Different Problems and Solutions - Racial and Ethnic Minorities - Lecture Slides, Slides of Sociology

Download Different Problems and Solutions - Racial and Ethnic Minorities - Lecture Slides and more Slides Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! Social Demography, continued • Important Themes from Pollard and O’Hare • Evidence of Persisting Inequality • Reparations as a potential solution to black/white inequality docsity.com Pollard and O’Hare 1. Minority groups have suffered and to some extent continue to suffer because of their racial and ethnic identity. ***Will they follow the path of European immigrant groups or never assimilate? docsity.com 4. Persisting Inequality • 31% of whites have college degrees relative to 16% of African Americans and 46% of Asians. • 33% of whites have managerial and professional jobs relative to 20% of African Americans and 34% of Asians. • 1997 Median Household Income for Asians: $45T, whites: $41T, Blacks: $25T • Disparities in wealth, business ownership, and poverty docsity.com Potential Solutions • Laissez faire: little government intervention • Existing government programs: progressive tax system, compensatory programs like Head Start, affirmative action • Reparations docsity.com What are reparations? • Most advocates call for increased spending on compensatory educational programs, including, e.g. more funds for college scholarships. • Most advocates do not call for direct cash payments. docsity.com Pros and Cons • African Americans were unjustly treated in the past. • Compensatory efforts are needed to overcome past harms. • We need a bold step to move beyond the current black/white divide • How do we identify those who should be compensated? • We should allow our economy to work this out over time, or we should help only the needy. • We need to quit focusing on the black/divide and address real inequality. docsity.com Underlying Questions • Should we expect the socioeconomic gap between blacks and whites to disappear completely? Why or why not? • Can equality between African Americans and White Americans be achieved within our current political and economic system? • What explains persisting inequality? docsity.com Consensus: Functional Theory of Inequality • Functions and Positions • Relative Importance to Society • Ability, Training, Motivation • Inequality is Inevitable: Racial? docsity.com