INSTRUCTION:
For this file assignment you need to do some preliminary research to identify your domain of study. To begin with you should describe what you are interested by providing one detailed example. The example can be drawn from your own experience, or one that you have learned about from other scholarship (i.e. from ‘existing research’.) Once you’ve explained a concrete example of what interests you (“in your own words”), compare and contrast how two different sociological perspectives presented in the Annual Review of Sociology article you read for Discussion Board Post #1 would understand the situation you describe. Conclude your paper by outlining the kinds of research you could do to help you to explain the significance of your case. If it helps use the following outline (each point is a short paragraph):

YOU MUST ANSWER the following QUESTIONS

1. Provide a Detailed Description of the case that interests you
2. Explain how one sociological perspective you could use to analyze this case would understand the case
3. Explain how another sociological perspective you could use to analyze this case would understand the case
4. Describe a what kinds of research studies could help you tease apart the difference in these existing sociological perspectives. What kinds of data would you need to really know which perspective is right, and what kinds of patterns would you look for in that data?

Discussion Board Post #1
Inequality in the U.S
The United States has the largest immigrant population, which has grown from 7.9 percent of the total populace to 19.8 million people. A large number of foreigners have perpetuated inequality making it worse over time. The paper aims at exploring inequality in the United States based on evidence from the article.
Inequality on the basis of earnings is evident among immigrants. According to Waters and Karl, inequality is because immigrants face barriers to the inclusion of the host country’s economy (437). The lack of networks in the host country means that it is difficult for immigrants to get jobs and they face many barriers as they enter in the professional and internal labor markets. It is further difficult for them because they have foreign credentials which may not be recognized in the host country. This has pushed immigrants into entrepreneurial activities where they can utilize their skills without necessarily needing to conform to requirements of an organization. Inequality has resulted in the emergence of enclaves which is an area concentrated with ethnic firms which employ people from similar ethnic minorities. Minorities in the United States prefer to work in enclaves because they will have a better livelihood compared to working outside the enclave (Waters and Karl 438). An example of an enclave is found in Miami which employs Cubans. This explains why Cubans are doing well economically compared to Hispanics.
This article highlights that American Indians are the most disadvantaged group based on educational attainment and poverty. According to the census conducted in 1990, American Indians were found to be the smallest of the minority groups with a population of 1.96 million, but with a high rate of poverty due to their geographical isolation as well as lack of resources (Waters and Karl 429). Further, African Americans have long been treated unfairly from the legal segregation in 1960 to the present day. In 1940, there were more women participating in the labor force in comparison to whites and black women had been employed for more years than their white counterparts. However, despite them being more involved in the labor marker, their earnings were not growing. An analysis of data between 1969 and 1987 revealed that earnings by white women had grown more than those of blacks. This clearly shows the presence of a racial wage gap among American women (Waters and Karl 430). The trend is projected to continue, especially because the American economy seems to have stalled. The participation of African Americans is generally skewed with them recording higher rates of joblessness compared to whites.
The increase in female-headed families among Black Americans has increased racial disparities and poverty among them. This is because having a high number of female-headed households have been found to be closely associated with poverty (Waters and Karl 427. As such, blacks have been found to live in areas with high rates of poverty and with limited amenities. The lack of social amenities has made blacks unable to transit through the levels of education, hence making them eligible for low wage jobs. The neighborhoods which they live in are characterized by high rates of crime, teenage pregnancy, and illegal activity further perpetuating how they are disadvantage treated.
One idea that helped me refined my research interest: the inequality in the United States is evident which has made it difficult for immigrants, racial minorities and blacks to actively participate in the labor market. The effect is having these groups have low education levels, which make them unable to compete effectively with their white counterparts.

Works Cited
Waters, Mary C., and Karl Eschbach. Immigration and ethnic and racial inequality in the United States. Annual review of sociology, Vol. 21, No.1, 1995, Pp. 419-446.