INEQUALITY

1. INEQUALITY How do you make sense of our differences?

2. Kelley Williams-Bolar “Black Mother Jailed for Sending Kids to White School District” ~ Anti-Kryptos blog

3. Kelley Williams-Bolar was the victim of racism. • Agree • I’m not sure • Disagree

4. Choose our words wisely… “Black Mother Jailed for Sending Kids to White School District”~ Anti-Kryptos blog “Case of Kelley Williams-Bolar, Akron mom jailed for sending kids to suburban school, stirs emotions” ~ Ohio.com “Only in America: Breaking the Law to Get Kids in a Better School”~ the Grio (web site) “Kelley Williams-Bolar: Sent to Jail for Sending Kids to Wrong School District” ~ yourblackgossip blog Fox8.com~ just put a mugshot

5. Kelley Williams-Bolar was the victim of racism. • Agree • I’m not sure • Disagree

6. Some differences are “natural”- So some inequality is “natural” But systematic patterns of unequal resource distribution are “unnatural” • This implies discrimination

7. WHY DO SOME GROUPS RISETO POWER?

8. Free Will & Success Smarter and more innovative at making choices More drive to succeed at some given task

9. Some of these children are smarter and more innovative and moredriventhan your children.

10. Luck of Birth & Sociological Factors Geographic terrain is loaded with resources & Some countries and families have advantages Actions of ancestors give people advantages & Society is stacked against some people

11. This land does not produce many millionaires!

12. Basic Formulation of Social Reproduction Once one group controls resources and ideology, it is difficult to dislodge them. Like “King of the Mountain”

13. HOW DO DOMINANT GROUPS KEEP THEIR POWER?

14. 1. The dominant group controls ideology (i.e., the explanation for cause and effect in the world) FREE WILL PROPONENTS: Everyone is free to be on top and whoever gets there must be the fittest and should have the strongest voice. DETERMINISTS: The rich manipulate how people think – what is taught in schools, what is aired on TV, etc.

15. 2. The dominant groups controls resources • FREEDOM: Because of their own deliberate (and free) actions they managed to get to the top and now control resources • DETERMINISM: Because of luck (e.g., they happened to be at the right place at the right time) or because they had assistance in some way • and now they use manipulation and force to maintain power

16. How do you see the “King of the Mountain” formulation operating in the world?

17. How does “King of the Mountain” explain why white people are on top?

18. Post Civil War United States: • Limited redistribution of land & resources • Whites controlled jobs and restricted travel/movement • Lack of a vote What happened to urban areas? Slave plantation - 1862

19. Affirmative Action for Whites? • New York – New Jersey area: • 67,000 low interest (GI Bill) mortgages were given to WWII Vets • Virtually no proof of eligibility was needed aside from being a vet • Virtually no down payment was needed • 100 of these went to veterans of color • 12 percent of veterans were of color • That is, about 7,000 loans were not received by people who should have received them in a fair world

20. Wealth in the U.S. - 2002(per capita) • Whites: with home = $79,400 without home = $22,566 • Blacks: with home = $7,500 without home = $1,166 • Latino/as: with home = $9,750 without home = $1,850 • All Households: with home = $55,000 without home = $13,473

21. Given the explanatory power of the two perspectives, which BEST explains race and ethnic inequality? • Definitely “free-will” • I lean toward “free-will” • It’s a balance between the two and while one may weigh more heavily in any given situation, it’s best to say that they balance out • I lean toward “determinism” • Definitely “determinism”

22. Is the United States founded upon an exaggerated claim?

23. IDEOLOGY-RESOURCE CONTROL EXAMPLE“WEALTH AND POWER”Why do we fail to notice how the more powerful classes make decisions that keep them powerful?

24. Henry Paulson74thU.S. Secretary of the Treasury • Dartmouth College, B.A. • Harvard University, M.A. • Joined Goldman Sachs in 1974 as an investment banker • Current net worth: about $700 million

25. Who’s going to end up near the top? Merritt Paulson Fathers are not famous bankers

26. Timothy F. Geithner75thU.S. Secretary of the Treasury • Grandfather – Advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower, V.P. of Ford Motor Company • Father – Director of Asia program at the Ford Foundation • T.F.G. spent most of his childhood living abroad and attending International schools • Dartmouth College, B.A. • Johns Hopkins, M.A.

