“As I often say, we have come a long way from the days of slavery, but in 2014, discrimination and inequality still saturate out society in modern ways. Though racism may be less blatant now in many cases, its existence is undeniable” (Al Sharpton). Not only has racism been a key factor in the inequality and social stratification in today’s society, but gender and income has also played a key role as well. Social stratification involves hierarchical differences not only in economic positions, but also in other important areas, such as status, or social honor, and power (Ritzer, 150). A major concern in the sociological study of stratification is inequality, a condition whereby some positions in society yield a great deal of money, status, and
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Empirical data, such as the Gini Index and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, demonstrate the income inequality and total output of a country per person, respectively. The more equal a country’s income distribution is within its population, the lower its Gini Index, however the more unequal a country’s income distribution, the higher it’s Gini Index will be (Central Intelligence Agency). The Dominican Republic, Denmark, and Russia illustrate an interesting relationship between Gini Index and GDP per capita. The Gini Indices for the Dominican Republic, Denmark and Russia are 47.1, 42, and 24.8, respectively, whereas the GDPs (per capita) are $15,000, $26,000, and $45,700, respectively. These countries demonstrate a general increase of Gini Index that correlates to a decrease of GDP per capita. The Domincan Republic falls roughly in the top 25% in the Gini Index (ranked 37 out of 145 countries) and the bottom 30% for GDP per capita. Both Russia and Denmark fall roughly in the top 30% for GDP per capita, however Russia has a much higher Gini Index compared to Denmark (54 for Russia compared to 143 for Denmark). GDP per capita and Gini index are related in such a way in these countries, generally speaking, by a higher GDP per capita demonstrating a more productive country …show more content…
The degree of social stratification varies greatly between different countries and cultures, as seen in countries like the Dominican Republic, Russia, and Denmark. However, despite these differences in degrees of inequality, there are commonalities reached between these countries that include increase of gender gaps with decrease of economic prosperity and increase of ethnic diversity with an increase of economic prosperity. Without a doubt, although there may not be a tangible form of racism as Al Sharpton mentioned, there is indeed still a present form of institutionalized inequalities between different economic classes, genders, and ethnic groups all throughout the
Empirical data, such as the Gini Index and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, demonstrate the income inequality and total output of a country per person, respectively. The more equal a country’s income distribution is within its population, the lower its Gini Index, however the more unequal a country’s income distribution, the higher it’s Gini Index will be (Central Intelligence Agency). The Dominican Republic, Denmark, and Russia illustrate an interesting relationship between Gini Index and GDP per capita. The Gini Indices for the Dominican Republic, Denmark and Russia are 47.1, 42, and 24.8, respectively, whereas the GDPs (per capita) are $15,000, $26,000, and $45,700, respectively. These countries demonstrate a general increase of Gini Index that correlates to a decrease of GDP per capita. The Domincan Republic falls roughly in the top 25% in the Gini Index (ranked 37 out of 145 countries) and the bottom 30% for GDP per capita. Both Russia and Denmark fall roughly in the top 30% for GDP per capita, however Russia has a much higher Gini Index compared to Denmark (54 for Russia compared to 143 for Denmark). GDP per capita and Gini index are related in such a way in these countries, generally speaking, by a higher GDP per capita demonstrating a more productive country …show more content…
The degree of social stratification varies greatly between different countries and cultures, as seen in countries like the Dominican Republic, Russia, and Denmark. However, despite these differences in degrees of inequality, there are commonalities reached between these countries that include increase of gender gaps with decrease of economic prosperity and increase of ethnic diversity with an increase of economic prosperity. Without a doubt, although there may not be a tangible form of racism as Al Sharpton mentioned, there is indeed still a present form of institutionalized inequalities between different economic classes, genders, and ethnic groups all throughout the