...effectively owns America, and that this is due in large part to an increase in unequal distribution of wealth between 1983 and 2004. Domhoff also states that the unequal wealth distribution is due in large part to tax cuts for the wealthy and the defeat of labor unions. Most of Domhoff’s information is accurate and includes strong, valid arguments and statements. However, there is room for improvement when identifying the subject of what is causing the inequality. The most important points made in Domhoff’s article are his statistics, the reason behind the unequal wealth distribution, and his closing statement concerning the top 10%. In his article, Domhoff cites many statistics regarding the distribution of wealth between America’s top and bottom percentiles. There is quite a bit of research to back up his claims, and his data is generally very accurate. However, when it comes to the cause of such gaps in wealth distribution, there is more to consider than simply tax cuts and labor unions. Domhoff begins with a broad overview of wealth distribution in the United States. He states that the top 1% held 34.6% of all privately held wealth, with 85% in the hands of the top 20%, leaving the bottom 80% in control of only 15% of privately held wealth. In terms of financial wealth, he states that the top 1% was in control of 42.7%. After this analysis, Domhoff focuses on financial securities. He states that the top 1% holds 60.6% of all financial securities, including 38.3% of privately...
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...In his work “Who Rules America?”, G. William Domhoff provides us with a revealing look at class domination. He defines social and economic class status; the corporate world and it`s power and the intertwining between the corporate community and the upper class. To gain insight how one class can dominate the other we must define the terms social class and power. “They (social scientists) begin with a crucial analytical distinction between economic classes, which consist of people who have a common position in the economic system, such as ‘business owners’ or ‘employees’ and social classes, which consist of people who interact with each other, develop in-group social organizations, and share a common lifestyle” (Domhoff, 4). According to the author the most dominate social class in America is the upper class. This group can be defined as less than one percent of the population yet owns 34.3 percent of all marketable assets. As a group this class is very private, elite and secretive. They attend selected schools; they are members of private clubs and possess the most wealth in America. The upper class consists of networks which are created through social circles, alumni groups and club memberships. “This network-based way of thinking about a social class as a duality of persons and groups fits well with earlier definitions of social class” (Domhoff, 6). This group`s networks are the basis for shared interests. In an ideal world no...
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...For William Domhoff, it has become apparent, as to many other elite theorists, that capitalism is now interlacing with politics, in such a way that corporations are now able to determine and effectively influence the direction that government policies should take. This corporate power uses a certain number of mechanisms, strategies and processes whether legal or illegal, official or unofficial, to reach that end (Domhoff, 1990). In this essay, I aim at establishing and describing these processes as well as evaluating their impact on society. Concurrently, I shall evaluate and analyse this argument. Before establishing these strategies, I believe it is important that one be aware of what makes the corporate power elite and how it has managed to create a network or upper class and even corporate community network to determine domestic/national policy. Modern capitalist societies are not simply made of the upper class and corporate communities who as Domhoff argues, include all large income-producing property owners who also happen to control all the source of capital, thus constituting both a social and economic class (Domhoff, 2010: 7) at the top of the social hierarchy. There are also a variety of non-profit associations that are significant because they structure and determine the different discussions over public policy as well as the public opinion which, indeed, matters most to governments (Wetherley, 2008). Although they have been qualified of non-partisan or bipartisan...
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...Human beings spend significant amount of their time into sleeping. During their sleep, human beings often experience the ‘magical’ state, the dream. In the dream, people maybe part of a Wonderful Wizard of Oz, horror stories or even reality shows. This chimerical state has caused dream researchers to question the cause of dream or even the contents of dream. Despite the fact that the state of dreaming has gathered researchers’ attention for long time, researchers have only begun to conduct thorough investigation on dreaming. However, as Robert E. Haskell (1986) states, “…The study of dreams and dreaming is an area of research that seems either to stimulate almost boundless, yet imaginative, theories regarding the meaning and function of dreaming; or conversely, it stimulates an equally boundless and irrational skepticism, denying any meaning or function to dreaming whatsoever…” (p.1). As stated, the field of dream research is very elusive. Pioneers in dream research, such Jung and Freud, developed various notions and models to explain the cause and content of dream, however, these theories and models are controversial and cannot be solidified. One of the most important factors that make dream research perplexing is the method of obtaining data. For example, as discussed later, participant drop out rate, small sample size and accuracy of data report hinder researchers from developing accurate notions on dreaming. In order to establish a solid explanation for dream, it...
