Definitions
Meritocracy
the idea that you move up and obtain economic success based on your merit or how hard you work
What is wealth?
total amount of a person’s financial assets and properties minus debts; main source of wealth for most Americans is homeownership
What form of privilege does Peggy McIntosh discuss in "The Invisible Knapsack"?
white privilege
Define impairment
defined as a physical limitation, or something you can’t do
Capitalism
a profit-oriented system based on private or corporate ownership of means of production and distribution
blue-collar jobs
According to "Race, Homeownership, and Wealth" by Thomas M. Shapiro, what is the link between redlining and wealth?
redlining caused African Americans to be excluded from the greatest wealth building opportunities in American history; this is how we ended up with such a large racial wealth gap
Define redlining
the practice of denying home loans and mortgages to people of color
Overt racism
intentional, obvious discrimination; example: hate speech or refusal to associate
After deindustrialization, the U.S. became this type of economy
service economy
What are the main findings of "Solid Waste Facilities in South Carolina: Issues of Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice" by Perkins, King, and Varner?
race (not income or wealth) is a significant predictor of waste facility locations in South Carolina; this is an example of environmental racism
Define white-collar jobs
White-collar jobs: require special skills acquired through higher education, and provide good pay, good benefits, and professional status
Institutional racism
race-based discrimination that results from the day-to-day operation of social institutions and social structures and their rules, policies, and practices
What two types of jobs are associated with the service economy?
white-collar jobs and pink-collar jobs
Describe two effects of deindustrialization from "When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor" by William Julius Wilson
- unemployment
- rising poverty rates
- increase in crime
- closure of local businesses
Define blue-collar jobs
Blue-collar jobs: industrial jobs, decent pay, no educational experience necessary, union contracts, benefits
Deindustrialization
the movement of industries out of the U.S. or city centers in the 1970s and 1980s due to increased machine labor and cheaper labor/land
In "Who Rules America: The Corporate Community and the Upper Class" by G. William Domhoff, which group is described as the leadership group for the corporate rich?
the power elite
What does Barbara Ehrenreich's experience in her article "Nickel and Dimed" tell us about meritocracy?
working hard in low-wage jobs isn't enough to become successful; this suggests that meritocracy is a myth
Define pink-collar jobs
Pink-collar jobs: no need for education, but need communication/social skills; low pay and usually no benefits