Demographic Report

Demography is the study of statistics of populations. These figures can be of diverse subjects. These subjects include; Births, deaths, diseases and incomes of people. It is merely the science of populations. Demography aims to establish the dynamics of populations. However, this research paper is on social and economic demographics of downtown Detroit, Michigan State. Some of these statistics to be studied include education, community, housing, race, gender, age, and incomes

Social stratification

Social stratification refers to a set up in which members of the society are stratified. In this stratification, there is an unequal distribution of the society’s rewards. The society has stratified Americans according to their socioeconomic possessions. There are approximately six socioeconomic classes (Cassedy, 2012). At the top, we have the upper class. This group of persons controls vast amounts of wealth. This group of persons constitutes less than one percent of the population. Members of this stratum are well educated with decent housing and incomes.

 Then we have the new money social group. This group of persons makes up around 20% of the population. Their wealth is not inherited and has been there for one or two generations. This group mainly comprises of people with a good education and proper housing. Thirdly, we have the middle class (Johnson & Campbell, 2011). This group of persons is mainly found in the formal employment sector. They are mainly in the white collar jobs professions. This group comprises of around 35% of the population. Also, we have the working class. This group of persons has attained vocational training. They are engaged in the blue-collar jobs. They make up about 30% of the population. The working poor makes up the next stratification. These people have no permanent jobs and are lowly skilled. They lack a formal education. They make up about 25% of the population. Finally, we have the lowest strata which comprise of the poor people who live below the poverty line.

Location: downtown Detroit, Michigan State	percentages	number
Population (male)	45%	45,000
Population (female)	55%	55,000
Maiden income (annually)		$40000
%of population with college degree	30%	30,000
Upper class	Less than 1%	Around 1,000
New money	20%	20,000
Middle class	33.21%	33,210
Working class	25%	25,000
Working poor	15%	15,000
Poor people	6.57%	6,567

                       Fig.1, socioeconomic stratification data

 

Observational Study in My Locality

description	number	percentage
People with luxury items (luxury SUVs)	1	1.85%
People driving average cars	28	51.85%
People walking on foot	17	31.48%
Homeless families	8	14.81%

                        Fig.2 observatory findings

Findings

The observations conform to the socioeconomic classes as highlighted above. The number of the super-rich people is quite lower. The middle and average populations take up the largest proportion whereas the lower cadre group takes about a fifth of the population.

Analysis and Reporting of Research

From the data gathered, it was quite evident that the community is segregated along differential lines. Most of the African-Americans are found at the lower levels of the socioeconomic hierarchy. They live in relatively neglected neighborhoods. The elite few live in the suburbs where the living standards are quite high. Also, the community is divided racially. Each race of Americans tends to live in their specific neighborhoods. Racial integration is not well achieved. Within these racial communities, ethnicity is also another factor. People of the same ethnicity tend to work more closely together and only cooperate with the rest when there is an imminent danger (Moyer, 2015). This kind of practice has cultivated racial segregation for a long time

In Detroit, the data show that social stratification has divided people in different social classes where different groups hold power and property.   The main problem which is contributed by the social stratification is the racial difference rooted from the class system. This means that   people in the working class can easily access money and material wealth which people from the lowest social class hardly access (Laslett, & Wall, 2012).  The big problem which is contributed by stratification and need to be solved is economic inequality.  The latter has created three class systems namely; upper, middle and lower class.  The classes are divided by power and wealth   where people in the upper class   live in the upper level in the societal hierarchy. Other important point is that social stratification affects the life chances and lifestyles, creates emotional distress especially to the people in the lower class (Laslett, & Wall, 2012).  Note that people in lower class do not access power and wealth, and in the employment, they experience a higher level of unemployment and low income.   In social setting, they face inequality in accessing health care and education. 

