The Matter of Social Inequality
Once industrialization took place and productivity increased, we have been able to enjoy material abundance. However, there are still many people who struggle with poverty. Without the financial ability to provide for a comfortable life, they find their health and lives threatened. If not basic human needs, it limits certain aspects of social experience, which later becomes an obstacle for young children when trying to make their own living. One of main problems is rooted in education. Families that are financially tight cannot afford private education or additional resource like some well-off families. This puts those students at a disadvantage, because private education directly affects school grades and performance. Furthermore, some students cannot afford excessive teaching, such as colleges and universities like other students due to its expensive tuition. These differences in educational background holds back some when finding a job while giving advantage to others. As a result, the gap between the rich and poor only becomes wider.
All around us, there are people who live with physical or mental disabilities. They are often discriminated and set back due to their differences. Disabled people are limited from entering and using certain places, including some services like public transport. People with physical disabilities are unable to make use of those services in the first place, while others are frequently banned from or condemned for their use. In addition, handicapped adults, even those capable of working the average job, are turned away from job places without being considered. It is more difficult for them to find a place of employment that is willing to hire them in the first place. Students with disabilities have a hard time when learning, because the help they need is not given. While the help should be considered putting them on the same platform as others students, some people view it as “troublesome” and “special treatment,” making it hard to do. Other inequalities people face is that women with disabilities are turned away or pressured into having an abortion by hospitals when needing to give birth.
Pay inequalities is one of the current issues in society. The gender pay gap is used to refer to the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who work. Women are generally considered to be paid less than men, even when holding jobs of equal value. Pay scales for jobs requiring similar skills, qualifications or experience tend to be lower when they are predominantly worked for by women. This is because often times women’s competence and skilled are undervalued while the male gender is thought to be more capable than women. Another reason why gender pay gaps exist is that women and men are stereotyped to certain jobs. Jobs are recognized as gendered and separated into men’s jobs and women’s jobs, and such work is accorded to different value. As a result, women end up working in sectors where wages are, on average, lower than those dominated by men. While the gender pay gap has gradually decreased over time, it is known that women earn only 60-70% of that of men.
Seewoo Park