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...health care relates to the distribution and concentration of wealth in the U.S. and support the need to redistribute wealth in America. Wealth refers to the value of everything that a individual and family owns minus all its debts. Most of economists define wealth as marketable assets such as stocks bonds and real estate. In marketable securities, consumer durables like cars are not included because they are not readily converted into cash (Domhoff 2011). Power refers to the ability of controlling the behaviors of others, even against their will. Groups and individuals who have power are able to use it to increase their own interest. It is not necessary that individuals take these benefits at the cost of society. In the Unites States, social class is an arguable issue because there is a disagreement on its models and its existence in the country. Three class model that includes the rich, the middle class and the poor as believed by Americans. Among all the major economies, distribution of income in the United States is most unequal (Domhoff 2010)). The poverty level in the U.S. was $16,036 in 1997 for a family size of four. As with earnings difference, the poverty pace vary significantly between cultural groups. Difference in poverty and earnings has a chief contact on health. African Americans and Hispanics are probable not to have health coverage as individuals that are white will. One effect of this difference in health care is that African Americans have a shorter life...
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...Wealth and Power in the United States POL/443 Wealth and Power in the United States What is wealth? Generally speaking wealth if the value of everything a person or family owns, minus any debts, G. W. Domhoff (2015). Although many of us think of the division of wealth as an equal in the United States, the reality is completely different and shocking; to say the least. Because of this, there are three theories created; pluralism, elite theory, and state autonomy. Each of these theories where created to understand the structure of power in the United States. As we see each of their purpose, a few question comes to mind; who benefits? Who governs? And who wins? In 2013 wealth inequality in the United States was greater than in most developed countries other than Switzerland and Denmark, Weissmann, Jordan (2013). The top 1% (also known at the elites) of the American population owns 42.7% of the country’s total wealth. Meaning the next 19% of Americans owning 50.3%, and the bottom 80% owning 7%, Deborah L. Jacobs (2011). However, after the Great Recession (which started in 2007), the share of total wealth owned by the top 1% of the population grew from 34.6% to 37.1%, and that owned by the top 20% of Americans grew from 85% to 87.7%. The Great Recession also caused a drop of 36.1% in median household wealth but a drop only 11.1% for the top 1%, further widening the gap between the top 1% and the bottom 99%. According to the Institute for Policy Studies, in September...
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...teorías de la estructura de poder como el marco teórico para comprender la influencia de las élites políticas en el cambio social. Dado que nuevas perspectivas y preocupaciones han surgido en este campo, la organización de este artículo no es completamente cronológica. Aunque puedan haberse ignorado muchas contribuciones relevantes, la intención aquí es brindar algún sentido de la riqueza e importancia de lo que han logrado los académicos acerca de la relación entre élites y representación, los vínculos entre élites, democracia y cambio social y las teorías de la estructura de poder. En este artículo también se estudia hasta qué grado la introducción de una nueva metodología de investigación por parte de la teoría de la dominación de clase de Domhoff abrió una nueva perspectiva en los estudios sobre las élites. Finalmente, se presentan una estrategia de investigación para las élites y dos conclusiones principales. Palabras clave: Élites políticas - cambio social - estructura de poder - representación. Abstract Scholarly studies of elites and political elites have a vibrant recent history. My aim here is to provide a selective summary of that history, focusing on the importance of social distinction and the theories of power structure as a theoretical background for understanding the influence of political elites in social change. Since new insights and concerns have emerged in this field, the organization of this essay is not entirely chronological. Even though I may have ignored many...
