Diversity In Sociology

Using a sociological imagination, “ a quality of the mind that allows us to understand the relationship between our individual circumstances and larger social forces” (Ferris and Stein, p. 12), diversity would be defined as how social forces such as race, class, gender, religion, economics, or politics makes each individual different. Certain sociological perspectives argue that diversity is essential for a society to function, while others argue that diversity causes conflict within a society. Race and ethnicity create a sense of identity for its members. This can be represented by the term pluralism, which is opposite from assimilation and encourages people to embrace diversity as a positive feature of society. Diversity within different race and ethnic groups may include: traditions, language, and beliefs. Class can contribute to diversity by using the social stratification system. This system divides members of society into groups and places them into a social hierarchy. A system of stratification is social classes, which is usually used in capitalist societies and groups its members according to their wealth. These include, the upper class, upper-middle class, middle class, …show more content…
Men had higher completion of education compared to women. “ Among people 25 years or older in 2000, 26 percent of men had bachelor’s degrees or more, compared with 23 percent of women. Men also led women in holding advanced degrees, 10 percent to 8 percent” (U.S Census Bureau). We know that differences in educational experiences begin at an early age. Male and female teachers tend to favor boys in the classroom. This can be shown in several ways, such as boys receive more attention and instructional time, they are more likely to be called on in class, they are posed with more challenging questions or tasks, and they are given more praise for the quality of their work. (Ferris and Stein, p.