Institutionalized Inequalities

Week 5 Writing Assignment: Institutionalized Inequalities

Inequalities are socially constructed in a society, yet they are often treated as natural and inevitable.
Building on what we’ve been discussing the last five weeks, I’d like you to provide a structural analysis of
inequality in the United States. In a minimum of 2 single-spaced pages, please respond to the
following questions:

First, Camden, NJ is just 10 miles east of Moorestown, but as demonstrated in the film, Waiting on
the World to Change, the two cities are worlds apart in terms of residents’ experiences. Using the
Social Explorer data provided in Canvas and qualitative evidence from the film and Hedges and
Sacco’s chapter, describe what you find to be the most striking social and economic differences
between Camden and Moorestown. In your description, pay close attention to differences in race,
income, occupation, and educational attainment.

Second, provide a structural analysis of the potential causes of these differences. Use the concept
of cumulative inequality to analyze how neighborhood factors, educational and employment
opportunities, and political structures produce the kinds of inequality you see between Camden and
Moorestown.

Third, describe and demonstrate the long-term consequences of the forms of structural inequality
you analyzed above. How does inequality affect different groups of people differently?
In your analysis, be sure to engage with, provide specific examples from, and cite all of the
assigned materials from this week (this includes lectures, readings, videos, podcasts, etc.) to
illustrate your points. Remember, these writing assignments are an opportunity for you to:
Demonstrate you understand the sociological concepts and perspectives examined this
week;
Demonstrate an ability to synthesize information from multiple sources to make your claims;
and,
Demonstrate an ability to use empirical evidence (specific examples) to support your claims.
Use the grading criteria to guide you as you write,

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