Income Inequality

Sociology Social and income stratification in the United States has been a very real phenomenon over most of the history of the United States but the laser-like focus on the subject over the last couple of generations has eclipsed what has been seen previously. This is due in large part, to be sure, due to the twenty-four hour news cycle and increased ability of people to communicate and interact over the Internet and through other mediums.

While there are certainly some negative aspects to social and income stratification, at least some of it is necessary and people have to be accountable for what they do or not do in life as the ability to "make it" in this country is open and waiting for at least most people. That all being said, opportunity is not infinite and it will not be just handed to people, and this is as it should be.

Questions Answered It may seem cold to suggest that social and income stratification is necessary, but it is. First, even with the finite amount of opportunity that exists in the United States, there still has to be people that collect trash for the trash truck, that do the blue-collar work in the elements and in lesser conditions and so forth. This does not mean that they should not enjoy workplace protections and safety equipment.

On the other side of the coin, there is a reason fast food workers do not (and should not) earn anywhere close to $15 an hour. It would upset the proverbial apple cart and the minimum wage is where it is for a reason. Low-skill and low-wage jobs are as they are because it is quite easy to replace people that cannot or will not do the work. The sometimes reflexive response from people that are appalled by the above is that people cannot raise families on minimum wage alone.

First, that is not true because it can be done. It takes some hard choices and some sacrifices. It takes a quite honest definition of what is a "need" and what is a "want." However, it can be done.

Even so, it should perhaps be pointed out that having children when one is not married, does not have a stable home or life in general and/or does not have a job that pays more than minimum wage is a very bad idea and the rub is that sexual activity is a voluntary activity. Further, family planning is generally very cheap and can be as simple as using a condom that costs less than a dollar.

To suggest that this is unobtainable and unworkable on a grand scale is simply not true. However, the author of this report is keenly aware through recent news stories that half of all births are out of wedlock and people that are poorer tend to have more kids than more affluent people. Some automatically play the "prude" or "bible-thumping" card when someone points that out, but that is the antithesis of the way things should be and religion does not have to be invoked at all.

Regarding the sources pointed to for this report, this question reeks of the conflict perspective as mentioned in many sociological texts (Macionis & Benokraitis, 2010; Macionis, 2013). Some go so far as to say that people are often helpless and unable to remove themselves from their conditions (Ehrenreich, 2011). At the end of the day, these are gross over-simplifications and the vast majority of people (although certainly not all people) have the ability to make better choices even if they stumble at first.

The author of this report has heard more than once that companies make heavy use of H-1B visas for high-tech jobs because qualified applicants cannot be found in the United States. However, it does not take a high-tech job to "get by" in this country and people need to worry more about the choices they are making (or not making) rather than fixating on how others are stacking the deck against them.

The author of this report heard of a woman who actively complained (in public) to the President of McDonald's about her low pay and lack of promotions. While the press gobbled that up, it perhaps should have been pointed out that someone not getting promoted over the span of some years might mean that the employer is bad but it could also mean the employee is bad.

Throw in the fact that the woman was unmarried and had two kids whilst working at McDonald's, perhaps she could have (and should have) made better life choices rather than expecting something that is not extended to anyone else…and for good reason. That "something," barring evidence to the contrary, would be promotions that are not earned or pay that is not commensurate with a low-skill job. The United States economy has shifted to a knowledge-pay and/or service-based economy. This means.