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INEQUALITY IN THE USA
There are 3 sections in this unit...
•People•Social and Economic•Political
PEOPLE• Population• Settlement Patterns• Immigration
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC• Links to groups in the population• Evidence of social inequality…
Crime, Health, Education, Housing• Evidence of economic inequality…
Poverty, Unemployment• Government responses• Evidence of progress
• The USA is one of the wealthiest countries in the world where many have worked hard to make money and achieve the American Dream.
• However, this is not equally spread across all population groups in America.
• For many, the American Reality is a life of poverty and discrimination. Many depend on welfare in a country where capitalist ideology favours a strong work ethic and minimum state intervention.
• Therefore, America is a very unequal country, especially amongst different ethnic groups and family types.
INEQUALITY IN THE USA
RESEARCH TASK
You will work individually to carry out research on the issue of inequality in the USA.You will use a range of resources to find...
• What the inequalities are• Evidence of inequalities
• Causes of inequalities• Effects of inequalities
INEQUALITIES IN CRIME
• A disproportionate number of blacks make up numbers of arrests, prosecutions & prison sentences.
• Most crime occurs in inner city, economically disadvantaged areas – with large black & Hispanic populations.
• USA is biggest user of prisons in the world, Texas has the highest prison population.
• There is evidence of discrimination in the handing out of prison sentences – blacks and Hispanics receive longer sentences than whites.
• White Americans more likely to commit rape and hate crimes, whereas blacks are more likely to be arrested for murder.
• Blacks are also more likely to be the victims of murder.• Blacks over-represented in the number of arrests for violent crime
whereas Asians are under-represented.• In death penalty cases there is a race-of-victim or race-of-defendant
pattern. More likely to receive this sentence if victim is white.
INEQUALITIES IN EDUCATION
• US educational system one of the most unequal in the world. • Pupils experience different learning opportunities not just because of
race but also due to their social status.• In wealthiest 10% of school districts educational spending is ten
times more than the poorest 10%.• Hispanics have high dropout rates and low college completion rates –
mainly due to financial pressure to support the family.• A high school diploma (at least!) is essential to avoid poverty.• Blacks and Hispanics who drop out find it almost impossible to earn a
decent income.• In ghetto areas educational ambition can be smothered by a feeling
of apathy towards school – feel left behind and segregated.• Asians achieve the most – double college graduate rates of whites.• More Asians employed in management and professional occupations.• They place a great importance on education and are the most
educated group.
INEQUALITIES IN HOUSING
• A large gap in home ownership still exists between whites and other ethnic minority groups.
• Total home ownership rates have dropped – repeated in the rates for blacks and Hispanics.
• The dream of becoming a home owner is only true for less than half of black and Hispanic Americans.
• Blacks and Hispanics can find it difficult to get a mortgage due to the area they live in or because they are unemployed/living on a low income.
• They buy what they can afford or rent – congregate in areas together and live in poorer quality housing (ghettos).
INEQUALITIES IN HEALTH
• Americans need private medical insurance to pay for health costs.
• Ethnic minorities more likely to be uninsured, receive poor quality care, suffer more health problems and die prematurely.
• Usually uninsured due to unemployment, employer does not provide cover or because they do not qualify for government funded care.
• Native Americans, Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to rate their health as fair or poor in comparison to whites and Asians.
• Black women have the highest death rates from heart disease, breast and lung cancer, stroke and pregnancy among women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Native Americans are more likely to suffer from alcoholism and diabetes.
• Infant mortality is twice as high for black infants as it is for white infants.
INEQUALITIES IN POVERTY/INCOME
• Approx. 40% of Americans will find themselves below the Federal Poverty Line at some point within a 10 year period.
• Black Americans have the highest poverty level overall however, Hispanics have seen the biggest increase in poverty (but still below the level of Blacks).
• Blacks and Hispanics more likely to experience social and economic inequality as a result of poverty compared to other groups.
• They become trapped in the poverty cycle.• This has created a ‘Black Underclass’ living in ghettos and finding it
hard to get a proper education, employment and health care cover.• Many have to rely on welfare for their income due to limited job
opportunities – blacks are the biggest group receiving welfare.• Main cause of poverty for Hispanics is the rise in immigration. • Less Cubans living in poverty than Mexicans and Puerto Ricans as
they have a more stable population and have achieved the American Dream.
INEQUALITIES IN EMPLOYMENT
• Recession has led to a sharp rise in unemployment for all ethnic groups.
• But this is not shared equally – biggest rise in the rates for blacks which is almost double the rate for Asians and whites.
• Due to location – many blacks live in areas which are struggling due to changes in industry and the economy.
• Also because blacks and Hispanics are concentrated in employment sectors hardest hit by the recession e.g. construction.
• Black and Hispanic employment rates are also lower than whites even in times when the economy is booming.
• Those ethnic minorities who are working are more likely than whites to be working in jobs which pay a lower wage thus giving them a low income.
• There is a link to family type – black families are more likely to be lone parent households which makes if difficult to balance work and family commitments.
• Asians seek out occupation with increased job security.
Attempts to reduce Social and Economic Inequalities in the
USA
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC• Links to groups in the population• Evidence of social inequality…
Crime, Health, Education, Housing• Evidence of economic inequality…
Poverty, Unemployment• Government responses• Evidence of progress
RESPONSES TO HEALTH INEQUALITIES
MedicareProvides health care cover to those aged 65 andover.
