Sports: Racial Segregation Essay

Submitted By bds2001
Words: 1028
Pages: 5
Open Document
Wilson, Chapter 5
Dr. Porter/Social Problems
2/20/12
William Wilson concludes his book with chapter 5; Framing the issues: Uniting structure and culture. In this chapter, Wilson hopes to confront two serious challenges: how to create legislation that is designed to confront structural and cultural forces that create and reinforce racial inequality; and how to get sufficient support from the American public to support such legislation. (Wilson p.154) How do these greater forces affect racial inequality in America? Wilson reviews the answer in this chapter. “The code of the street” and “the code of shady dealings” were brought back from chapter one to reinforce the idea that culture mediates the impact of structural forces such as racial segregation and poverty. (Wilson pp. 133-134) These codes are examples of how cultural codes influence structure. (Wilson p.135) Also, they tend to limit the chances of success for those living in poverty. Wilson reminds us that throughout this book he has argued that structure has the greater impact on racial inequality as compared to culture. Next, he tells us the problems policy makers face when dealing with race and poverty. (Wilson p.135) These problems are Institutional entrenchment and how to generate political support from Americans, who tend to place far more emphasis on cultural factors. The key to the latter is making Americans aware of the relationship between structural and cultural forces. Combining liberal focuses such as segregation and discrimination with conservative focuses such as individual attitudes and behavior is the answer to these problems policy makers face. (Wilson p.136) Wilson believes in this compromise of structure and cultural due to a panel discussion at the University of Chicago in 1995 on Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray’s controversial book The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class in American Life. Social environment factors were not taken into consideration for explaining financial shortcomings. Herrnstein and Murray focused on “cognitive ability” for their test scores instead of the social environment experience. (Wilson p.137) Political Framing is discussed and compared to the New Deal era. The New Deal era was a success because people focused on the structural factors that triggered poverty. Today, we are blinded by cultural forces that do not cut to the root of the problem. Affirmative action policies that frame the issues for the American public are analyzed by Lawrence Bobo (Harvard Sociologist) and Ronald Haskins (policy analyst at the Brookings Institution). (Wilson pp.139-140) Haskins mentions that the slogan “working people should not be poor” failed to cover the impact of joblessness and America’s view on welfare. (Wilson p.141) Wilson mentions president Barack Obama’s speech, where he detailed political framing that contributed to the lack of economic opportunity for black workers. Obama outlined structural factors that contribute to inequality and a plan that addressed race and poverty. (Wilson p.143) Further in the chapter, Wilson reviews these structural factors. Federal transportation and the shift of jobs from the cities to suburbs, isolation of blacks in central cities, cuts to federal aid in cities, and weak labor market labors are all structural forces. The decreased demand for low-skilled labor and growing internationalization are also reasons for poor black neighborhoods. (Wilson, p.145) As well as this, the fragmentation of the black family has little to no relationship with welfare. Jobless black males suffering from the above forces have no means for providing for a family. The low marriage and single-parent household rates are due to this joblessness. Welfare itself doesn’t increase the chance of out-of-wedlock births and solo-parent families in the poor, urban black community. (Wilson, p.146) Next, Wilson describes cultural forces that contribute to racial inequality. Belief systems of the
Show More

Related Documents: Sports: Racial Segregation Essay

Jim Crow Laws: The Effect Of Daily Life On African Americans

everyone was split up, the African Americans did not get a fair/good education as the whites. African americans missed out on opportunities to play games and were not allowed to play in professional sports with other white athletes. Racial Segregation was huge during the jim crow era. Racial segregation…

Words 198 - Pages 1

Jackie Robinson And Major League Baseball

First, baseball was the sport that showed the end of racial segregation. Racial segregation was one of the biggest issues that America had until the Civil Rights Movement. Racial segregation was common in America. However, the debut of Jackie Robinson in 1947 who was an African American baseball player changed not only in the field of baseball, but also the society of America as well. Before Jackie Robinson, African-Americans were only allowed to play in Negro League, not in Major League Baseball…

Words 179 - Pages 1

Racism in Sports Essay

Racism in Sports Racism is a belief that people of different races have different qualities and abilities, and that some races are inherently superior or in inferior. Racism in the form of discrimination persists in society. Racism in sports occurs in both team and individual sports around the world. Sports itself does not induce racism. Sports are meant to be a colorblind activity that adheres to the notion of fair play. Racism in sports is a problem which manifest around the world. It led…

Words 1669 - Pages 7

Document 15 Essay

hospitals, parks, buses, railroad station were also excluded or segregated black patrons, as did theaters, amusement parks, hotels and restaurants. Segregation means to separate or set apart from others or from the main body or group; therefore African American possessed few or no political power. Segregation also existed in sport. Most professional sport leagues, indeed such as the National Football League or the Major League Baseball, excluded or segregated African Americans because almost everything…

Words 615 - Pages 3

George Wallace: Segregation In The United States

Wallace’s position opposing racial integration was epitomized by his infamous state- ment: “I draw a line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the face of tyranny. And I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.” George Wallace was born in rural southeastern Alabama in 1919. Though his parents were dirt- poor farmers, Wallace was interested in politics from an early age. Wallace tried boxing as a teenager and became adept at the sport. In 1937, Wallace went directly…

Words 573 - Pages 3

Joe Louis Research Paper

University History of American Sport Prof. Olberding 16 April 2024 Joe Louis Defeats the Nazi Superman Setting inside the formative years of the 20th century in US professional sports was a major transition. Therefore, the 1930s proved to be a pivotal decade, marked by the onset of unwanted disturbances in society, politics, and the economy. In these troubled times, a black boxer rose through his game to emerge as one of the most popular men in America, overcoming all racial limitations to find himself…

Words 1436 - Pages 6

How Did the Vietnam War Change American Society and Politics Essay

these matters and reasons to sign the contract Ricky described in his speech at Оne Hundrеd Percеnt Wrоng Club in 1956. Segregation was not only a problem in the sports. It was a problem of the state level. Martin Luther King was implementing his non-violent strategy that was adopted all over the country. His campaign was successful against segregation in the sports and in social life in general. King traveled the country and gave speeches to inspire people to participate in the civil rights…

Words 2060 - Pages 9

Essay on Sports: Black Male Athletes

physical abilities in certain sports ( Harrison and Lawrence, etc). This belief is said to inspire many young people to believe it is their biological and cultural destiny to play certain sports and play them better than others (Coakley pg. 286). In the figure in the textbook, it shows the racial stereotypes about the innate physical abilities of blacks that have been part of the United States history and culture. Some stereotypes involve a long history of racial ideology that has emphasized “black…

Words 321 - Pages 2

Essay on Personal: Olympic Games and Nation Global Publicity

theory of the Nazi's having racial superiority. Throughout the entire event and especially the opening ceremony, Swatstikas were placed everywhere to compel the entire world to believe his new race was the embodiment of perfection. However, Hitler's strategy was failed by African-American, Jesse Owens, who became the spotlight of the Games winning four gold medals. Media footage relayed to the world how spectacular this upset was. At the time of these games, racial segregation was still legal in the USA…

Words 521 - Pages 3

The Movie 42 Essay

baseball by breaking the color barrier on the opening day for the Brooklyn dodgers. The movie 42 highlights post war after World War II, black Americans fought and died for their country during the war, but they returned home to a country with segregation. Segregation that had separate drinking fountains, restrooms, facilities and a ban of African Americans in the baseball league. They had a separate major league for African Americans, it was seen as a crime to integrate. Branch Rickey the executive manager…

Words 505 - Pages 3