In this assignment I will be explaining the concept of an unequal society and how social inequalities can have effects on vulnerable groups in society such as; ethnic minorities using sociological terms.
An unequal society is formed when there is a prevalent boundary in society which stops a group of individuals from obtaining an equal status despite their contributions to that society. Society is very unequal, this is shown in the way certain groups are treated and even looked down on. An inequality is when two elements are not equal; one may be more favoured than the other which means they get more advantages than the other. There are seven main causes of inequality, these are; age, gender, ethnicity, disabilities, sexuality, social class and culture. These groups are all vulnerable to inequalities and are often subject to prejudice. There are obvious boundaries throughout society which prevent groups of individuals from becoming equal or having an equal status. An example of this which has been in the news a lot is women who are in the army not being allowed to fight on the front line, this is because they are still seen to be ‘weaker’ than men and will make our front lines less effective. This is unequal as women are seen to have less physical and mental strength to do a job which is thought to be meant for a man. Another example of an unequal society is certain places only being meant for certain cultural groups, this is not always unequal if the area is only populated with this cultural group however if it is in an area with a large range of cultural groups then it makes it unequal.
Prejudice is a fixed set of attitudes or beliefs about a certain group of individuals in society which is unwilling, unable and often uninterested in changing. It is a prejudgement against this group which is closely linked to stereotyping which can lead to labelling. If