Social Inequality 2 - Essay Example

Ain’t No Makin It provides a new perspective in the job opportunities available for the lower income neighborhood and how it affects their lives. MacLeod presents the story of two groups of teenagers from the Clarendon and how the difference in their perspective, whether negative or positive, doesn’t have a difference in the employment opportunities for them.The aspirations and expectations of the Hallway Hangers of how they would turn out to be in the future show a negative view of life. They aspire to have at least a stable job that will make enough money for them to get out of the projects, however, they expect that will have a job just enough to survive on a day-to-day basis.

They see employment opportunities in connection with the social network they have. If they don’t have connections, they have a slim chance of getting a job. Also, they view higher level jobs that are prominent in the present time as unreachable since they do not fulfill the requirements needed for them to be eligible to apply, like a clean background and a high school diploma.In contrast, the aspirations and expectations of the Brothers indicate a more optimistic view of a future life. Since they are in school and are exposed to a different part of the neighborhood, living near middle-class and even white families, they see society’s standards as a guide for their own aspirations and expectations.

They value education and work compared to masculinity, violence and peer group (or subculture) solidarity as an important aspect of life for the Hallway Hangers. With that, they aspire to reach middle and higher level jobs and expect that with a diploma and perseverance, they will be able to reach their goals in life. Employment opportunities, they believe, are open for them as they have a better family and social background than that of the Hallway Hangers.Looking at these scenarios, we can also expect that the Brothers will be able to reach their aspirations and expectations, however, they ended up the same as the Hallway Hangers in the job market, as the unemployed or underemployed.

This can be credited to the fact that since they have lived in lower-class neighborhood, born in lower-class families, they tend to be accepted in jobs that are more manual than professional. Also, the changing structure of the economy, from manufacturing (needing hard labor) to a more service-oriented one gave them lesser opportunities.This increases the validity of how the social background and job opportunities are triggered by social factors. The triangle formation of the jobs show that the highest levels at the top and the lower class in the neighborhood are more in number that the others.

Employment opportunities give a more limiting market environment for the lower class and because of this it causes and emphasizes more the division between the lower class, the middle class and the higher class members of the society. Because of the lack of requirements and the social background of the lower class applicants, because of racism, discrimination and the judgmental nature of most employers regarding the nature of lower class, and because of the importance for status and diploma rather than their skills, capabilities and potentials, the lower class tend to be excluded from the options of possible candidates for employment.

In this regard, social mobility is limited and harder for them to achieve. With that, social structure gives birth to even more lower class members of the society since they fail to create opportunities for social mobility. The rich become richer and the poor becomes poorer, creating an even wider rift between the social classes.Macleod presents the very picture of how the society gives birth to its own problems and issues. He gives the readers a definitive picture of how the lower class aspires and expects but the job market and the society itself declines their movement and development.

It shows that it is not only their own behavior that affects their situations and lives but also the society’s structure.