Question

Take a few minutes to look over the following image. In daily life, many of us have noticed an interaction like this at one time or another. There’s no question that we live in an unequal society when we observe such stark differences in wealth and status. Yet what explains such drastic disparities in people’s fortune? Why do some become wealthy while others endure such harsh poverty?

In U.S. culture, we hear a lot of “rags to riches” stories that celebrate individuals who start off poor and then become wealthy through hard work, intelligence, and sheer determination. In fact, polling by the PEW Charitable Trusts revealed that 40% of Americans consider it common for people in the United States to start poor and achieve wealth by working hard.

Sociologists consider such success stories as examples of what they call upward social mobility. But are such stories based in reality? Is social mobility achievable for anyone? Do all people who wind up wealthy or poor have only themselves to credit?

Read each of the following statements regarding issues of social mobility in the United States. Select whether you agree or disagree with each statement. You will receive one point for answering each question.

Statement 1

Although there used to be a great deal of racial discrimination in U.S. society, this no longer applies today. Knowing a person’s race or ethnicity doesn’t tell you much about whether that person is more or less likely to be economically successful.

Agree

Disagree

Statement 2

There’s no predicting who will wind up wealthy or poor in life. Some who get college degrees remain poor, while others who never graduate high school make a fortune off a great idea or by working really hard. In the end, educational credentials don’t really matter that much.

Agree

Disagree

Statement 3

There’s no predicting who will wind up wealthy or poor in life. Some people who are born rich lose everything through bad decisions or bad luck, while others who are born poor work their way up to the top. Knowing the level of wealth a person starts with in life tells you almost nothing about where that person will likely end up.

Agree

Disagree

Statement 4

Although there used to be a lot of discrimination against women in the United States, this no longer applies today. Knowing whether a person is male or female doesn’t tell you much about whether he or she is more or less likely to be economically successful.

Agree

Disagree

Answer 1

Answer (1) :- I totally agree with this statement because by just some kind of Racial identification no one can claim about anyone's economic conditions.There are various people in America who belong to different race but they have achieved massive Success both Economically and Socially.

Answer(2) :- I agree with this statement because many US based enterpenuer doesn't have completed their college degree but are Billionaire's while Many Youths who have College degree are unemployed.Mark Zuckerberg is the example of this.He left his degree course to start his own company.

Answer (3):- I totally agree with this statement because One can't predict where they are going to finish all this in their life.Starting from low to reach upto new heights is quite possible for anyone and a downfall from top to bottom is also possible for any person. For eg.Apple is a tech giant company but in their starting days this company also faces major problems but the company somehow survived and today it is the world' leading company. And during this phase various other tech company started their bussiness but they fail.

Answer(4) :- I totally agree with this point because by just seeing anyone you can't predict about their economic stability.Still women's face several types of discrimination in the society,workplace etc.They are paid less for the same amount of work.But this still doesn't give idea about someone's economic stability.