The American DreamSocial problems. Social Sciences Essay

Social Problems
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Social Problems
Question 1
In spite of the fact that income and wealth inequality has shot up greatly, most people in America still believe in the notion of meritocracy and the American Dream. This is the case because they believe that success both in business and in life could be earned by any person who is ready to put in the hard work needed to attain it (Stanley, Zinn & Smith, 2014). As such, many people in this country believe that successful Americans deserve to be so while the unsuccessful ones are equally deserving of their fate. The belief in meritocracy is a major threat to equality in the American society, especially gender inequality (Ozkazanc-Pan, 2018).
The film Elysium is a good symbolism of contemporary American life because it depicts the income inequality common in the United States today, where very few people hold most of the country’s wealth. The film effectively symbolizes what will happen when increasingly more resources in the country, including healthcare, are concentrated in fewer people. It symbolizes inequality and poverty that is rife in the American society today.
The issues covered in Philippe Diaz’s The End of Poverty play a role in the economic structures of America by creating poverty. The documentary portrays startling facts about poverty in the world. The economic damages brought about by colonialism arose from power plays which encouraged the stamping out of native cultures, promotion of individualism, destruction of the communal way of life, and encouraged private land ownership. These developments resulted in the immense gap between the haves and the have-nots. With its emphasis on political wheeling and dealing, profit, and greed, capitalism has further increased the gap between the poor and the rich.
Question 2
Deindustrialization refers to the decrease in industrial capacity or activity in a particular region or in the country’s economy. Deindustrialization affects the American labour market by causing large-scale losses of industrial jobs in the country. This leads to unemployment as some industries wind down their operations. Local job loss, in turn, results in housing abandonment and outmigration as the workers move elsewhere to search for jobs (Webster, 2015). Overall, unemployment may result in increases in social problems such as crime and poverty. Deregulation of the labour market is significant as it gets rid of many regulations in the labour market. This deregulation determines the bargaining power of workers. It affects the American labour market by causing an increase in unemployment for a short while, and real wages might reduce before they recover (Blanchard & Giavazzi, 2013). The social problems that may occur, therefore, include a rise in joblessness and a reduction in people’s income. Even so, these social problems would be for a short-term. The hourglass economy is significant as it produces more lower and upper classes, resulting in a decline in the middle class. Its impact on the labour market in America is that it causes growth at the top and bottom, but the routine middlemen jobs are lost. In other words, middle-class jobs are squeezed. The social problem brought about by the hourglass economy is income inequality.
Question 3
Produced after 9/11, Crash is a compelling movie that addresses the issues of stereotypes, gender and race. The film is very intense and leaves some viewers breathless. It shows the way average people unconsciously or consciously harbor negative stereotypes about one another. In one of the initial scenes, two young black men are depicted to be leaving a restaurant. One of them complains about not having been properly served. Even though the conversation of these two men seems light-hearted, it is serious. The camera is then focused on a well-off Caucasian couple walking down the street and having a conversation. The female then leans into the man. This white couple is walking towards the young black men. One of these African American men then begins to talk about the way white women are always fearful of black males. One of them says, “I just do not understand. Perhaps it is because they think we all carry firearms.” They then look at one another and say, “Maybe… it is because we do have firearms!” The two black men then pull out firearms, attack the Caucasian couple and steal their vehicle. This scene may leave many viewers stunned. The negative stereotypical assumptions are that all whites, women in par...