SOCIAL STRATIFICATION user SOCI 1301.001
2013/11/14
1. By reviewing the figure 5.1, 5.2 in page 91, figure 5.3 in page 93, figure 5.4 in page 98, and table 5.4 from page 94 to 95 (Meyer, Ramirez, Araiza, & Benibo, 2011); I notice the distribution of net worth and income are effected by other factors such as age, race/ethnicity, and household type. Compare the figure 5.1 to the table 5.4, it shows increasing with age, both net worth and income are increasing first, and reach a peak, then decreasing; the peak in net worth is 65 to 69 years, the peak in income is 45 to 54 years. In race/ethnicity, Black household is the lowest in both of net worth and income figures, and then is Hispanic, and all household. The most obvious difference between net worth and income in race is Non-Hispanic White is the highest in net worth, and Asian is second, but in income, they switch their positions. The order of type of household in net worth from high to low is married-couple, all household, male household, female household. It is the same situation in income, the order from high to low is the same as net worth when comparing the figure 5.3 and table 5.4.
I think the distribution of income and net worth can influence people’s life chance in their life, such as to buy a car, to travel, to achieve a higher education, to start a family, to raise a child, all of those life chance are supported by money, so it is important to plan the distribution of income and net worth, otherwise when those chance come, without the net worth and income support, we might just look at those chance runaway in front of our face and regret.
2. The relationships among educational attainment and unemployment rates and median weekly earnings are; the higher educational attainment, the higher median weekly earnings, and the lower unemployment rates. In the Figure 5.7 from page 107 (Meyer, Ramirez, Araiza, & Benibo, 2011), we can see from 1975 to 1999, whatever the average earning is increasing or decreasing, the higher education attainment like some college or associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, and Advanced degree, their average earning are always higher than high school graduate, and the average earning of not high school graduate is the lowest among all the education attainment. The Education pays table in page 108 (Meyer, Ramirez, Araiza, & Benibo, 2011) shows the same situation, but it also relates to the unemployment rates. The people from less than a high school diploma has the highest unemployment rates and lowest median weekly earnings, the