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America is one of the wealthiest nations on earth with having a high inequality than
other industrialized country. Inequality exists in income, wealth, power and
education. Persons who are legally and socially poor in the United states tend to
stay in a cycle through life, not always by choice but because they are given fewer
opportunities, education and tools to achieve success. Poverty class has a much
larger income gap than the upper class, the American Dream is lessens through
opportunity and is shown through statistics.
Inequality exist and is high in America because the amount of income and wealth
that is distributed through power. In America the income distribution is very
inequality and the value of a person wealth is based on their income with their
debts subtracted. As of 2007, the top 1% of households (the upper class) owned
34.6% of all privately held wealth, and the 19% (the managerial, professional, and
small business stratum) had 50.5%, which means that just 20% of the people owned
a remarkable 85%, leaving only 15% of the wealth for the bottom 80% (wage and
salary workers) (Domhoff, 2011). In contrary the poor do not get ahead and the
rich get more. Americans are judged and placed in class categories through their
home ownership which translates to wealth. Americans social class is often
associated with their assets and wealth. People seek to own property, to have high
incomes, to have interesting and safe jobs, to enjoy the finest in travel and leisure,
and to live long and healthy lives (Domhoff, 2011). Power indicates how these
values are not distributed equally in American society. Huge gains for the rich
include cuts in capital gains and dividends and when tax rates decrease for the tiny
percent of Americans income is redistributed. Taxes directly affect the wealth and
income of Americans every year.
For most Americans, the word poverty suggests destitution: an inability to provide
a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter (Rector, 2007).
Poverty can be socially defined through severe deprivation of education, food, safe
water, sanitation, and health care regardless of ones income. The U.S. Department
of Health and human Services periodically updates poverty guidelines and
depending on what state you live in the guidelines range. In 2009 the poverty
threshold for a family of five is $25,790 (Services, 2009). The federal poverty
levels are measured through the poverty guidelines and to determine financial
eligibility is done through poverty thresholds.
Poverty rate has many variations between ethnic and racial subgroups. In 2009,
25.8% blacks and 25.3% of Hispanics were poor, compared to 9.4% of non-Hispanic
whites and 12.5% of Asians (Michigan, 2006). Black or Hispanic families headed by
single women are statistically higher in poverty than of families head by single men
or married couples. Children are at higher risk of poverty verse elderly or middleaged persons. Poverty is around us regardless if it is a big city, small town and
affects all groups differently and poverty is often concentrated. The communities
that are suffering from poverty are low-quality communities, schools, with little jobs
available. Social network is at risk in communities that breeds drug and alcohol,
Works Cited
Brinkerhoff, D. B., Ortega, S. T., Weitz, R., & White, L. K. (2011). Essentials of
Sociology. In D. B. Brinkerhoff, S. T. Ortega, R. Weitz, & L. K. White, Essentials of
Sociology (p. 166). Belmont: Wadsworth.
Domhoff, W. G. (2011, January). Power in America. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from
www.sociology.ucsc.edu:
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
Michigan, T. U. (2006). Poverty in the United States. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from
www.npc.umich.ed: http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/
Page, M. E., & Stevens, A. H. (2005, July). Understanding the Relation between Labor
Market Opportunities and Poverty Rates in California. Retrieved March 11, 2011,
from www.cppr.ucdavis.edu: http://cppr.ucdavis.edu/pdf/labor_and_poverty.pdf
Rector, R. (2007, August 27). How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the "Plague"
of Poverty in America. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from www.heritage.org:
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/08/how-poor-are-americas-poorexamining-the-plague-of-poverty-in-america
Services, U. D. (2009, January 23). The 2009 HHS Poverty Guidelines. Retrieved
March 11, 2011, from www.aspe.hhs.fov:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/09poverty.shtml
Warshauer, M. (2003, February 23). Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Retrieved March
11, 2011, from www.americansc.org:
http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/American_Dream.htm