Social Inequality

Social Inequality Ain't No Makin' It In this article, the author talks of two different groups of young men who live in an area where they see little chance for advancement and have relatively poor economic and educational opportunities. One group, dubbed the "Hallway Hangers," thinks that they will not be able to get ahead in school or life no matter what they do, so they do not make any effort.

They do not care about much, and they will not take classes that could prepare them for college or good jobs when they graduate. Many of them do not attend the classes that they are supposed to, and those that do are failing them. They believe that who they know is what matters, not what they know, and so education will not help them to do anything with their lives, get good jobs, or be anything more than they already are.

The other group, the "Brothers," believes that they can work hard and learn much, allowing them to do better in life than they are now, and that their hard work will pay off if only they are patient and wait to see the results. They envision white-collar jobs and nice homes. In the end, though, most of the members of both groups end up poor and working in low-income jobs. Very few manage to make it to anything beyond that, even though some have worked hard.

One of the main points in the article was the hatred that the two groups had for each other. It seems that this hatred was largely what was holding them back. Even though their opportunities might not have been the best, they still could have done more with their lives than they did, at least in most.