There is an established public belief about equality of political, economic, and socio-cultural possibilities for the representatives of different social groups in the modern United States. Such a view is based on the legal system, which states that the rights of all people have to be considered and protected equally. However, uneven distribution of wealth, income, and social respect in society, based not on the individual characteristics, but the belonging to a particular group, is experienced by people, as well as recognized by sociologists. This paper will focus on racial inequality in the United States, in the context of the system of social stratification.
Initially, the concept of a race was connected to ancestry, as well as geographic belonging; however, at present, it is more connected to physical appearance. A person is usually classified as a representative of a race-based on “socioeconomic assumptions,” illuminating that the understanding of race is “removed from biological qualities” (Rice University 2017:226). As a consequence of such existing assumptions, the representatives of different races have unequal access to education, the employment market, political power, and social facilities. Racial discrimination may be experienced, as it is demonstrated by the statistics, in legal processes.
If to consider the idea of stratification, it might be observed, that the concept of social class is connected, to a high degree, to the concept of racial inequality. Despite being legally recognized in the United Stated for social mobility, the members of particular races usually cannot reach the position of the upper or even upper-middle class. To conclude, it could be stated that racial inequality is still present in the minds of the people in the form of prejudice and stigma. However, the realization of its limitation is the step towards eliminating it.
References
Rice University. 2017. Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. Houston, Texas: Openstax.