 |
 |
 |
Wealth & Poverty
By: P. Stegall
Patricia Stegall 6/30/99 Sociology 1B Midterm 2 Essay Identify and discuss sociologically the issues about wealth and poverty in American Society. What do you believe and why? The distribution of wealth, economic inequality, and the growing numbers of people living at or below the recognized "poverty level" are issues that must be dealt with in the United States. In general, Americans subscribe to the concept that everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and family, but the reality is much different. Depending upon which statistics you believe, either the disparity in the distribution of wealth is growing greater and greater, or statistically, it has remained static. Nevertheless, it is apparent that the country has a growing problem of more and more people becoming homeless, and more people living it poverty. In Issue 8 of our readings, Paul Krugman indicates that this inequality in living standards arise from technological advances that have eliminated low-skill jobs, imports from low wage countries, and more importantly, the decline of the labor movement. He argues that unions provide a "political counterweight to the power of wealth." In opposition to his position, Christopher DeMuth claims that the inequality has been greatly exaggerated, that it is "a small tick in the massive and unprecedented leveling of material circumstances" that has been "proceeding for nearly three centuries.' Mr. DeMuth sees the fulfillment of material needs as creating a need to change the way we gauge economic welfare and equality from income to consumption. Each author uses different indicators to support his thesis. Frankly, I don't accept either premise. In my opinion, the issue is much larger than just the failure of the unions to maintain power or changing the way we determine economic equality. It is a basic, gut-level issue of survival for those people who do not have the jobs, the income, the means to enjoy the current economic "boom". In Issue 9, Nicholas Eberstadt argues that the "withering away" of the family as a central social institution has led to the increase in poverty and that the breakup of the family results in both financial and economic hardship, particularly in the fatherless household. His argument continues that this has led to an increasing long-term dependence upon government assistance programs. He also attributes the ...
All over the world, disparities between the rich and poor, even in the wealthiest of nations is rising sharply. Fewer people are becoming increasingly 'successful' and wealthy while a disproportionately larger population is also becoming even poorer. There are many issues involved when looking at poverty. It is not simply enough (or correct) to...
By: jessica E-mail: xoxo185@aol.com Throughout time the decisions made by an individual or a group, such as President Anwar Sadat and his decision to make peace with Israel has dramatically changed the course of history. Every leader in history has made a decision that has affected the world, or just his nation in some way. After many yea...
By: Ramesh Ranganathan E-mail: ramesh3463@yahoo.com A new study found students who doubt their abilities to handle bad moods or bad situations are more prone to drinking. This is just the latest in a number of alcohol studies coming out in relation to college students. College students are always easy targets for these surveys, since man...
By: Galadriel E-mail: galadriel@jewelfan.com For centuries there had been one sex that dominated the development of society. Laws, religion and lifestyle all revolved around the idea that one sex, the male sex, was dominant. Oppressed and considered inferior, women would obey the men, forgo all rights and accept all responsibility. Only r...
Suppose one accepts MacKinnon and Dworkin's suggested statutory definition of pornography. How does one who generally accepts MacKinnon and Dworkin's views on the pervasively harmful effect of pornography, and who accepts a need for legal redress of the harms perpetrated by pornography, deal with pornographic material? The ordinance proposed...
John Locke was born on August 29, 1632, into a middle class family during late Renaissance England. Locke started his studies at Christ Church in Oxford. He then went into medical studies and received a medical license, which he practiced under Anthony Cooper. They became friends, and when Cooper became Earl of Shaftesbury, Locke was able to ho...
The Internet is a method of communication and a source of information that is becoming more popular among those who are interested in, and have the time to surf the information superhighway. The problem with this much information being accessible to this many people is that some of it is deemed inappropriate for minors. The government want...
By: jim sabella E-mail: the_sandman23@hotmail.com Tobacco is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States. Nicotine, which is an alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant, is a potent chemical that has powerful effects on the human body, especially when administered rapidly or at high doses. Prenatal exposure to nicot...
By: sam ion is the ending of pregnancy before birth and is morally wrong. An abortion results in the death of an embryo or a foetus. ion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and illegal in many countries. By aborting these unborn infants, humans are hurting themselves; they are not allowing themselves to meet these new identi...
Hunting the White-Tail Deer Hunting the White-Tail Deer It is a freezing twenty-two degrees outside. Even though it is still too dark to see, as you look over the hills, you see a breathtaking sunrise that will soon creep through the heavy fog. Every breath that you take is like smoke coming out of a dragon's nostrils. As you are waitin...
To compare the political theories of two great philosophers of politics is to first examine each theory in depth. Plato is regarded by many experts as the first writer of political philosophy, and Aristotle is recognized as the first political scientist. These two men were great thinkers. They each had ideas of how to improve exis...
This essay was written to show the advantages and disadvantages of the Young Offenders Act over the previous Juvenile Delinquents Act. Also it should give a theoretical understanding of the current Canadian Juvenile-Justice system, the act and it's implications and the effects of the young offenders needs and mental health on the outcome of the...
By: Angela Hazel E-mail: anghazel@yahoo.com The practice of female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, occurs throughout the world, but it is most common in Africa. Female genital mutilation is a tradition and social custom to keep a young girl pure and a married woman faithful. In Africa it is practiced in the majority...
Assisted Suicide: Murder or Mercy? One of the most hotly debated topics going on now is the one concerning the ethics of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Nowadays with all the progress that the medical profession has gained, people who are terminally ill have more options, and there have been continued efforts to give them the "right to...
