Conflict Theory Essay -- Black Man, Minorities, Correctional System

According to Robbins et al (2006), there are different concepts that are important in understanding conflict theory. These concepts include conflict, power, minority, and change. Demico sales booth writes and reflects on the various aspects of his life that occurred during his incarceration, release and re incarceration. byout stands book he reflects on why the percentage of grisly men in prison continues to grow at alarming rates. Through the concepts associated with conflict theory the events leading up to Booths incarceration on some(prenominal) occasions can be analyzed.Conflict is a clash or struggle between opposing forces or interests, (Robbins et al, 2006, p.66). Throughout this time in his life Booth had to set about various clashes and struggles with people and system that he had no control over. The first direct conflict Booth had to experience was with his father. Booth was forced to provide for his younger siblings because he father and stepmother were m edicate addicts. Instead of being worried about providing for their family his parents were worried about sustaining their habits. What started as a positive scapegoat for Booth turned out to be a negative one. As Booth (2006) statesThey would give him some injection on credit, and he and my stepmother would lock themselves in their bedroom and get high. By me being the oldest of my siblings, this especially affected me because I knew what was going on. And since my needs were great than my younger siblings, I decided to go out and get a job so I could make some money to buy food and clothes for myself and for my brothers and sisters (p.15). Booth continues explaining this conflict by making it the whole way that in his fathers eyes he providing for his siblings was not a... ...standards and are on the same playing field in all aspects. As Fred McKissack (2008), questions Exactly how can we be in post-racial the States when nearly 40 percent of black children under the age of 5 live at or below the poverty line? How are we in post-racial America when the level of school requisition for Hispanics is the highest in the forty years and segregation of blacks is back to levels not seen since the late 1960s? McKissack (2008) also points out that the business rate for blacks has been twice that for whites and in 2006, 20.3% percent of blacks were not covered by health insurance, compared to only 10.8 percent of whites. In conclusion in evidence to consider itself a post racial society the United States must(prenominal) work on improving things such as education, healthcare, and unemployment for African Americans as well as other minorities.