A point to understand is that the different classes, upper, middle and lower live different life due to the amount of income earned. Workers from lower class  earns the least, the upper class workers income is most high while  the middle class income  ranges  in  the middle of lower and higher income (Cassedy,  2012).  In terms of daily living, people from lower social class only fulfil basic needs and they are unable to cover huge expenses.  In the employment sector, people from lower class work as manual labor and they work in jobs that require low skills since they lack higher education.   The  next class is  the middle class  and the  group holds  a higher population in that  it comprise people who work  in skilled labor where they earn enough income to cover their  expense and  luxuries.   People in this category are educated since majority has post graduations (Cassedy, 2012).  The last class is the upper class and this group comprises the small amount of people.  Workers in this category are white collar workers such as CEOs and the income they earn is enough for life luxuries. Generally, social stratification which creates economic inequality acts as a stumbling block to development.  This is an issue which needs to be solved by eliminating the class system and ensure that all people regardless of race, education and age can access wealth and prosperity (Cassedy, 2012).

 

 The findings also show that income growth is high among the affluent people and low to poor people or individuals in the lower income level.  A point to note is that in the stratification system, influential elite life are at  the top level while  jobless poor  remain at the lower level.  According to the research, the root cause of the social stratification and class position is social economic and political changes. The class position has led to negative consequences in that people in the high class experience expansions of opportunities while people in lower class experience   the limitation of opportunities (Johnson & Campbell, 2011).  To solve these issues and deemphasize the stratification system, it is important to first understand the nature and effects of the classes on the economy. In Detroit, there is the institutionalization of stratification where people from different races and other groups are excluded from education and well paying jobs (Johnson & Campbell, 2011).  On the same note,    the institutionalizations of stratification lead to inequality to people of color and gender.  For example, racial communities or people of low class are excluded from   social, economic and political setting.  Other important to note is that inequality is also rooted from the legitimization-meaning that   people form social beliefs that justify inequality to particular groups.  The beliefs form ideologies which are recognized and accepted by dominant members who then create social stereotypes.  Both institutionalization and legitimating create the dynamic of inequality and both build the stratification system (Johnson & Campbell, 2011).

 From the data, social stratification affects life chances in that people in lower class strive to access important commodities such as healthcare, education, social activities and so on.  First, it is important to understand that life chances are the opportunities that human beings can achieve in life such as education, health life, marriage and more. However, some people especially from low classes do not access these chances since they are unevenly distributed. In societies like Detroit which has stratification system, wealth and power are not equally distributed and so people from lower class struggle for access important commodities (Doob, 2011).  Note that life chances are influenced by status and powers and this means people from the upper and middle class have power which allows them to access.  The appalling thing is that the stratification system creates division in the access of healthcare and people in lower classes do not access equal healthcare as people in upper class.  Generally, social stratification has devastating effects in that people in different classes experience social disparity in social setting. As stated above,   stratification system builds an unjust social system where   people in low class fails to enjoy life chances such as education and quality health care (Doob, 2011).  From research, social power is rooted from culture and historical aspects and these two things need to be considered in solving the social problem in modern societies.  

 

Historically American societies have been divided along racial lines (Laslett, 2012). This has resulted in a skewed wealth distribution with the African Americans being among the least empowered groups. Although much is being done to address racial integration, the progress has been quite insignificant over the years. In this neighborhood, there is the presence of LGBT community. However, the number of members in this community is not too big to be significant as such (Lima, 2009). Plans and policies are being enacted to enhance desegregation of these communities.

In conclusion, from the data and analysis above, it is quite evident that this neighborhood is quite segregated about the various socio and economic factors. Desegregation policies and plans should be strengthened further to ensure the American society achieves equality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Cassedy, J. H. (2012). Demography in early America: beginnings of the statistical mind 1600-1800.

Johnson, D. M., & Campbell, R. R. (2011). Black migration in America: A social demographic history. Studies in Social and Economic Demography, (4).

Laslett, P., & Wall, R. (2012). Household and family in past time.

Lima, M., Keymer, J. E., & Jaksic, F. M. (2009). El Niño–Southern Oscillation–driven rainfall variability and delayed density dependence cause rodent outbreaks in western South America: Linking demography and population dynamics. The American Naturalist, 153(5), 176-291.

Moyer, G. R., Winemiller, K. O., McPhee, M. V., & Turner, T. F. (2015). Historical demography, selection, and coalescence of mitochondrial and nuclear genes in Prochilodus species of northern South America. Evolution, 59(3), 199-210.

 

Doob, C. B. (2011). Social inequality and class in American society. Upper Saddle River, N.J:

Pearson Education.