Egypt is becoming a more closed stratification society. For one their population is growing faster than job opportunities. Even with the availability of education increasing many people are still unemployed. Nearly one forth of the unemployed in Cairo has a college degree. Half of the new laborers entering the workforce cannot find a job. Though Sadat has opened up global capitalism it is mainly benefiting the Upper Class. This style of economy is just widening the gap between upper and lower classes. Also when the lower class find something that allows them to make money the government takes it over or pass someone else to do their job. This happened in Rasha’s Story when he Zabaleen found out that the could make money collecting garbage. The Cairo governor sequentially signed contracts with waste disposal companies in Italy that put the Zabaleen people out of business. These kinds of acts make social mobility close to impossible.
The social stratification in America and Egypt have similarities and differences. They are similar in the aspect that the upper class controls a majority of the money. About three percent of the American population retains more than half the wealth. In Egypt five percent of the farmers have forty-nine percent of the land, and these farmers are the upper class of Egypt. Also the rich in America and Egypt have better or more life chances. Education is more easily attained by the rich in Egypt, where it is harder for the less fortunate to learn to read and write. Many kids cannot afford to go to school in Egypt because they have to work and help their parent make money. So in both societies there are substantial differences between the rich and poor. But the biggest difference between America and Egypt is the chance of moving up in society. Egypt has very little social mobility, but America has an open stratification system. There is higher chance of someone moving up from the lower class in America than anywhere in the world....