Black People Essay -- Racial Relations, Equality

Familiar to almost every individual in this country is the passage in the Declaration of Independence that states, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal (Jefferson par. 2). This statement would seem imply that all plurality, regardless of creed, gender, race or ethnicity, have equal access to advancement in all facets of life. However, despite this concepts status as a foundational American ideal, complete equality among all groups of people has never been a reality in this country. Instead, different categories of people are ranked into a hierarchy and maintain various degrees of wealth, power, and prestige, often as a result of prejudice and discrimination. An area where this stratification is extremely pronounced is the difference in opportunities for women relative to those of men. Since the conception of this nation, women have been the subordinates of men. For many years, women were denied basic freedoms, such as the right to vote and own prop erty, and they are still currently denied the right to make some decisions regarding their own bodies. In todays society, it is widely recognise that men control more wealth, have greater opportunity for advancement, hold more powerful positions, and are more respected than women. In this paper, I pull up stakes explore several aspects of inequality that contribute to gender stratification.In the past century, the number of women in the labor force has increased dramatically. In 2009, women comprised 46.8 percent of the append U.S. labor force (Quick). This stands in stark contrast to the number of women in the labor force in previous years. However, women are still disproportionately represented in many occupations, such as secretaries, administrative as... ...ly stated, women, occupational segregation is a problem for many categories of people in the United States. All of these disadvantages in employment have resulted in an over-arching problem for ethnic and minority groups low income.Income varies drastically between different groups of people in the United States, a position which suggests that discrimination is widespread in this country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the clean median income for families was $58,407 in 2006. Considering this fact, the $40,000 that the average Hispanic American family makes is extremely low. Even lower is the average median family incomes of African Americans and Native Americans, which are $38,206 and $38,800, respectively. Income is such an integral part of every individuals life, affecting not only a persons house, car, and clothing but also their health and education.