Source: The Prejudice Book by David Shiman, Anti-Defamation League, 1994 - (Reprinted with Permission from the Anti-Defamation League)
Activity #30: Society's Inequalities
Goal: To have students try to explain certain inequalities in our society related to racism and sexism.
Materials: Statistics presented below.
Procedure: This activity might be used as a diagnostic and/or culminating exercise. Read the following statement to the students. Give each a copy of the statistics, which might need to be adapted to another form (e.g., bar graph) for use.
You have an visitor in your home from another country. Your guest says to you, "I am confused. You call your country the land of opportunity, but when I studied your country before coming here, I discovered that this doesn't appear to be true. Look at these facts about women, Blacks, and Hispanics in the United States. Can you explain them to me?"
Give the students the opportunity to read over the statistics. Then, you might wish to divide the class into groups before conducting the discussion. Giving the students a writing assignment or setting up a role-playing exercise might also be valuable. Encourage students to brainstorm different explanations for these statistics. Write these on the chalkboard. Then ask them to narrow the list down to those explanations that seem most plausible. Your class discussion might move in a variety of directions, e.g., stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination. It might also serve as a good take-off point for research activities.
FACT ABOUT:
Women:
Women make up over 1/2 (53% or 126.1 million) of the U.S. population.
BUT, they make up only 6% (6) of the Senate and 11 % (47) of the House of Representatives (1992); they hold only 6% (3) of the governorships and have never been President or Vice-President (1992).Furthermore, women make up:
less than 1/4 (22%) of lawyers;
less than 1/5 (17.9%) of doctors;
less than 1/12 (7.6%) of engineers;
less than 2/5 (38.7%) of university/college teachers;
approximately 1/50 (2.1 %) of construction workers;
less than 1/4 (22.9%) of farm workers;
less than 1/6 (15.3%) of the farmers;
almost all (99.1 %) of secretaries;
over 3/5 (67.8%) of sales workers;
less than 1/5 (19.4%) of professional athletes. (1989)
AND, women's median income ($16,910) is only 65% that of men's ($26,010). (1987)
Blacks:
Blacks make up slightly more than 1/8 (12.3% or 30.3 million) of the U.S. population.
BUT, they make up 1% (1) of the Senate and only 9% (20) of the House of Representatives (1993); they hold 2% (1) of the governorships and have never been either President or Vice-President (1992);Furthermore, African-Americans make up:
less than 1/30 (3%) of lawyers;
less than 1/30 (3.3%) of doctors;
less than 1/25 (3.6%) of engineers;
less than 1/20 (4.3%) of university/college teachers;
less than 1/12 (7.6%) of construction workers;
less than 1/11 (8.2%) of farm workers;
less than 1/100 (0.7%) of the farmers;
less than 1/12 (7.3%) of secretaries;
less than 1/10 (9.2%) of sales workers. (1989)
AND, the Black family median income ($18,100) is only 56% of the White family median income ($32,170) (1987).
Hispanics:
Hispanics make up slightly less than 1/12 (8% or 9.8 million) of the U.S. population.
BUT, they make up 0% (0) of the Senate and only 4.3% (11) of the House of Representatives (1993); they hold 2% (1) of the governorships and have never been either President or Vice-President (1992);Furthermore, Hispanics make up:
less than 1/30 (3.4%) of lawyers;
about 1/20 (5.4%) of doctors;
less than 1/40 (2.3%) of engineers;
less than 1/40 (2.4%) of university/college teachers;
less than 1/10 (9.2%) of construction workers;
less than 1/4 (26.1%) of farm workers;
less than 1/75 (1.7%) of farmers;
less than 1/20 (4.6%) of secretaries;
about 1/16 (6.5%) of sales workers;
less than 1/16 (6.3%) of professional athletes. (1989)
AND, Hispanic family median income ($20,310) is 65% of the non-Hispanic family median income ($31,600). (1987)Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. (1989). United States Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1980 - 1988. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office; U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. (1989) The Hispanic Population of the United States: March 1988. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1990) Employment and Earnings 37:1, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Congressional Quarterly Vol. 50 (Nov. 7, 1992).
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