Social Inequality The Land Of The Free, And The American...

When one hears America several things come to mind such as the land of opportunity, the land of the free, and the American Dream. However, these ideas are sadly denatured by social hierarchies and inequality. Social inequality comes in many forms. It is a social construct that many people do not see affecting their daily lives, let alone the American society as a whole. According to The Sociology Project 2.0, a social construct is An invented social phenomenon (for example a belief, discourse, or category) that is shaped by the social forces present in the time and place of its creation The statement: America is a land of opportunity where any individual with talent and hard work can achieve upward intergenerational mobility, is false. In today s day and age, race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other social constructs, heavily influence an individual s success and mobility in society. Moreover, inequality oppresses certain individuals and benefits others. For example, a child from an upper-class neighborhood will be stimulated with better schools, extracurricular activities, and safer streets. In contrast, a child from an impoverished neighborhood will suffer from gang violence, poor education, and subpar extracurricular activities. Inequality can be defined as the unequal distribution of valued goods and opportunities in society Class divisions show great variance between wealth, education, income, and opportunities. Capitalism plays a big role onShow MoreRelatedAmerican Dream Definition Essay1630 Words   |  7 PagesThe words â€Å"American Dreamâ₠¬  elicit many different thoughts in people. Rarely will you find a group who will agree on the true definition of the American Dream. It is subjective and therefore hard to solidify in a unified definition. 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