Social & Economic Inequality in the

USA We are going to look at the social and economic

issues facing different groups in the USA.

Important Issues Facing Ethnic Groups in the USA

Social Issues Economic Issues

•Crime

•Housing

•Education

•Health

•Discrimination

•Unemployment

•Poverty

•Low Income

Health Care in the USA

•In the USA the system of health care is very different to Britain. For example, the USA does not have a National Health Service.

•People are expected to take out Private Medical Insurance from companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

•If you cannot afford PMI, you have to rely on government programmes to provide your health care.

•Medicaid is provided if you are poor- paid for by the government but do not cover all treatments. Many doctors and hospitals refuse to treat people unless they have PMI.

Health Care in the USA Study the ‘Health Factfile’ on page 35. Study each statement carefully, before copying out the correct statements into your jotter.

The USA spends more money on health care than any other country in the world.

The USA has the highest life expectancy because they spend the most on health care.

Although the USA spends the most on health care they do not have the highest life expectancy.

The number of Americans with no health insurance has increased from 34m in 1990 to 41m in 2001.

White Americans and Asians are most likely to have no health insurance.

Black and Hispanic Americans are most likely to have no health insurance.

Health Care in the USA

The USA spends more money on health care than any other country in the world.

Although the USA spends the most on health care they do not have the highest life expectancy.

The number of Americans with no health insurance has increased from 34m in 1990 to 41m in 2001.

Black and Hispanic Americans are most likely to have no health insurance.

The Correct Statements are:

There are big inequalities in health in the USA between rich and poor and between whites, and the ethnic minorities. These are largely due to the cost of medical treatment and the lack of the insurance cover.

Health Problems Facing Black and Hispanic Americans.

Blacks and Hispanics are 3 times more likely to have no medical insurance cover.

Black and Hispanic children were less likely to visit the doctor.

Black and Hispanics face greater health

problems. Twice as many black babies were

born with a low birth rate. There

is also a very high infant

mortality rate.

Drug and gang

related problems. Blacks and Hispanics are more

likely to die from guns and drugs.

Obesity- 30% of Blacks and 25% of Hispanics are obese.

EDUCATION USA Read pages 37 & 39

1. Why is a good education seen to be important in the USA?

2. What can a lack of education lead to?

3. Explain what the Bilingual Education Act is.

4. Read the two case studies on page 39. Using the key terms below, compare the two schools and pupils who attend them.

Equipment/ Standard of the School.

Ethnic groups who attend the School.

Qualifications/ pupils attitude towards their studies.

Security measures in the school.

Housing in the USA

Life in an inner city ghetto.

Plumbing and sanitation do not work properly.

Play parks are vandalised and children play in the

streets.

Drunks and drug addicts lie in hallways and on landings.

High crime rate

Large houses with nice gardens.

Good schools with modern equipment.

Streets patrolled regularly by police.

COPY AND COMPLETE THE DIAGRAM BELOW:

HOUSING IN THE USA

INNER CITY GHETTO

•Poor housing- damp, overcrowded

•Dangerous- high crime rate, gang violence and drug problems

•Poor facilities- schools and shops

•Little police presence

MIDDLE CLASS SUBURBS

•Large impressive homes

•Few crime

•Good schools

•Police patrols

•No gangs

•Well looked after streets and gardens

Unemployment and Poverty in the USA

Unemployment, low educational attainment, discrimination, lone parent families and the poverty cycle can all lead to poverty.

Ethnic minorities are three times more likely to suffer from poverty than whites.

Children suffer from high levels of poverty with black children suffering most of all.

Nearly one black children in three suffers from the effects of poverty.

Children born into poor areas tend not to do

as well at school

They are more likely to leave

school with few or no

qualifications

They are more likely to be

unemployed or in a low paid job

They can’t afford to move away from the

poor areas

The next generation of

children are born into the same

conditions The The Circle Circle

of of PovertyPoverty

CRIME IN THE USA In the USA, everyone is __________ before the _______ and entitled to a fair trial. However, many Americans could argue that they ____ _____ have equal access to the law or _______. Lawyers cost large amounts of ______ and many ethnic groups cannot afford the __________ lawyers. This means that there are many more ______ than whites in jail in the USA. Likewise, Blacks are more likely to face the ________ _________ than whites, especially if their victim was white.

Expensive Equal Law money

Death penalty

Do not justice blacks

Reasons• Higher levels of Higher levels of unemploymentunemployment• Lower levels of Lower levels of educationaleducational

achievementachievement• DiscriminationDiscrimination• FamilyFamily structure – more lone structure – more lone

parent familiesparent families• Reduction in Affirmative Action Reduction in Affirmative Action

Programmes Programmes (AAPs)(AAPs)• Lower levels of minority Lower levels of minority

participationparticipation (NB recent increase) (NB recent increase)

Reasons (continued)

• Under-representationUnder-representation at state at state national levelnational level

• Cost of ‘Cost of ‘fixingfixing’ inequality would be ’ inequality would be enormous – no political will to raise enormous – no political will to raise taxestaxes

• The The circlecircle of deprivation of deprivation• Difficulty of escaping from so-Difficulty of escaping from so-

called ‘called ‘underclassunderclass’’• Cut backs on welfare entitlement Cut backs on welfare entitlement

by successive administrationsby successive administrations

Education in the USA

WHY IS EDUCATION IMPORTANT?

• To understand the difference between right and wrong.

• To get a good job.

• To have a good income and a comfortable lifestyle.

ETHNIC GROUPS AND EDUCATION

• Whites and APIs (Asian and Pacific Islanders) are most successful in the US education system.

• A very high proportion of Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans are not successful in the US education system.

HISPANICS AND BLACKS

Many Hispanics and Blacks attend poor inner city schools. There are many reasons why it is difficult to achieve highly in these schools:

High turnover of staffMorale is very low among staffBuildings are in poor conditionThere is not enough equipmentPupils are not motivatedThere is a culture of failure

APIs

• People of ambition and drive.• If parents have a good job then

they will be able to live in a nice area and can afford to send their children to a good school.

• API children have good role models. They are encouraged by their parents to succeed.

Tasks…

• We will read pages 47-49 together

• Then answer questions on page 49

ExtensionWrite down a list of problems with education in the USA (use bullet points).

E.g. Many schools don’t spend enough on textbooks

Freedom Writers

Freedom Writers

• Take bullet pointed notes as we watch the film.

Rodney King

• Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on March 3, 1991.

• A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance.

• The footage showed LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons while other officers stood by watching.

• Footage was shown on TV around the world, causing public outrage that raised tensions between the black community and the LAPD.

Rodney King• Four LAPD officers were

later tried in a state court for the beating; three were acquitted and the jury failed to reach a verdict for the fourth. The announcement of the acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison and the other two officers acquitted.

Miep Gies

• Miep Gies (1909-2010) was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank, her family and several family friends in an attic annex above Anne's father's place of business from the Nazis during World War II

• She discovered and preserved Anne Frank's diary after the Franks were arrested

She died of old age in January 2010