Institutional Structures and Racial Inequality

¶ … race and racial inequality are structured in the United States of America. It explains the concepts of oppression and privilege, describing ways in which various social institutions (educational system, the media, the economy, politics and the state, criminal justice system, etc.) intersect to construct categories of difference in society. It concludes with a policy suggestions that would help to decrease racial and ethnic inequality in U.S. society.

Institutional Structures and Racial Inequality

The manifestation of racism in social institutions are major impediment in the struggle against rampant prejudice in the country. Specific example is shown by Simon (2008), in the television drama series, The Wire created and written by a former police reporter. The series depicts institutional dysfunction in the police department, City Hall, the public school system. It reveals how the characters are betrayed by the same institutions that are important to them in provision of education, protection and justice. The series shot in Baltimore city highlights the African-American lives, showing effects of racism such as run ins with the law, victimization and neglect. These are the forces embedded in the bureaucratic framework that advance discrimination in social, economic, educational even in the criminal justice system.

In the education system, though racism no longer takes the form segregation in institutions, it is still alive within the system (Kuznia, 2009). The achievement gaps between ethnic groups is a clear indication of racism. African-American and latino students usually below their white peers (para. 18). Furthermore, in Santa Barbara the gap between white students have proficient rates over 70% as compared to latino students with 30% rates (Kuznia, 2009, para. 31).

The criminal justice system in the United States is the most accused institution of racism. Quigley (2010), claims that the most serious crime in the United States is that in race based institutions. He says here African-Americans are dealt with overly aggressively than the other races. This has been a political issue for a long time now, the U.S. criminal justice system marginalizing a huge percentage of the African-Americans. There has been an increase in arrest of African-American and mostly due to drugs. The African-American population in the country is much lower than their percentage in prison and more so due to drugs, yet both the white and their black counterparts engage in drug activities at comparable rates. According to Mauer (2010), The police stop people from minority ethnic groups at higher rate than white people. Furthermore, in cities such as New York where the population is comparable, the Blacks and Latinos still rate higher than their white counterparts.