Modern Studies
Social Inequalities in the USA - HOUSING
Introduction - housing
 Housing can have a huge impact on a person’s
quality of life.
 Housing depends on wealth – if someone is
living in poverty they are more likely to live in
a poorer area with poor quality housing.
 Crime is much more common in poorer areas.
 Poor housing is linked to poorer levels of
health.
Housing and the White Flight
White Flight – in many major US cities
there are distinct areas where most of
the people are of the same ethnic groups –
so called ‘vanilla suburbs’.
This is because people have decided to
separate themselves i.e. segregate
themselves.
The White Flight
Minorities moved
to the cities in search for
work & escape racism
Being poor,
they found housing
in the cheapest areas
Many better off
whites ‘fled’ the cities &
settled in the suburbs
Areas becomes
run down
City has less money
to spend on
services like schools
Cities became
poorer because ‘tax dollars’
went to the suburbs
Many businesses closed
down or moved away
Middle class black flight
From the 1960s onwards, many ethnic
minorities became “middle class.”
They had good jobs and they too “fled” to
the suburbs.
This is known as the “middle class black
flight.”
The pattern of US cities look something a
little like this:
A Model of US Cities
White Flight: less
than 1/3 live in
inner cities.
The majority live
in the suburbs.
INNER CITIES
Majority of African
Americans & Hispanics
live here.
Blacks refer to it
as the ghetto.
Hispanics refer to it as
the barrio.
Businesses
Leave:
the area
becomes
poorer.
Minorities Middle
Class Flight:
Blacks and
Hispanics with
good jobs move to
the suburbs.
Segregated housing
In the USA housing is very
segregated – this means that
the different racial groups
tend to live apart.
Blacks and Hispanics tend to be
concentrated in inner city
areas due to poverty.
Rich whites and Asians live in
the high class suburbs.
Inner city areas - Ghettos
Ghettos – inner city areas are areas of poor housing and
will often have the poorest
people living in them.
As Black and Hispanic people
tend to be poorer, areas such
as the Bronx have a high
percentage of ethnic
minorities.
The South Bronx
Conditions in the Ghettos
• 9.3 million Americans live
in overcrowded or
physically inadequate.
• Housing is run-down with
poorly lit streets & few
local shops.
• Streets are not cleaned
regularly – rats and
cockroaches are common.
• Play parks are vandalised
and children play in the
street.
• Mainly Blacks and
Hispanics live here.
Middle-class suburbs
Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives – although
fictional – is a good example of middle class suburbs.
As people in the white and
black middle classes have
gotten richer, they have moved
out of the inner cities into the
outskirts – suburbs.
Not all people in the suburbs
are white. There are white
suburbs and black suburbs.
Conditions in the suburbs
• Detached houses with
gardens.
• Tree-lined, well lit
streets.
• Good schools with
modern equipment and
well staffed schools.
• Parents drive children
around or they have
their own cars once
they can drive.
High class suburbs
 Mainly whites live here.
 Only the very rich live here e.g. Hollywood
stars.
 High fences and security gates.
 Large gardens with pools.
 Houses have alarms, video cameras, private
security forces patrolling the streets.
 Huge houses.
The Cycle of Poverty
Then they have
kids of their own
Minority children born
into poor conditions
Few positive role models in
the community – crime and
gangs are common
Can’t afford to flee
to the suburbs
Failure in
School leave with no
qualifications
Unemployed or
working in low
paid jobs.
Suffer
discrimination
Home ownership rates
Ethnic Group
2010
White
74.4%
Black
45.4%
Hispanic
47.5%
API
58.9%
Native Americans
52.3%
Question
• There are inequalities in housing between
different ethnic groups in the USA.
• Describe, in detail, two inequalities in
housing between different ethnic groups
in the USA. (4 marks)