Social & Economic Inequality in the USA
We are going to look at the social and economic
issues facing different groups in the USA.
Important Issues Facing Ethnic
Groups in the USA
Social Issues
•Crime
•Housing
•Education
•Health
•Discrimination
Economic Issues
•Unemployment
•Poverty
•Low Income
Health Care in the USA
•In the USA the system of health care is very different
to Britain. For example, the USA does not have a
National Health Service.
•People are expected to take out Private Medical
Insurance from companies such as Blue Cross and Blue
Shield.
•If you cannot afford PMI, you have to rely on
government programmes to provide your health care.
•Medicaid is provided if you are poor- paid for by the
government but do not cover all treatments. Many
doctors and hospitals refuse to treat people unless they
have PMI.
Health Care in the USA
Study the ‘Health Factfile’ on page 35. Study each statement
carefully, before copying out the correct statements into your
jotter.
The USA spends more money on health care than any other
country in the world.
The USA has the highest life expectancy because they spend
the most on health care.
Although the USA spends the most on health care they do not
have the highest life expectancy.
The number of Americans with no health insurance has
increased from 34m in 1990 to 41m in 2001.
White Americans and Asians are most likely to have no health
insurance.
Black and Hispanic Americans are most likely to have no health
insurance.
Health Care in the USA
The Correct Statements are:
The USA spends more money on health care than any
other country in the world.
Although the USA spends the most on health care
they do not have the highest life expectancy.
The number of Americans with no health insurance
has increased from 34m in 1990 to 41m in 2001.
Black and Hispanic Americans are most likely to have
no health insurance.
There are big inequalities in
health in the USA between
rich and poor and between
whites, and the ethnic
minorities. These are largely
due to the cost of medical
treatment and the lack of the
insurance cover.
Blacks and Hispanics are 3
times more likely to have
no medical insurance cover.
Black and
Hispanics face
greater health
problems. Twice
as many black
babies were born
with a low birth
rate. There is
also a very high
infant mortality
rate.
Black and Hispanic children were
less likely to visit the doctor.
Health Problems
Facing Black and
Hispanic Americans.
Obesity- 30% of Blacks and 25% of
Hispanics are obese.
Drug and
gang related
problems.
Blacks and
Hispanics
are more
likely to die
from guns
and drugs.
EDUCATION USA
Read pages 37 & 39
1. Why is a good education seen to be important in the USA?
2. What can a lack of education lead to?
3. Explain what the Bilingual Education Act is.
4. Read the two case studies on page 39. Using the key terms below,
compare the two schools and pupils who attend them.
 Equipment/ Standard of the School.
 Ethnic groups who attend the School.
 Qualifications/ pupils attitude towards their studies.
 Security measures in the school.
Housing in the USA
Life in an inner city ghetto.
Plumbing and sanitation do not
work properly.
Play parks are vandalised and
children play in the streets.
Drunks and drug addicts lie in
hallways and on landings.
High crime rate
Large houses with nice gardens.
Good schools with modern
equipment.
Streets patrolled regularly by
police.
COPY AND COMPLETE THE DIAGRAM BELOW:
INNER CITY GHETTO
•Poor housing- damp,
overcrowded
•Dangerous- high crime
rate, gang violence and
drug problems
•Poor facilitiesschools and shops
•Little police presence
MIDDLE CLASS
SUBURBS
•Large impressive homes
HOUSING IN THE USA
•Few crime
•Good schools
•Police patrols
•No gangs
•Well looked after
streets and gardens
Unemployment and Poverty in
the USA
Unemployment, low educational attainment,
discrimination, lone parent families and the poverty cycle
can all lead to poverty.
Ethnic minorities are three times more likely to suffer
from poverty than whites.
Children suffer from high levels of poverty with black
children suffering most of all.
Nearly one black children in three suffers from the
effects of poverty.
Children born into
poor areas tend
not to do as well
at school
The next generation
of children are born
into the same
conditions
The Circle
They can’t afford
to move away from
the poor areas
of Poverty
They are more
likely to leave
school with few or
no qualifications
They are more likely
to be unemployed or
in a low paid job
CRIME IN THE USA
In the USA, everyone is __________ before the
_______ and entitled to a fair trial. However, many
Americans could argue that they ____ _____ have
equal access to the law or _______. Lawyers cost
large amounts of ______ and many ethnic groups
cannot afford the __________ lawyers. This
means that there are many more ______ than
whites in jail in the USA. Likewise, Blacks are more
likely to face the ________ _________ than
whites, especially if their victim was white.
Expensive
Death
penalty
Equal
Do not
Law
justice
money
blacks
Reasons
•
•
•
•
Higher levels of unemployment
Lower levels of educational achievement
Discrimination
Family structure – more lone parent
families
• Reduction in Affirmative Action
Programmes (AAPs)
• Lower levels of minority participation
(NB recent increase)
Reasons (continued)
• Under-representation at state national
level
• Cost of ‘fixing’ inequality would be
enormous – no political will to raise taxes
• The circle of deprivation
• Difficulty of escaping from so-called
‘underclass’
• Cut backs on welfare entitlement by
successive administrations
Education in the USA
WHY IS EDUCATION
IMPORTANT?
• To understand the difference between
right and wrong.
• To get a good job.
• To have a good income and a
comfortable lifestyle.
ETHNIC GROUPS AND
EDUCATION
• Whites and APIs (Asian and Pacific
Islanders) are most successful in the
US education system.
• A very high proportion of Blacks,
Hispanics and Native Americans are
not successful in the US education
system.
HISPANICS AND BLACKS
Many Hispanics and Blacks attend
poor inner city schools. There are
many reasons why it is difficult to
achieve highly in these schools:
High turnover of staff
Morale is very low among staff
Buildings are in poor condition
There is not enough equipment
Pupils are not motivated
There is a culture of failure
APIs
• People of ambition and drive.
• If parents have a good job then they
will be able to live in a nice area and
can afford to send their children to a
good school.
• API children have good role models.
They are encouraged by their parents
to succeed.
Tasks…
• We will read pages 47-49 together
• Then answer questions on page 49
Extension
Write down a list of problems with education in the USA
(use bullet points).
E.g. Many schools don’t spend enough on textbooks
Freedom Writers
Freedom Writers
• Take bullet
pointed
notes as we
watch the
film.
Rodney King
• Rodney Glen King is an American best
known for his involvement in a police
brutality case involving the Los Angeles
Police Department (LAPD) on March 3,
1991.
• A bystander, George Holliday,
videotaped much of the incident from a
distance.
• The footage showed LAPD officers
repeatedly striking King with their
batons while other officers stood by
watching.
• Footage was shown on TV around the
world, causing public outrage that
raised tensions between the black
community and the LAPD.
Rodney King
• Four LAPD officers were
later tried in a state
court for the beating;
three were acquitted and
the jury failed to reach a
verdict for the fourth.
The announcement of the
acquittals sparked the
1992 Los Angeles riots.
A later federal trial for
civil rights violations
ended with two of the
officers found guilty and
sent to prison and the
other two officers
acquitted.
Miep Gies
• Miep Gies (19092010) was one of the
Dutch citizens who hid
Anne Frank, her family
and several family
friends in an attic
annex above Anne's
father's place of
business from the
Nazis during World
War II
• She discovered and
preserved Anne
Frank's diary after the
Franks were arrested
She died of old age in January
2010