Sociology: Cycle Of Racial Inequality

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In Sociology 101 we have learned a great deal about how interconnected social issues are. substandard education and poverty can often be connected to create a cycle of poverty that brings down the next generation. Racial inequality can often lead to unsatisfactory job opportunities. Using the sociological imagination, I will also attempt to connect events in my life to larger social problem. I am going to observe at how my privileged upbringing in a middle class family that also happens to be in Howard County. One major advantage that I have that is the reason that many have moved to Columbia is the school system. While Oakland Mills is not the finest high school in Howard County, it is still better than most schools around the country. …show more content…
When I worked there I was paid the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour, and had bad hours. We were discouraged from talking to fellow employees, and were always surveilled on cameras by our boss. Marx’s theory of alienation is very applicable to this place of business. We weren’t allowed to eat the yogurt or anything else there, and we were paid so little that most employees didn’t buy the products. The work there was also repetitive, and ridiculously boring. You would go into work, and stand behind the counter for six hours and stand there or refill things. She wouldn’t let people get on their phones, so we couldn’t even liven things up that way. Also none of the employees liked being there; it was just a way of getting paid. It wasn’t all bad though. I liked everybody that I worked with and I did receive some job experience. If I had the choice, I wouldn’t work there again …show more content…
I got to feel grateful for how lucky I was to not have to work there. I was not desperate for money, and have any monetary obligations. Others are often not that lucky. This brings me to another major advantage that I was given which is being born in an affluent middle class suburb. The cultural capital that I have from being born to a family that is middle class gives me a distinct advantage over those who have been raised in a family with fewer means than my family have. The cultural capital that I have is a satisfactory education, a type of speech that doesn't have a strong accent, and parents who know other professionals. Often people who are poor don't’ have any of these things. It is very interesting how intrinsic advantages like the way one speaks can affect us considering that we do not have anything to do with where we are born, yet I am using this advantage for my convenience. Cultural capital also has a tremendous role in social reproduction. This is the tendency for someone's children to grow up to be in the same social class as them. The advantages or disadvantages of the parent usually are pass on to their children who have nothing to do with their parents decisions. If a child is only exposed to people within their class they are likely to mimic their behavior for better or worse. The tendency for social classes to directly or indirectly segregate themselves is certainly
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