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...Madison Fisher Dr. Strong American National Government 10-30-15 Poverty in the United States Arkansas is the second among states with the highest poverty rates, at 17.3 percent. The patterns of poverty in Arkansas have established and varied over time in relation to the physical characteristics of the state and to changes in economic and political behavior. Poverty is the high and low in different Arkansas counties. The counties with the highest poverty rates, in Arkansas, are Lee, Phillips, Lincoln, and Desha. The counties with the lowest poverty rates, in Arkansas, are Saline, Benton, Grant, and Lonoke. Only these four counties had poverty rates lower than the national average. Saline, Grant, and Lonoke counties benefit from their proximity to Little Rock (Maher, Daniel). In 2008 in Arkansas, most whites were in poverty. Within the population of those in poverty, whites made up most of the percentage in poverty. However, blacks came close with whites for being in poverty. Then, Latinos came last for being in poverty. Whites have obviously made up most of those in poverty (Maher, Daniel). Women and Children have made up a part of those in poverty in Arkansas. The gap of income variances between women and men means women are in more poverty then men are. In Arkansas, almost 19 percent of women are living in poverty, whereas only 14 percent of men are living in it. Children in Arkansas living in poverty under the age of 18 is almost 25 percent (Maher...
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...Dreams: What are dreams and what do they mean? Shanice Monteith The University of West Florida Abstract Dreams that take place while we sleep are one of the most fascinating aspects of human consciousness and are common among all of us. We all ask the same question, what is a dream? A researcher by the name of Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams gives us a good insight about dreams. His theory is one of the best-known models of dream interpretation. There are also other types of theories that suggest to us what a dream is. Some say that dreams are simply random firing of memory neurons. Others say differently. I will try to show both sides of this controversy. This paper will examine what a dream is and what people interpret a dream to mean. It should also give you a broader perspective of dreams, go into detail of different theories regarding dreams and give you more insight of such a fascinating but complicated topic. There is also the case of nightmares which will be discussed briefly and why they occur when we dream. What are dreams and what do they mean There have numerous studies on what is a dream. A lot of controversy has happened because of this. Some people say it could be just simply random firing of memory neurons as stated earlier but not everyone thinks the same way. Others say there is a lot of detail that could go into finding out more about this topic so they begin to do more research to come up with different ideas about such a debating issue...
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... This is how inequality is produced. Immigrants, however, were not the only ones being mistreated, women of every social class and race were also regarded in this way. People of power in the west have always been men. In this type of atmosphere where masculinity thrives, immigrants are seen as naive and women are inferior and weak compared to men. They made these perceptions of specific groups as acceptable in society, and used these perceptions to manipulate these groups into cheap labor that they can profit from. That is how inequality of wealth began to develop. They maintain these actions by belittling women and immigrants. But what happens when they finally stand up and confront these mistreatments? Authors Enloe, Ehrenreich and Domhoff seek out how inequality of wealth affects different social classes and within each of their own unique experiences they uncover how inequality of wealth is produced and maintained in society. By reading their conclusions, as a sociologist, I was able to formulate my own conclusions of how economic inequality is connected to social structures. When Barbara Ehrenreich immersed herself into the life of a low-wage worker she discovered how undoubtedly difficult it was to live a life wholly from paycheck to paycheck. She wrote about her experiences from her experiment in an article she named Nickel and Dimed. She starts from the beginning, she takes “a red pen to the want ads, which are suspiciously numerous. Everyone in Key West’s booming...
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...Gender equality goes downhill once you enter the job market (Hsu, 2011). In order to comprehend the differences of communications patterns we should begin by making an allowance for the different essentials of the communication process between the sender of the information and receiver of the information. During any form of communication, the sender has a message to convey that becomes determined. The receiver acquires this determined message by way of some channel whether it be verbal, nonverbal or written, which is then translated. The situation, culture, time, and gender can affect a good and effective communication. Gender can affect communication in different ways has been widely accepted by a large part of the people today. Gender differences in communication can pose problems in social exchanges leading to prejudice, anger, and stress as well as a decrease in efficiency. This is exceptionally serious in business organizations but even more so in your everyday world and therefore a scrutiny of these differences in the first step to understanding the issues involved and moving towards better communication. Nearly a one fourth of all working women are considered part-time, more than men. The number of men who are stay-at-home dads has just about more than doubled over the last ten years. Society molds these women's so-called choices by telling them that they are care givers by default. Women are more likely to be punished for staying home to take care of a sick child. Are...
