A Case Study in Equality of Opportunity

Introduction

American society is among the most diverse communities in the world. People from different backgrounds move to the United States to look for opportunities to improve their income and living conditions. The growth of a diverse society increases the likelihood of inequality because of the existence of majority and minority groups. Although the government has collaborated with community leaders and human rights activists to create equality, the issue of inequality in American society is a major issue because of the obstacles individuals from different racial, religious, gender, cultural, and ethnic groups face.

The Success of African Americans in the American Society

African Americans in American society have been experiencing discrimination since the 1960s. However, the gap has narrowed over the years, allowing African Americans to access various opportunities that were initially only accessible to Whites. According to PEW Research (2013), the gap between Whites and Blacks has narrowed in high school completion, voter turnout, and life expectancy. In 2008, the voter turnout among African Americans almost caught up with the turnout among whites. In 2012, African American voters surpassed Whites because 64% of eligible White voters turned out to vote, and 67% of eligible African American voters voted (PEW Research, 2013). The high school completion rate among African Americans has improved from 42% to 62%. The gap in life expectancy among African Americans and Whites has also narrowed over the past 50 years from approximately seven to four years. However, the success of African Americans requires passing down values that promote equality from one generation to another. According to Etzioni (2002), a good society heavily relies on moral dialogues to identify the values that will include the shared cultures of the community. Therefore, African Americans and Whites should collaborate to establish values that favor the needs and preferences of each group.

Women’s Lack of Success in the American Society

Gender inequality is a major issue in many societies, including American society. According to Barroso & Brown (2022), the gender pay gap in American society persists due to work experience, occupational segregation, and educational attainment. The authors also argue that women are overrepresented in occupations that offer low wages relative to their work, leading to gender differences in compensation. Women in American society also face gender discrimination, which is characterized by receiving less pay than men, being treated like they are incompetent, receiving limited support from leaders at top positions, being passed over for many vital assignments, being denied promotion, feeling isolated in the work environment and being rejected after applying for a job that they are qualified to complete. Gender inequality is also experienced in soccer. According to McArdle (2019), the pay gap between women and men in soccer is high because of the stereotypes suggesting that women are weaker than men or are slower, creating a perception that women’s soccer is not exciting. Unfortunately, closing the pay gap between women and men in soccer is hard because men’s soccer attracts more fans than women’s soccer.

Conclusion

Based on the information discussed in the sections above, my conclusion is that African Americans have been successful because they can access opportunities that allow them to contribute positively to society, such as education and voting. Therefore, they can contribute to the growth of society by using the knowledge and skills acquired through education and voting for leaders who bring positive change to society. Women continue to struggle because of the assumption that they cannot perform better than men. By comparing and contrasting the two groups, I learned that inequality in society could be eliminated by changing people’s perspectives towards one another and teaching people how to deal with unconscious bias and stereotypes when interacting with people from different backgrounds. Our role in pursuing equal rights for others is to condemn stereotypes and promote values that encourage people to treat each other equally.

References

Barroso, A., & Brown, A. (2022, June 8). The gender pay gap in the U.S. held steady in 2020. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/25/gender-pay-gap-facts/

Etzioni, A. (2002). The Good Society. Seattle Journal for Social Justice, 1(1).

McArdle, M. (2019, July 9). Why the debate about equal pay for U.S. women’s soccer isn’t that clear-cut. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/soccer-is-a-poor-arena-to-fight-out-the-issue-of-equal-pay/2019/07/09/8242cc6c-a28d-11e9-bd56-eac6bb02d01d_story.html?noredirect=on

PEW Research. (2013, August 20). King’s dream remains an elusive goal; Many Americans see racial disparities. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/08/22/kings-dream-remains-an-elusive-goal-many-americans-see-racial-disparities/

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Question

A Case Study in Equality of Opportunity

Learning Objective: The theme of equality of opportunity is examined through the specific lens of a case study.

For your assignment this week, research two groups in American society. Use research to provide support for your persuasive argument. For your research, you can use data from peer-reviewed sources, PEW, Gallup, Brookings, or a Federal Agency such as the U.S. Census Bureau. Devote at least 250 words to each group.

A Case Study in Equality of Opportunity

Identify a group in American society that has been, at any time since 1633, treated with less than an equal right to opportunity. This group might identify by race, religion, gender, ethnicity, cultural or historical background, handicap, sexual preference, geographic location, education, job, immigration status, and so on. However, over time, this group has overcome many of the obstacles that have restricted their rights. Use research to find an example of this group’s success.

Identify a group in American society that has been, at any time since 1633, treated with less than an equal right to equality of opportunity. This group might identify by race, religion, gender, ethnicity, cultural or historical background, handicap, sexual preference, geographic location, education, job, immigration status, and so on. However, over time, this group has failed to overcome obstacles that have restricted their rights. Use research to find an example of this group’s lack of success.

Conclude your research with a 100-word discussion of why one group has been successful while the other group continues to struggle. What did you learn by comparing and contrasting these two groups? What is our role as individuals to help obtain equal rights for others?

Each Primary Assignment requires:

a thesis statement,

an APA-style bibliography,

use of APA style in-line citations, and

adherence to the 3+1 Rule.

The 3+1 Rule requires students to use a minimum of three assigned readings from the current week and one from the previous week. This rule encourages students to review and connect the assigned readings from week to week.

Current Week:

King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal; Many Americans See Racial Disparities, PEW Research Center, 2013

The Narrowing, But Persistent, Gender Gap in Pay, Nikki Graf, Anna Brown, & Eileen Patten, PEW Research Center, 2019

Why the Debate about equal pay for U.S. Women’s Soccer isn’t that Clear Cut, Megan McArdle, The Washington Post, 2019

Still the Land of Opportunity?, Isabel V. Sawhill, The Brookings Institution, 1999

Previous Week:

Gettysburg Address, A Lincoln, 1863

T he Case against Equality of Opportunity, Dylan Matthews, Vox, 2015

People Don’t Actually Want Equality, They Want Fairness, Paul Bloom, Evonomics

The Good Society, Amitai Etzioni, Seattle Journal for Social Justice

I, Pencil, Mises Daily Articles, Mises Institute, 2017

I, Pencil, Audio Essays, Mises Institute, 2009