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Inequality in the United States
1. Define income:
2. In 2004 the wealthiest 20% of households received __________ of the income
pie. What does this tell you about wealth distribution in America? Are you
surprised by this?
3. In 2004, the poorest 20% of households received less than _________ of all
income.
4. Between 1991 and 2001, the income of the top fifth of US families increased by
____%, the income of the bottom one fifth increased by ____%.
5. Go to page 265 and look at figure 8.7. What does this chart reveal about race and
income in America? Is there something going on? What are your thoughts?
6. Go to page 265 and look at figure 8.6. What does this chart show? Why do you
think that the top 1% of Americans receive the most money after taxes?
7. Define how wealth is calculated.
8. In 1995. the holdings of the super rich rose from 35% to _____. Why?
9. Why are wealthier people more healthy?
10. What age range of people are most likely to be uninsured?
11. How is nutrition linked to children and poverty and their overall health?
12. What are the obstacles to housing?
13. How do schools perpetuate inequality? Give an example.
14. Why are schools in poor areas limited?
15. How are crime and lack of safety connected with low income?
16. How is inequality linked to crime?
17. What is the poverty line and how is it calculated?
18. What is the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty?
19. What group of people are in overrepresented in the area of poverty?
20. Why do children who live in a single household headed by a woman much more
likely to be in poverty?
21. About 2/3’s of all adults living in poverty are ___________. Why?
22. Define: feminization of poverty
23. White Americans account for approximately ______ of those below the poverty
line/
24. What group of people (ethnicity) are the most disadvantaged in the US?
25. What is the deindustrialization of America and how has this affected our
economy?
26. What is job deskilling?
27. Eighty percent of all social welfare benefits are paid to people who are
not______. Who are they?
28. Why are the people who are receiving “welfare” like social security not
stigmatized?
29. Functionalist perspective on Social Inequality: Please describe the Davis Moore
thesis.
30. What is your opinion on the Davis Moore thesis?
31. Conflict Perspective on Social Inequality: Please describe this theory.
32. What are your opinions on the conflict perspective?
33. What is the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Social Inequality?
34. What are your opinions on this perspective?