Describe Inequalities on City Road

Social scientists acquire a knowledge and understanding of the inequalities and differences in contemporary societies. Drawing on the Making Social Lives DVD, City Road displays a range of inequalities within a variety of issues. The term inequality is referred to as ‘the unequal distribution of valued social resources within a society or between societies’ (Open university Glossary, 2013). Within this essay, the issues which will be explored are social class, age, race and ethnicity.  

Firstly, the contrast between social classes can be linked to economic inequalities, and this can be seen through a divide between the rich and the poor society. The ‘Making Social Lives on City Road’ (2009) demonstrates the divide between the social classes in several clips. When exploring the Mackintosh Centre identifies this as a local sports centre during the week and at the weekend it holds a farmers market. During ‘Making Social Lives on City Road’ (2009, scene 7) according to Simon Bromley he points out that the local community may feel excluded from the sports centre; therefore people are disengaged from attending social activities. But it should be considered that during the weekend the Mackintosh Centre changes into a farmers market, this sees a number of students shopping at the market. Evidently this shows an insight into how society is shown in people’s perceptions which can consequently have an impact on the economic inequalities; is the local community feeling the Mackintosh Centre is too expensive to attend and the people who travel to the centre may be responsible for a sense of not belonging to the local community.

Another, significant factor in how differences can link into inequalities is age, the surrounding society with City Road displays how people’s beliefs, attitudes and perceptions might reinforce the inequalities. The ‘Making Social Lives on City Road’ (2009, scene 3)   shows Jose Ramos Suarez of the Taste Buds Café have a specific clientele of older...