The Effect of Social Inequality to Social Statuses

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Abstract
One of the world’s most pressing problems that increase the gap between the higher and lower social statuses is social inequality. This entails the unequal distribution of all kinds of resources, including food, shelter, education, finances, and health services. The interpretation of its impact depends on the social standing of the interpreter. Some of the most famous people who investigated its effects include Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Rosseau, who relayed the differences in their understanding of the circumstances surrounding it. Those who stand below the level of a distinct line are the less powerful or powerless individuals, and those above are the more influential people. The gazes differ based on the distinction as the interpretation varies from above and below. The crucial dimensions that must be inspected include party, status, and class—all of these are otherwise known as power, honor, and economic order, respectively. This concept distinguishes who among the groups of people are privileged and underprivileged, which is reflected as the means for power (Berreman, 2015). The paper tackles social inequality issues, integrating cultural diversity, ethical perspectives, cultural perspectives, and inequities. Moreover, the paper stated the individualized proposed solutions to the recognized unyielding global issues concerning social inequality.
Introduction (250)
Social inequality is a broad term that encompasses and involves many factors and issues such as economic background, gender, race, ethnicity, political laws, etc. This issue also stems way back from the earlier history of human society. The presence of minority groups and social circles perceived and treated as lesser than other groups of people in the world’s population reflects the system that supports the imbalance in resources and burdens. The advantages and gains are experienced mainly by those considered in power and high status in the community, while the burdens are placed upon minority groups. Many instances also involve the exploitation and suffering of the disadvantaged group. Social inequality is an issue that continuously affects the rights and liberties of particular groups of people leading to disadvantages and limitations in their quality of life. It is considered a significant global problem because there is an imbalance in distributing the world’s resources and burdens. Some of the areas of life affected by social inequality are the accessibility of health care, availability of occupations, quality of housing, ease of transportation, and rights to education (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2019).
The field of liberal arts is concerned with many individualized and specialized aspects of society, and it comprehensively observes, analyzes, and evaluates the details of every circumstance. The discipline involves the preparation of an individual in discovering the world and the challenges of reality. It does it by indulging the student in an invaluable set of employability skills, which incorporates the capacity to methodically deliberate oneself and others to employ the best tactics to interact effectively. All of these are directed to lifelong learning. Since social inequality is an issue that one faces from the past to the present, it is significant to surmise all of the factors surrounding it to know which qualities are needed to conquer such challenges. This will enable us to create plausible solutions that will provide benefit, not just to the underprivileged but also to the privileged individuals of society.
Literature Review
Diversity & Ethics
In the United States, the wealth of the 400 wealthiest Americans exceeds that of those in the bottom fifty percent combined. It shows that from 1979 to 2007, the income of the top 1% based on wealth reached 275%, while those in the middle class have only grown up to 40%. This placed more individuals at risk of extreme poverty, demonstrating that inequality is nothing but a detriment to society (Reich & Satz, 2011, paragraph 1).
In health, studies revealed that mental health issues are more common in socially disadvantaged people, including those with low incomes. Moreover, disparities also exist between genders, such that females are 24.4% while males are 8.9% likely to suffer from this (Marín-León et al., 2007, p.1). Cooper (2001) also stated that social inequality based on ethnicity in the United States has cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality even among the disadvantaged groups. For example, the results revealed that African-Americans are two to three times more likely to die from a CVD than Asians (p. 48).
In education, García & Weiss (2017) cited that the children’s educational achievements are the principal determinant of their social class. Consequently, educational success is also related to their job and income opportunities in the future, which will aid them in changing their current social status. Thus, it is an interrelated process that involves socioeconomic and demographic landscapes. The authors’ perspective relates to the international appeal to provide universal access to education, regardless of race, ethnicity, and social standing. It raises the idea that education is vital to an individual’s success, for most jobs that provide high salaries require minimum educational attainment. Social inequality in education poses a significant risk to those families with little to no capacity to send their children to school, and it predisposes them to incur the same social standing that they have at present. It steals them the opportunity to climb the ladder of success and improve their overall welfare.
These reasons encourage individuals to analyze social inequality solely based on its negative impact disregarding the advantages of having some inequalities in society. In other words, some inequalities are justifiable and essential for society’s continuous functioning, and this is where ethical dilemmas enter. Setting aside the adverse effects of unequal opportunities, in a market income, the differences in the effort exerted by each individual create the gap between the industrious and the indolent, showing that some rewards are rightfully given to those who were diligent. Moreover, social inequality is essential for intergenerational mobility to allow for changes in the statuses per decade. However, this is disputed for a massive gap might not permit changes, such that the poor and the rich maintain their statuses from one generation to the next. Nevertheless, it is still a significant factor that allows interaction between social classes (Reich & Satz, 2011).
Castells-Quintana & Royuela (2017) suggest three mechanisms from which social inequality shows a positive impact. First, based on the classical and neoclassical growth models, the gap has a predilection for increasing the incentives and investments gained from the rich, leading to higher aggregate savings (p. 8). Second, the capital market imperfections approach adds to the benefit of social inequality. Dr. Loy, an instructor with Ph.D. in Resource Economics and Master’s Degrees in Economics, Human Resources, and Safety, explained that it is a trade theory that illustrates that perfect competition in the international market does not exist secondary to monopolies and oligopolies (Loy, 2016). Second, Castells-Quintana & Royuela (2017) revealed that inequality becomes directly associated with the amount of aggregate investment through the investment indivisibilities. Third, the intergenerational gap on unequal opportunities generates an accumulated capital that is frequently used for innovation to enhance society’s prosperity. It also encourages more people to take risks based on the presented incentives, which will help reverse their situation in the future. Therefore, ethical dilemmas exist based on the situation due to the variability of social inequality based on the country (pp. 8-9).
Cultural Perspectives & Inequities
Cultural diversity involves groups of people from different backgrounds, interests, beliefs, etc. However, some challenges that cultural diversity faces are miscommunication, hostility, and dysfunctional behaviors, which all prevent the goal of appreciating and recognizing the unique and positive characteristics present in each one’s differences. With cultural diversity and the problematic issues that it faces, social inequality is deeply connected and somehow goes hand in hand. It faces the same social challenge of discrimination, injustice, and exclusion (Jindra et al., 2014). However, cultural diversity can be one of the solutions to the issue of social inequality. As previously explained, social inequality comes in many forms, such as gender inequality, wealth inequality, and racial inequality. These things can be partially addressed by promoting inclusion and cultural diversity so that the minority groups can have the same opportunities in life as that of the rest of the population, who are reaping plenty of benefits and advantages. This will help create a balanced and well-distributed system that will be beneficial to all types of people. However, it is also worth noting that having the same opportunities and the power to make decisions will not ensure that it will have the same positive outcomes. This is because of the differences in background and beliefs, which may lead to a group not wanting to give in to the majority practices, which further em...