Areas in American society where you think prejudice and discrimination are most prevalent

by | Mar 2, 2025 | Analysis

 

What are two areas in American society where you think prejudice and discrimination are most prevalent? Make two recommendations for how you would address and reduce discrimination in those areas.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Prejudice and discrimination unfortunately persist in many facets of American society. Here are two areas where they are particularly prevalent, along with recommendations for addressing them:

1. Area: The Criminal Justice System

  • Prevalence:
    • Racial profiling and disproportionate sentencing of people of color, particularly Black Americans, are well-documented.
    • Implicit biases within the system contribute to disparities in arrests, convictions, and incarceration rates.
    • Discrimination extends to those with mental health conditions and socioeconomic disadvantages, who are often overrepresented in the system.
  • Recommendations:
    • Data Transparency and Accountability: Implement rigorous data collection and analysis to track racial disparities at every stage of the criminal justice system. Publicly release this data to increase transparency and hold law enforcement and judicial officials accountable.
    • Implicit Bias Training and Reform: Mandate comprehensive implicit bias training for all law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and other personnel. Implement policies that promote de-escalation tactics and reduce the use of force, particularly in communities of color. Advocate for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentencing and other policies that contribute to mass incarceration.

Prejudice and discrimination unfortunately persist in many facets of American society. Here are two areas where they are particularly prevalent, along with recommendations for addressing them:

1. Area: The Criminal Justice System

  • Prevalence:
    • Racial profiling and disproportionate sentencing of people of color, particularly Black Americans, are well-documented.
    • Implicit biases within the system contribute to disparities in arrests, convictions, and incarceration rates.
    • Discrimination extends to those with mental health conditions and socioeconomic disadvantages, who are often overrepresented in the system.
  • Recommendations:
    • Data Transparency and Accountability: Implement rigorous data collection and analysis to track racial disparities at every stage of the criminal justice system. Publicly release this data to increase transparency and hold law enforcement and judicial officials accountable.
    • Implicit Bias Training and Reform: Mandate comprehensive implicit bias training for all law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and other personnel. Implement policies that promote de-escalation tactics and reduce the use of force, particularly in communities of color. Advocate for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentencing and other policies that contribute to mass incarceration.

Area: Employment and Economic Opportunity

  • Prevalence:
    • Discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability persists in hiring, promotion, and pay.
    • Systemic barriers, such as lack of access to quality education and affordable housing, limit economic opportunities for marginalized communities.
    • “Name-based discrimination,” where job applicants with names perceived as belonging to certain ethnic or racial groups are less likely to receive callbacks, is a persistent problem.
  • Recommendations:
    • Strengthen Anti-Discrimination Laws and Enforcement: Enact and enforce stronger anti-discrimination laws in employment, housing, and lending. Increase funding for agencies that investigate and prosecute discrimination cases.
    • Promote Inclusive Hiring and Workplace Practices: Encourage employers to adopt blind hiring practices (removing identifying information from resumes), implement diversity and inclusion training, and establish mentorship programs for underrepresented groups. Advocate for policies that support equal pay and access to affordable childcare.
    • Invest in equitable education: Fund programs that provide equitable access to quality education, and job training in underserved communities.

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