Throughout this essay, the mission is to prevent discrimination and stereotypes for a brighter future. As we list the common issues that are occurring in america’s society that initially came from human nature of the elder generations. As we believe in a way of life that dictates what one can do and can not do because of race, gender, ethnicity, and interest. We consider these by-laws as the normal in society.
Paid maternity leave is not a priority in the United States, because the focus is towards profit and growth within the company rather than motherhood. I believe the needs and priorities of women are not valued as it is with men. It’s not right that working-mothers have to loss the wages to care for their children. I see this as a form of gender inequality, where women must choose between being a mother or paying the bills. In the video The Problem: Women on Top, the United Kingdom focused on a gender balance work environment, which accounted for better decision making, higher sales, and higher returns on equity and invested capital. Other countries see the value women bring to the work force; therefore, they offer paid maternity leave to the working mothers.
Despite the advantages of paid parental leave, the United States trails behind other developed countries in guaranteeing these options. In fact, America is currently “one of the only two nations (the other being Papua New Guinea) that do not guarantee paid maternity leave to new mothers” (Baum II and Ruhm 333). Last year, according to the Pew Research Center, only fourteen percent of workers had access to paid family leave (Desilver). Instead of choosing to extend paid leave for their employees, many American businesses opt to offer unpaid family leave that is available to almost ninety