Medicaid.Health care cover for the poor (those below theFederal Poverty Line.)
Children’s Health Reauthorisation Act (2009)Provided just under $33 billion to provide healthcare cover for over 11 million children who do notqualify for Medicaid but are too poor to affordhealth insurance. This is paid for throughincreased taxes on tobacco/cigarettes.
Health Savings AccountsPeople who have health insurance can put moneyinto these accounts to pay towards any healthexpenses. The money saved is not subject to anytaxes or charges
Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (2010)President Obama’s flagship health reform bill.It has made health insurance compulsory but alsostops health insurance companies from droppingpatients from their books or refusing to coverpatients with certain conditions.
RESPONSES TO HOUSING INEQUALITIES
Housing and Economic Recovery Act (2008)This act has increased government funding forcommunity development block grants.It has also created a first-time home buyer credit tohelp those trying to get a mortgage for the first time.
RESPONSE TO CRIME INEQUALITIES
Gang Prevention, Intervention & Suppression ActPassed in February 2009, it has increased lawenforcement resources committed to investigationand prosecution of violent gangs.It aims to deter and punish violent gang crime andprotect citizens/communities from violent criminals. It also plans to expand and improve gang preventionProgrammes.
RESPONSES TO EDUCATION INEQUALITIES
No Child Left Behind ActMakes states set tests in basic skills – reading, writingand maths.The results are published along with attendancefigures - the aim is to push the performance ofschools.Students identified as struggling after these tests willbe given additional help.
The Bilingual Education ActPupils given the right to be taught in their nativelanguage. Over 80 languages are used in schoolsthroughout the USA.
Opportunity Scholarship ProgrammeProvided in certain states e.g. Florida and WashingtonDC.Provided grants to low-income families so they canpay for extra tuition therefore, improving the studentseducational chances.Also used to identify the most able students andprovide them with grants to enable them to go to college.
College Opportunity & Affordability Act (2008)Increased funding for colleges who serve low incomeand ethnic minority populated areas.Aims to make student lending easier and fairer.Also wants to keep tuition costs down e.g. whenpurchasing materials such as textbooks.
The American government has also used….
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION …
… to combat inequalities in education.
RESPONSES TO POVERTY/INCOME INEQUALITIES
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)Money given to states by the federal government toprovide welfare payments to poor families in returnfor looking for work (Welfare to Work programme)Food StampsProvided by Dept. of Agriculture – funding for lowincome families to purchase food. Often through abank-style debit card rather than paper coupons.Child Care & Development Block GrantMoney given to states by the federal government forchild-care assistance to low-income families.
RESPONSES TO EMPLOYMENT INEQUALITIES
The American Jobs Act (2011)Gives tax cuts to small businesses to help them growand create jobs.Cuts the taxes paid by over 160 million workers.Prevented 280,000 teachers from losing their jobs.Set up the ‘Pathways to Work’ programme for the long termunemployed e.g. tax credits given to employers hiring fromthis group.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION …
… has also been used to combat inequalities in employment as well as education!
PRESIDENT JOHNSTON1965
What was the problem? That beginning is freedom; and the barriers to that
freedom are tumbling down. Freedom is the right to share, share fully and equally, in American society - to vote, to hold a job, to enter a public place, to go to school. It is the right to be treated in every part of our national life as a person equal in dignity and promise to all others.
You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, "you are free to compete with all the others," and still justly believe that you have been completely fair. Thus it is not enough just to open the gates of opportunity. All our citizens must have the ability to walk through those gates.
NO EASY ANSWER TO SOLVING INEQUALITY!
Education is needed to ensure a basic standard of living and avoid poverty.
Jobs to provide income which means people can provide for their family.
Decent homes in decent surroundings and an equal chance to learn.
Welfare and social programs designed to support families.
Care for the sick is a basic right.
Affirmative Action (aap’s)• Defined as positive discrimination. • Introduced to prevent discrimination
towards ethnic minorities and women.
HOW IT IS DONE:Employment: Preference given to ethnicminorities and women when hiring and
promotingstaff. A certain proportion or QUOTA of theworkforce had to be minorities or female.Education: Schools and universities had to
ensurethey had a racially and sexually mixed amount
ofstudents.
Affirmative Action Programmes are unfair – what is good in theory is
not good in practise.
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO INEQUALITITES
• Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act has not significantly increased numbers with health insurance.
• It will cost A LOT of money to implement – approx. $940bn over 10 years.
• Many Americans are not happy that their tax dollars will be used to pay for those who cannot cover their own health.
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO INEQUALITITES
• Only 11% of eligible students have applied for the Opportunity Scholarship Programme.
• They have to pay for part of the cost of their tuition under the arrangements of this programme - they cannot afford this.
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO INEQUALITITES
• TANF has actually increased poverty levels for some families.
• Because it is only temporary and families have to find work under the arrangements, some end up having to take jobs which pay very poorly and leave them with less money.
• Some parents have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to make ends meet – this is not good for family life.
SUMMARY OF SOCIAL & ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
Affirmative Action:• How it works Finish notes from
book• For & Against HandoutSocial & Economic Progress:• Any evidence? Handout – key pointsContinued Inequality:• Government response Notes from screen
Evidence BookletsEssay on Inequality:• Model plan Handout