27. Political Lobbyists and Their Power Lobbyists and Power

28. Lobbying Expenditures: Who has access to the decision-makers? Percent of lobbying money is spent by these organizations: 56 percent: Business 22 percent: Trade 9 percent: Nonprofit/citizen groups 7 percent: Professional associations 3 percent: Unions 1.3 percent: Other

29. You can’t have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper.

30. How many people believe…? • We’re free to be “whoever” we want to be in the U.S. • We could all be rich if we work hard enough. • The U.S. is the greatest country on the planet…ever. • Americans are peace-loving, moral and ethical people—more so than most other people.

31. In general, it is safe to say that success is mostly a result of hard work. • Strongly agree • Agree • Sometimes it’s hard work and other times it stems from having contacts and access to resources • Disagree – success comes mostly from having contacts and resources • Strongly Disagree – success comes mostly from having contacts and resources

32. Conservative-Libertarian Ideals Smaller (involuntary) governing bodies are better than larger ones Give individuals control over as many resources as is possible through choice Empower people to take as much responsibility for themselves as possible

33. Achievement Ideology and Race “Success is mostly a result of hard work!” • 69% of whites agree • 66% of blacks agree • 66% of Hispanics agree • 70% of Asians agree • 71% of Muslims agree

34. Achievement Ideology and Race “Success is mostly a result of hard work!” • 71% of high school grads agree • 66% of college grads agree • 61% of post college grads agree ** Others maintain that luck or help from others is instrumental

35. What are some ways in which embracing only “achievement ideology” or “strong determinism”: • advances your interests 2. works against you

36. In general, it is safe to say that success is mostly a result of hard work. • Strongly agree • Agree • Sometimes it’s hard work and other times it stems from having contacts and access to resources • Disagree – success comes mostly from having contacts and resources • Strongly Disagree – success comes mostly from having contacts and resources

37. Does racism exist in our criminal justice system?

38. Federal Prison inmates - 2008 Black - 39.4 percent White – 57.1 percent Native American – 1.8 percent Asian – 1.7 percent Hispanic – 32.0 percent (but usually classified as “white”) * Federal Bureau of Prisons

39. 2003 State Prisoners All Offenses • White – 34.5% • Hispanic – 19.1% • Black – 44.5% • Asian – 1% • Native American – 1% * National Corrections Reporting Program

40. State and Federal Prisoners by Race/Ethnicity: Percent of males between ages 25-29 • White – 1.2% • Hispanic/Latino – 2.5% • Black – 8.4% • Asian – ?% • Native American – ?% * Bureau of Justice Statistics

41. Inmates in Local Jails – 2008(and percent of the total U.S. population) • Black – 39.2% (12.1%) • White – 42.3% (65.8%) • Asian – 1% (4.3%) • American Indian – 1% (1%) • Hispanic (any race) – 16.4% (15%) From: Bureau of Justice Statistics

42. What story do you tell yourself about this information? How do you explain the differences in the numbers of people incarcerate and arrested? Watch this video

43. From looking at these data, clearly the criminal justice system is “racist.” • Strongly agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly disagree

44. 2007 Illicit Drug Use – Past Year (Aged 12 or Older) - NSDUH * PAST YEAR • White (8.2%) (16,284,751) • Black (9.5%) (3,479,368) • Am. Indian (12.6%) (360,738) • Asian (4.2%) (550,236) • Hispanic (6.6%) (2,994,987) • Multi-racial (11.8%) (540,324) • Total Minority: (7,925,653) * National Survey on Drug Use and Health & U.S. Census

45. Illicit Drug Use 2007 White vs. People of Color • White – 16,284,751 (67 percent) (Whites were 65.8 percent of U.S. population) • Total Minority – 7,925,653 (33 percent)

46. How often have you used an illicit drug in your life? • Never • A couple of times • Often • Very often • Very often and lots of different drugs

47. 2007 Adult illegal Drug Arrests Total: 1,382,783 * • White (64%) (880,742) • Includes Hispanics • Estimates place about 35 percent of these arrests as Hispanic arrests (308,259 people) • Hispanics are 15 percent of the U.S. pop. • Black (35%) (485,054) • Am. Indian (.6) (8,872) • Asian (.6%) (8,115) * Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics

48. 2007 Illegal Drug Arrests Hispanics represent 15% of the population and: • 22% of total drug arrests and • 12.3% of total drug users * Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics

49. 2007 Illegal Drug Arrests Blacks represent 12.1% of the population and: • 35% of total drug arrests and • 14.4% of total drug users * Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics

50. 2007 Illegal Drug Arrests Whites accounted for: 572,483** arrests – or 41.4% of total drug arrests and are 67% of total drug users * Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics * National Survey on Drug Use and Health & U.S. Census ** Assuming that 35 percent of the “white arrests” are of Hispanics