Social and economic inequality in the 1954 film Salt of the Earth

Sociological Analysis: Salt of the Earth

Salt of the Earth

The 1954 film Salt of the Earth explores a wide variety of social issues that would come to the forefront of social conscience in the coming decades. The film examines the economic and social inequalities perpetrated by the economic system in the United States, racial prejudice, and gender equity. The script is based on a real-life labor strike and uses the actual miners involved in the labor dispute as actors. The movie was made outside the studio system by blacklisted writer Michael Wilson, director Paul Jarrico, and director Herbert Biberman.

Economic and Social Inequalities

The movie exposes the shabby working and living conditions of the Mexican-American community. It provides some historical background on how Hispanic rights were violated by white industrialists. The land was once owned by members of the local Mexican-American community, however the Zinc Company moved in, took over the property and offered them the "choice" of moving or accepting employment at low wage. Additionally, the workers are enticed to live in management-owned houses and buy at management-owned stores. The homes of the Hispanics are shacks compared to those of their white co-workers with poor sanitation and bad plumbing. The stores sell goods at inflated prices, which put the workers in debt.

Safety is another issue raised by the Hispanic miners. Regulations for the minority workers are lax, especially when compared to those in mines dominated by white workers. While white miners are allowed to work in pairs, the Hispanics must perform dangerous work individually and when they protest the company's managers threaten to replace them. There are no Hispanic managers at the mine.

These conditions reflect a current economic trend in American society to some extent. According to the University of Washington West Coast Poverty Center ("Social and Economic Inequality in the United States," 2012) income inequity among all workers in America has increased in recent years. Since 1980 the rich have become richer relative to the middle and lower income classes. The U.S. Census Bureau has found that the highest quintile increased its share of total household income from around 44% in 1980 to 50% in 2010. In other words, by 2010 fully half of all household income in America was earned by the richest 20% of the population. Each of the remaining quintiles of the population lost income share over the same period. By 2010, the lowest quintile earned only 3.3% of total income.

Moreover, racial and ethnic disparities in income are higher among blacks and Hispanics. Blacks ($32,068) and Hispanics ($40,120) had lower median annual incomes than non-Hispanic whites ($54,620) or Asians ($64,308) in every year between 2002 and 2010. Racial and ethnic minorities were disproportionately represented among poor people in 2010. Whereas blacks made up one eighth of the U.S. population, nearly one quarter of all poor people were black (23.1%). Similarly, whereas about one sixth of the U.S. population was of Hispanic ethnicity, more than one quarter of poor people identify as Hispanic (28.7%) ("Social and Economic Inequality in the United States," 2012).

Gender Equity

One of the more interesting themes the film explores is the role of women in the Hispanic culture. It is apparent that the men expect their wives to stay at home, take care of the house and children, and be subservient to their desires. As the story progress it becomes incumbent upon the women to take the place of the men on the picket line and the men to take the place of the women in the home. Ironically, the men treat the women with the same respect that the white bosses treat the men. At one point Esperanza, Ramon's wife, says, "You still think you can have dignity only if I have none" (Biberman, 1954, 1:19:38). She points out that just as the whites want him to stay in his place he wants her to stay in her place.

Gender equity is a set of actions, attitudes, and assumptions that provide opportunities and create expectations about individuals. Gender is never separate from race, ethnicity, language, disability, income, or other diversities that define us as human beings. The goal is to make women's rights equal to men's rights and men's right equal to women's rights. Of all the issues raised in the film this may be the one may have come the furthest. It is important to note that Women now make up the majority of students in America's colleges and universities in addition to making up the majority of those receiving bachelor and master's degrees. Women are now entering business and law schools in record numbers. Michelle Colin (2003) reports women earn 57% of all BA's and 58% of all master's degrees in the United States. There are 133 woman getting BA's for every 100 men. By the year 2020 it is projected that there will be 156 women per 100 men earning BA degrees.

Conclusion

In retrospect the social issues raised in The Salt of the Earth seem self-evident in this day and age. It is important to note that we as a people are still struggling with these issues in America as well as the rest of the world. Nevertheless, it is significant that though the film was widely banded by the political and economic leaders of the day, future generations were able to see the merit in the social changes the film espoused.