Hamline Inequality

One of Hamline's greatest qualities is its unique diversity.  Hamline prides itself on being a very diverse university and is located in a very diverse neighborhood.  However, with diversity come inequality.  The inequality factor may not be as noticeable at Hamline to some, but I can definitely see it.

Three topics of inequality outlined in the sociology book were social class, race and ethnicity, and sex and gender.  Social class may be the most difficult to view, but it ultimately may have the greatest effect on Hamline's student body.  Hamline's liberal arts education has a great reputation, but also is very expensive.  There are students here that have parents with deep pockets who are able to finance entire educations without feeling the burden.  On the other end of the spectrum, there are students who are barely managing to make ends meet and pay for their education.  Luckily, Hamline has a great scholarship and loan program that will help all students be able to afford and receive the excellent liberal arts education that they all deserve.

Race and ethnicity have been the topic of inequality I had the least amount of exposure to coming from a small town.  I was hardly exposed to those of different race and culture than my own while living in Windom.  Coming to Hamline has exposed me to MANY!!! different races and cultures.  Here I have learned the beliefs and way of life of a few students, taping into what their daily lives consist of and the obstacles they must overcome.  From my experiences, I have seen little, if any, racial discrimination while at Hamline, something I am very proud to be a part of.  Although racial discrimination is a worldwide problem that will never be solved, we can attempt to solve it here at home.

Sex and gender is another topic I didn't have a ton of exposure to.  Males and females were predominately treated equal, from what I saw anyway.  I was never exposed to those who viewed themselves as LGBTQ, but that quickly changed when I arrived at Hamline.  I wasn't sure how I would react to those sharing different beliefs in this area than me, but throughout the process I have developed friendships with them and have learned much about them.  Their beliefs and attributes may be different than me and what I'm accustomed to, but they're people just like me.  We're all equal.