Social Inequality In American Society

Running head: SOCIAL INEQUALITY 1
Social Inequalities in the American Society.
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Institutional Affiliation

SOCIAL INEQUALITY 2
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Within any given society in today's world, there exist different groups of people who
share the same characteristics, interests, among other things. However, there can exist social
inequalities due to belonging to such groups, which means that they do not have access to the
same opportunities due to the group they belong to. This essay will examine the different forms
of social inequalities experienced by two separate groups within the American society by
examining their beliefs, perceptions, and experiences in today's world using three factors; wage,
education, and employment.
I carried out my interview on two people belonging to two different societal groups in the
United States that are a gay black man and a wealthy white woman. My interviewees were
Wesley, a 35 year gay black gay man, and Mary, a 35-year-old white lady from the American
upper-middle class. We held our discussions differently, and it was quite interesting to find out
their thought, beliefs, and experiences in the subject of social inequality in terms of employment
opportunities, wages earned, access to, and the quality of education.
In the United States, access to education is a fundamental right; however, there still exist
disparities in terms of who can access it, and even if they do the quality of education they
receive. Wesley held similar sentiments to mine. "I grew up in a primarily black neighborhood
that was poverty-stricken, we attended a school that constantly had armed guards, there was a
metal detector at the school entrance, and every once in a while students would be caught while
attempting to smuggle weapons to school. It was unnerving, and worst of all, there were few
teachers since many refused to teach in such a hazardous school. Even the school facilities were
of poor quality. Most of the parents lobbied for change; however, we were ignored by the school
district as they felt that this was the norm, and anything could change," Wesley said sighing. "It