Inequality is the root of injustice, and injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. I’m not sure one can consider it good, if it causes such massive amounts of destruction, oppression, and inequality for some groups. The main reason it impacts some groups, rather than others, is because others deem people identified in these groups, “unworthy,” “inferior,” or “insignificant.” Our capitalist and patriarchal system thrives off of those in poverty and lower SES, to show the world that if you don’t agree and don’t slave yourself away to corporate America like the rest of us, then this is what happens. It is exploitation of our less fortunate counterparts that America needs for capitalism to be successful. It motivates me to advocate for change, fair opportunities, and human rights for those “groups” we have turned our heads away from for far too long, for which the limits are far too low. It motivates me to continue being a life-long learner of injustice and oppression in all areas of the world, and to educate myself and ask those around me, “How do you plan on making a difference? How do you plan on showing up differently for those who need it the most?”
Based on our discussion from our last class, I believe social inequality was socially constructed, and “we the people” were instructed to follow it and never challenge it. I think somewhere in our timeline, we decided it was better to be competitive with our counterparts than collaborative, possibly for survival, greed, power, or lust, but after this happened, the people with more money and more power, decided that the groups with less were less of humans. So not only does social inequality accompany lower status and SES, but also lesser treatment, consideration, and opportunities for those that ought to be deemed to have less. In other societies, we were continuing to have technological advancements, all the while these societies, these groups, were far more equal than we have come in the last century. I am curious as to what happened to humankind for such a drastic change. Was it a thought process? A natural instinct? An instruction? I wonder what we have to do to limit social inequality. My personal beliefs are that we will never really dissipate it, however, I believe we have the power to make it dimmer and fairer for everyone to have the right to live a life separate from discrimination.
