Reference no: EM133324832

Assignment:

Review the following two American Values from William's List from our week 1 learning resources (Williams, 1970):

"Individualism ("Consistent Persistence") - Americans have traditionally prized success that comes from individual effort and initiative. They cherish the ideal that an individual can rise from the bottom of society to its very top. If someone fails to "get ahead," Americans generally find fault with that individual, rather than with the social system for placing roadblocks in his or her path."

"Equality - It is impossible to understand Americans without being aware of the central role that the value of equality plays in their lives. Equality of opportunity has significantly influenced U.S. history and continues to mark relations between groups that make up U.S. society. "

How can we reconcile the American values listed above with the systemic disparities and inequalities that exist in our society?

Select one of the three issues we read about this week (education, healthcare, or criminal justice) and, using at least two of the required resources, discuss how social inequality works to create disparities in your issue. What does it say about the values listed above if we utilize a social inequality approach to the study of this disparity instead of individualistic explanations of behavior? In what ways are these disparities part of the structure that America was built upon? Give one suggestion for what needs to change to help alleviate the disparities in the issue you chose to discuss.