Social Inequality 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Inequality 2 - Essay Example They see employment opportunities in connection with the social network they have. If they don’t have connections, they have a slim chance of getting a job. Also, they view higher level jobs that are prominent in the present time as unreachable since they do not fulfill the requirements needed for them to be eligible to apply, like a clean background and a high school diploma. In contrast, the aspirations and expectations of the Brothers indicate a more optimistic view of a future life. Since they are in school and are exposed to a different part of the neighborhood, living near middle-class and even white families, they see society’s standards as a guide for their own aspirations and expectations. They value education and work compared to masculinity, violence and peer group (or subculture) solidarity as an important aspect of life for the Hallway Hangers. With that, they aspire to reach middle and higher level jobs and expect that with a diploma and perseverance, they will be able to reach their goals in life. Employment opportunities, they believe, are open for them as they have a better family and social background than that of the Hallway Hangers. Looking at these scenarios, we can also expect that the Brothers will be able to reach their aspirations and expectations, however, they ended up the same as the Hallway Hangers in the job market, as the unemployed or underemployed. This can be credited to the fact that since they have lived in lower-class neighborhood, born in lower-class families, they tend to be accepted in jobs that are more manual than professional. Also, the changing structure of the economy, from manufacturing (needing hard labor) to a more service-oriented one gave them lesser opportunities. This increases the validity of how the social background and job opportunities are triggered by social factors.