Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation

Gentrification is the practice of making something more elite, sophisticated, and socially acceptable, often in the context of urban spaces. Wealthy, usually white, individuals move into poor and often non-white neighborhoods, thus transforming the demographic landscape and driving up the cost of living. Gentrification subsequently forces long-time residents out of their homes when rent skyrockets, leading to the fracturing of communities, increased poverty, and homelessness. Chris Offutt shows how this same process can extend to food, as inexpensive, accessible foods become prized by the upper classes.

In discussions of social and structural inequality, privilege is not a series of rewards but rather social and legal advantages inherent in society. These advantages may be based on the color of a person’s skin; for example, white people accused of crimes frequently experience more leniency in the justice system. Privilege may also be based on gender, class, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and/or ability/disability.

Structural inequality references the systems of inequality that are built in to institutions and systems that operate in a society. These social institutions fail to address the inherent privileges that some groups possess while simultaneously failing to remove barriers to equity. Certain groups face challenges that others do not based on factors like race or ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and religious background.