Pew report on Trends in Income and Wealth Inequality

Sample Solution

    The recent Pew report on Trends in Income and Wealth Inequality reveals a stark reality of growing inequalities in the United States, where the wealthiest families possess seven times more wealth than the middle-income families. This widening gap not only affects those currently living, but also has implications for college students and their lives over the next forty years. According to this report, those from lower-income families are at a disadvantage when it comes to educational opportunities,

which can lead to greater economic inequality later on in life. This essay will discuss how growing inequalities in childhood affect college students and their lives in the next 40 years by looking at two sources: an article from a sociological journal (“Growing Up Poor: How Childhood Poverty Affects College Students Over Time”) and another from an online source (“How Growing Inequality Leads To A Two-Tiered Society”). The first source is “Growing Up Poor: How Childhood Poverty Affects College Students Over Time” by Melissa Cangemi & Elizabeth Wielinga published 2019 in The Sociological Quarterly. It examines how poverty during childhood greatly impacts educational attainment of college students by analyzing data compiled from U.S Census Bureau surveys between 1996 – 2012. The authors found that children who come from impoverished backgrounds tend to have fewer resources available for higher education such as access to quality instruction or parents with sufficient knowledge of financial aid options or preparation for standardized tests such as ACT or SATs; all factors that contribute significantly to academic success leading up to college enrollment. Furthermore, these same individuals were less likely to finish four-year degrees due largely in part because they lacked support systems and had higher involvement with precarious employment throughout high school which left them with little time for studying or extracurricular activities required for top colleges. Therefore, this study suggests that unequal opportunity during childhood can set many college students up for longterm economic insecurity as adults due largely in part because they may be forced into lower paying jobs after graduating without having attained skills necessary to compete with wealthier peers who often have more resources directed towards their education earlier on life. The second source is “How Growing Inequality Leads To A Two-Tiered Society” written by Matt Kibbe published 2018 on Radical Capitalist blog site Free Market Shooter focused specifically on disparities between upper class citizens versus everyone else due largely