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...poor alike is now no longer a dream but rather a myth. The reason being, the country has been plagued by the problem of an ever-growing inequality. According to Nobel-prize winner, Joseph Stiglitz, it is both a tragedy and irony that determination, work, and vision are no longer the keys to one's success in America (Streight, 2015). Instead, Stiglitz says, “being born to rich, well-educated parents is the best indicator of future earnings” (2015). The situation is now making it harder for Americans born to low-income families to climb the ladder of economic prosperity leaving them stuck in a poverty cycle. The current economic state is such that more than 80% of American resources are now controlled by only 20% of the American population (Domhoff, 2013) The indication is that the American dream of achieving economic equality among all U.S. citizens is indeed not only a myth but also dead (Wyatt-Nichol, 2011). Two different artifacts that illustrate the component of the American Dream Myth are songs and movies. First, songs are providing a revolutionary world in America where only the rich are represented. Gone are the days when the songs were composed with an aim of reflecting the problems in the American society. In America, songs are now sung to represent one’s flashy life as if it is a platform of declaring one’s wealth. Many songs in America are attributed to only the famous and economically prosperous people, but can you just pause for a minute and think about how many...
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...contributed a great deal to the general interest in dream interpretation. Books and dream dictionaries have helped ensure that the topic remains popular today. Dreams can be mysterious, but understanding the meaning of our dreams can be downright baffling. The content of our dreams can shift suddenly, feature bizarre elements or frighten us with terrifying imagery. The fact that dreams can be so rich and compelling is what causes many to believe that there must be some meaning to our dreams. Theories about Dreams: While many theories exist to explain why we dream, no one yet fully understands their purpose, let alone how to interpret the meaning of dreams. In fact, some prominent researchers such as: G. William Domhoff: Dreams most likely serve no real purpose. According to Domhoff: "'Meaning' has to do with coherence and with systematic relations to other variables, and in that regard dreams do have meaning. Furthermore, they are very "revealing" of what is on our minds. We have shown that 75 to 100 dreams from a person give us a very good psychological...
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...Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.[1] The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest, throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology.[2] Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable.[3] The length of a dream can vary; they may last for a few seconds, or approximately 20–30 minutes.[3] People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, but some may have up to seven dreams in one night.[4] The dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM.[5] In modern times, dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious mind. They range from normal and ordinary to overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can have varying natures, such as frightening, exciting, magical, melancholic, adventurous, or sexual. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the...
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...the world because of the number of income and wealth that is shared in terms of power. In America for example, the income dispensation is extremely inequal and a person’s value wealth is based on how much they make with their debts deducted. “As of 2007, the top 1% of households (upper class) owned 34.6% of all privately held wealth, and the 19% (the managerial, professional, and small business) had 50.5%, which means that just 20% of the people owned a remarkable 85%, leaving only 15% of the wealth for the bottom 80% (wage and salary workers)” (Domhoff, 2011). In contrary, the poor do not go further in life, and the rich keep getting more. People in the U.S are judged and put in class categories through their home ownership, which clearly testify wealth in society. “People seek to own property, to have high incomes, to have interesting and safe jobs, to enjoy the finest in travel and leisure, and to live long and healthy lives” (Domhoff, 2011). “For most Americans, the word ‘poverty’ suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter” (Rector, 2007). Poverty can be socially categorized through serious deprivation of food, safe water, education, sanitation, and health care regardless of someone’s income. In 2009 the poverty threshold “for a family of five is $25,790” (Services, 2009). Furthermore, poverty rate has some variations between ethnics and racial subgroups. “In 2009, 25.8% blacks and 25.3% of Hispanics were...
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