Apr
21
Class #22 / Blog Post
April 21, 2015 | Leave a Comment
Inequality has always been a consistent element of society. It is now being studied so heavily because it has become so alarmingly obvious. I think it’s a great thing to see everyone talking about it, regardless of what side they take. It creates tension but it also creates awareness of a scary issue that boils down to control. The less equality, the less control you have over your own life.
In the New Yorker article, the author points out that many Europeans and Americans chose inequality over religious and ethnic hatred as the greatest threat to the world. I think about both in tandem. Inequality between classes means that the majority class gets to impose their beliefs and values. Religious and ethnic hatred means that one religion or ethnic group is placed higher than the others; making the other groups struggle with low income and poor living conditions. All kinds of inequality are rooted in each other.
I think that belief is reflected in what Putnam writes about the black people in his community. His community growing up was predominantly white. This wasn’t because of mere coincidence, it was because of discriminatory housing and employment practices no doubt imposed by those in power who possessed prejudices against black people. This also shows the different level of privilege we all have. Putnam and his friends were by no means rich but at least they were white. Poor and white was better and may be still better than poor and black. One of his black friends tells Putnam, ““Your then was not my then, and your now isn’t even my now.”
The New York Times article and report in the Center for an Urban Future give some hope in the future of lowering inequality. The NYT writer’s opinion on the technology being able to close the gap in the future is something I agree with. Technology has given the most valuable threat to inequality: access. For some older people, learning to use a computer is like learning a new language. However, for millennials and younger, it’s second nature. It’s given access to information, free resources, and the pathway to new professional skills. Any person can learn to code, can learn to design, can learn to make a website all at little cost. But these are the skills of the future. Technology has opened the world and that’s not a bad thing. I resonate with the author’s message of “Why do we have to do it all?” We don’t always have to invent the next big thing. If we do or don’t, it doesn’t mean less of anything. Just like one person can’t do it all, one country can’t either.
The report in Center for an Urban Future is interesting. I never knew at what extent foreign-born residents of NYC were self-employed. Now that I think about it, many of them are small community business owners. I think the reason why so many immigrants are more entrepreneurial is because it’s one of the few options they have. Native-born residents are constantly instilled that they need to finish school, get a degree, and work in an office. Maybe later they’ll start a business or they get too comfortable. Immigrants don’t see that as a possibility for them. With little to no education and the drive to do well in a new place, they are more open to investing in their own business. However, I think it’s weird that the authors didn’t compare the type of businesses created by each group. I believe native born residents were more likely to create businesses such as tech startups or agencies rather than the smaller community businesses created by foreign-born residents.
For me, I agree with Putnam. Stories get across better than numbers. Whether social, racial, political, religious, financial, or whatever else kind of inequality, it’s something that exists in everyone’s lives. Inequality is a subject everyone has a story for. Hopefully as more stories are passed, more solutions are proposed.
Stella Kong
