Briefly discuss each of the following concepts in terms of the victimizing effects of social inequality: lack of opportunity toward success, being viewed as problems, and vulnerability to victimization and revictimization.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Lack of opportunity toward success can be very discouraging for the groups that are affected. It is the denying access to power, resources, and opportunities that can make life very uncertain and unbearable. Lack of opportunity is mostly experienced by ethnic minorities, particularly Blacks and Hispanics in different areas of life. For example, Blacks and Hispanics are significantly underrepresented in Ivy League colleges. These two ethnic groups are also less likely to finish their bachelor’s degrees as compared to Whites. Part of the problem is lack of preparation for higher education because of the harsh realities of social inequality which is tied to family employment and income, and how they are perceived and received in society. Being viewed as problems of society is an aspect of social inequality that has a chilling effect on Blacks and Hispanics in particular. These two groups have been accused of committing more violent crimes than Whites without a focus on the societal levels that actually staged the problems. This accusation is reinforced by research that focuses attention on the relationship between race or ethnicity and crime without attention to social inequality. Being viewed as problems translates to stereotypes with implications for how individuals feel about themselves, how the public perceives people of color or the poor. People of color feel devalued and/or unaccepted with accompanying feelings of low self-confidence and internalized negative stereotypes. To succeed, they have to do more, often under hardship, with much less support and fewer resources. The public perception of people of color is that they are criminals, lazy, and losers; sometimes they are even accused of being responsible for the inequality created by society. Vulnerability to victimization or revictimization is the lot of ethnic/racial minorities, poor people, and other cultural minority groups in the United States due to social inequality. The results include feelings of being unsafe, insecure, and powerless, which in turn lead to various forms of maladaptive behaviors and harmful acts (e.g., crime, assault, battery, rape, homicide). Unfortunately, such maladaptive behaviors and harmful acts are viewed as justification for social injustice and further victimization and revictimization resulting in a vicious cycle that continues to handicap their lives. Vulnerability to victimization is not restricted to racial and ethnic cultural groups, it applies to gender inequality, in which women are more likely to be victims of violence and sexual crimes, less educated, and face poverty due to sexism and other societal level barriers and gender role expectations. Consequently, women face stigmatization that make them vulnerable to victimization and revictimization and other psychological symptoms that negatively affect women’s lives.