Monday, May 3, 2010

Essay # 2 paragraph

This is a body paragraph that i have chosen from my Essay # 2. It talks about inequality based on the essay "Confronting Inequality" from Paul Krugman. I have supported my ideas with two main sources: 'Who built the pyramids" from the book Working by Studs Terkel and the film "Born Rich" Directed by Jamie Johnson. Here i express my ideas and state some facts about how inequality affects us all regarless classes and status, moreover, i in depth talk about how do members of a society interact in their struggle to move from one socioeconomic class to another.

How can people move up socially if they are not on an equal playing field to begin with? It is a fact that inequality is an abstract derivative of a constant will for domination. Inequality will always exist, it is the most used method to remark or point out which social, economic and political classes are predominant. Inequality also maintains classes where they are, it does not prevent social mobility in a total way, but it makes easier for upper classes to control and make as hard as possible for lower classes to make a step forward. Nowadays a greater inequality is more common in our society, class mobility have been limited not in the sense of having liberty, a life or a pursuit for happiness but in the sense that people in power have given themselves the right to narrow down opportunities regardless any individual’s effort or discipline. Comparing statistics of unemployment rate for men between African Americans and White, we can notice that there is a huge gap; inequality is a strong factor that directly affects this situation. Even with a degree African Americans unemployment rate is almost double the rate of white men and the same happens with men with less than high school, unemployment rate for black with less than high school is 24.2% and 13.8 for white, with a college degree is 8.4% for black and 4.4% for white, from Bureau of Labor Statistics. This demonstrates that there are not equal opportunities being offered to students, in effect to minorities, and in this field, race. In the film Born Rich directed by Jamie Johnson member of the Johnson & Johnson family he says, “ I live in a country that everyone wants to believe is a meritocracy, we wanna think that everyone earns what they have, i guess that makes you feel better, keep telling yourself that, it doesnt work for me anymore. I know my family gives away millions of dollars each year to charity, but how does that exactly level the plain field, i mean, what did a do to earn the kind of money ill own at midnight tonight. All I did was inherited.” In this phrase Jamie Johnson affirms that inequality can’t be avoided it is kind of part of human nature competency; however, inequality in great proportions should be controllable and avoidable in the sense of providing equal opportunity to everyone. The most important issue is how everyone can have equal opportunity if we are competing in wide different ranges and fields.

I think i did well in the sense that i started my paragrapgh with a rhetorical question which hooks the reader to keep getting interested in my essay. Also i gave statistics as proof of inequality in the opportunities of jobs given to graduated students in our society. Finally i support my idea by comparing it to the experience lived by Jamie Johnson in the film Born Rich.

I really dont know how to improve my essay, if i knew how to do it, it would have been like that.However, i am open to new ideas, and consider my classmates suggestions. Thank you for helping me improve my way of writing!