When Work Disappears

Essay by casopolis82University, Bachelor'sA+, July 2004

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Since and more likely even before my birth, I was destined for success. My parents are both white. They come from well-off families. They had the privileges of good educations, stable neighborhood environments, and strong friend and family connections. The day I was born, I came into an already-functional support system. I went on to become the beneficiary of this network starting with the treatment my mother and I received in Mount Sinai hospital July 18 th , 1982 - my birthday. I would most likely not be here today, writing this paper, if it were not for the incredible education I have had thus far, the society I came from, and my parent's friends and relatives that helped me get into Vanderbilt. Even if I were to drop out of college - or if I had chosen not to do as well as I have - I would still be able to do something productive with my life.

I would still have all the family contacts; I would still have the knowledge, credentials, and skills to maintain my place in my current social class and interact positively with other members in my community; I would still have the values and knowledge of how to succeed in contemporary America. Is this fair? If I were to live on welfare, in a ghetto, how much easier would it be for me to walk into a place of employment and get a job? I think, and I believe that William Julius Wilson agrees with me, that it would be all too simple. I am not only white, but I also come from a culture and social structure that has set me up with a huge realm of possibilities for life - I, in essence, cannot fail. In a similar vein (yet coming...