Despite the significant advancement of modern society in matters of morality and ethics, some complexities may arise even today in a world that is seemingly completely free from cultural prejudices. In particular, it is about gender inequality and the problems that accompany this issue. Caliendo mentions this social phenomenon in the book and clarifies that persistent gender inequality was typical of American history for some time (161).
It allows concluding that society does not stand still and is constantly evolving. In connection with the fact that the manifestations of such historical relics are rarely observed today, it can be assumed that the problem of gender inequality has almost lost the acuteness that was relevant for an ancient society. Therefore, the described question is uniquely useful for study and comparison from the point of view of sociology.
However, despite quite reasonable arguments, the author did not pay enough attention to the prerequisites for the development of this issue, as a result of which it remained insufficiently disclosed. Caliendo mentions gender inequality as a phenomenon that has evolved throughout human history but does not specify why the problem has become global and has become a morally reprehensible issue (161). Accordingly, a rather logical question can arise, the answer to which is very important: why did gender inequality become widespread in the world, and how did it happen that humanity divided societies in accordance with rights and obligations? Given that some echoes of inequality can manifest themselves even today, it is significant to understand what caused this social relic.
A more detailed description of such a problem can be found in another manual. Thus, Wacquant not only mentions the problem of gender inequality but also stresses that this issue has a rather long history of development, which is rooted in the past (226).
Moreover, the author claims that there is inequality not only in terms of gender but also regarding the accessibility of medical services (226). Perhaps, it is essential to consider not only one type of disparity but several ones in order to make the complete picture of the current state of the society. Inequalities in access to health services are largely due to the same prejudices that are relevant to gender disparity. It is about, for example, the social status of people, their origin, etc. Quite many attendant issues also deserve particular attention. Therefore, additional ideas can be considered to describe the entire scope of existing problems and disclose their prerequisites.
Works Cited
Caliendo, Stephen M. Inequality in America: Race, Poverty, and Fulfilling Democracy’s Promise. 2nd ed., Westview Press, 2017.
Wacquant, Loïc. Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity. Oxford University Press, 1990.