Content area
Full Text
Abstract:
This paper presents a discussion about social inequality. Mills' (1959/2000) sociological imagination provides in a theoretical discourse into the existence and perpetuation of social injustice. Cultural perspectives formulate a historical explanation of classism, racism, gender inequality, and cultural dominance. The study lends awareness to the body of knowledge about social differences that yield states of inequality. It is hoped that this information will assist in uncovering root causes of a social phenomenon that has had a devastating impact on human relations over the course of history.
Keywords: apartheid; bell curve; child violence; Christian; culture; dominance; Engels; ethnocentric; Eurocentrism; feminism; gender; inequality; Marx; Muslim; natural law; race; racism; sexism; slavery; social; sociological imagination; sociology; stratification; DuBois; superiority; womanism; women
As sociologists, we study problems encountered by the single self and examine patterns of the same kinds of problems as experienced by others. This helps us determine whether the single self can resolve the problems or resolving the problems for all of those impacted must come from a level beyond the individual. Mills (1959/2000) contributed a sociological imagination to examine the issues that impact the broader society. Within the construct of a sociological imagination, issues are associated with a society, while problems are specific to an individual. Differences among individuals are insignificant inasmuch as those differences cause discomfort to a single individual's plight (Mills, 1959/2000). However, where the differences extract inequality for a number of individuals as to cause those inflicted to be perceived as lesser human beings is an issue that impacts a society. Resolving issues will ease tensions experienced by a greater number. This study explores the issue of social inequality in order to lend awareness in patterns of problems experienced by a greater number of individuals within society.
PERSPECTIVES OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Inequality factors have posed obstacles to achieving global peaceable co-existence. Specifically, classism, racism, gender inequality, and cultural dominance have prevented equality in life opportunities. Human disparity on the basis of any of these themes has stagnated progression towards equality of freedom. Of course, freedom is a relative concept that depends upon cultural, political, religious, economical and other qualifying states of existence. However, an underlying premise assumes freedom starts with a basic meaning as the absence of constraints. Infringement upon basic...