This essay explores personal interpretation of the reading “Savage Inequality” encompassing its distasteful quality and sociological perspectives while identifying my individual experience through commonality. The opening statement in the article Savage Inequalities referenced obvious signs of social inequalities losing its energy as society now view its origin as an everyday norm. Explaining it away as a reflection of the individual’s character is a faultless example of societies reacting to their definition of the situation relatively than the objective situation itself, as Symbolic Interactionism advocates. Contrasting the US educational system reflective in schools found in poor, middle and rich communities appears to be the focal point. A better education is often offered to a select group of privileged children against those with gaps, a problem greater than what is to be expected, however, we are not entirely unaware of its effects.
The theme examined East St. Louis and its non-favorable living conditions, a black community profoundly in lack observably beneath the poverty line breakable due to dangers of non- stability with few jobs and meager pay as a result of a fiscal deficit. City hall, the administration building of a municipal government, a representation of power appearing to be powerless without wealth. Constitutes an area of emergency as it becomes clearer the reality of this adversity is regarded within the social problem perspective on a macro level. According to Kozal (1999) “The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development describes it as “the most distressed small city in America” (Pp. 343-35). By far, this illustrates social problems are not necessarily self-inflicted”. Certainly this tragedy is a c...
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... it or amount to anything. He now travels from state to state as a Medical Assistant preparing to further his education. We never really knew how deprived they were until visiting another school to participate in a wrestling tournament where the white ratio was indeed higher. We were amazed with the facility and all it had to offer. It was apparent money was invested abundantly as they were still adding on to its structure. My children had to return to an old decrepit school whose football field was just a field with wooden benches, and tattered books for learning materials. The school was a reflection of its population status whose only hope was selling candy bars with no investors in sight.
Reference
Kozol, J. (1999). “Savage Inequalities.” In J. Henslin (Ed.) Down to Earth Sociology Introductory Readings. (10th ed., Pp. 343-351). New York: Free Press.
Hurst, Charles, E. 2013. Social Inequalities: Forms, Causes, and Consequences (8th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Jonathan Kozol revealed the early period’s situation of education in American schools in his article Savage Inequalities. It seems like during that period, the inequality existed everywhere and no one had the ability to change it; however, Kozol tried his best to turn around this situation and keep track of all he saw. In the article, he used rhetorical strategies effectively to describe what he saw in that situation, such as pathos, logos and ethos.
The Economist. “Inequality and the American Dream”. They Say I Say. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print.
Wainryb, C., Smetana, J.G., & Turiel. E. (2008). Social development, social inequalities, and social justice. New York, NY: CRC Press.
In conclusion, Kozal presented his article to make people aware of the social injustices in this country, resulting in inferior school environments, and poor educational structures, compared to wealthier/non-minority communities. Though it may seem to be unspoken, it's yet so clear that it's "Still Separate, Still Unequal.”
Manza, Jeff and Michael Sauder. 2009. Inequality and Society: Social Science Perspectives on Social Stratification. New York: Norton.
Wealth inequality did not always exist in human life. In fact, “Human life have not only been changed, but revolutionized, within the past hundred years” (Carnegie 1). There used to be
Since the first Africans arrived in what is now present day America in the 1500s, there has been reaffirming data supporting the importance of community to people of African descent. Despite large efforts to destroy this aspect of the African experience, many African Americans have maintained their kinships especially when the foundation is birthed from ethnic parallels. As a result of this affirmation, Dr. Mary Pattillo’s assertion on the present day black middle class and their commitment to restoring their community of North Kenwood- Oakland in her book, Black on the Block is no surprise. However, what is shocking is that the same declaration cannot be said for the African American middle class during what Dr. Pattillo deemed the ‘Black
...ll. The inner city has many complications the fact that most are African American is a mere coincidence. If we as a nation are capable of fixing all institutions and structural issues we could bring the slums out of poverty. The cycle of unemployment and poverty is a terrible cycle that cannot only be judged by race and cultural values. When reading this book keep in mind the difficulties, any family or person could go through these tribulations. There are many arguments and sides to each problem; this is another one of those. The battle for inner city poverty, and the factors that go along with it, has not been finished. Wilson brings out a different aspect which could help people expand horizons and come up with better solutions.
Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools. New York, New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1992.
Jonathan Kozol. Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools. New York, Harper Collins, 1991. 262 pp.
Austin, Michael. “Wealth, Poverty and Social Class” Reading the World 2nd Ed 5.7 (2010): 352-356. Print
Returning to his old high school after having had graduate ten years ago, Shamus Rahman Khan came in with one goal: to study the inequality of a school that claims to be more “diverse.” St. Paul’s School located in Concord, New Hampshire claims to have become more diverse over the years, accepting people of different racial backgrounds and social classes to their prestigious boarding school. However, as described in his book, Khan found that this claim made by the school is false. He also found out that the elite that used to attend his school is not the same as the elite attending it now. Nonetheless, it was the elite that were succeeding because they were the ones who could afford the school, had family linages that already attended the school, and mastered “ease” which made them privileged in society. Separating his book into five different chapters, each focusing on a different topic that helps support his claim, Khan describes this change in elite and the inequality that still accompanies St. Paul’s. In the introduction to Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul’s School, Khan states the three most important points he will refer to during the rest of the book: hierarchies are natural and can be used to one’s advantage, experiences matter more than inherited qualities, and the elite signal their status through ease and openness. These are discussed thoroughly in throughout Privilege.
The means of justifying these inequalities are important for the entire world. Education played and will always play a big role in everyone’s lives. Equality in education will eventually guarantee every person a better position in society. Educational inequality is the difference in learning effectiveness and results as faced by students with varying backgrounds. The effects of educational inequality are not only left within the circles of education, but also remain further to have an impact on other life aspects. All over the world, there have been unending calls to reform education at each level. With various causes that are very much connected to society, history and culture, the educational inequality has apparently been one of the most difficult challenges to address. Regardless of the challenges faced in removing educational inequality, education has continued to be a very important part of society with a big expectation of moving it forward. In the current-day America, very many disadvantaged children have continued to grow up missing key skills. Discrimination has continued to persevere in educational achievement between racial issues. Above all, low performance levels among these disadvantaged children have over the years been responsible for the long-term issues, especially in such an society with higher levels of skills and a failing incomes offered to those people that are less-skilled.
Kerbo, H. R. (2012). Social stratification and inequality: class conflict in historical, comparative, and global perspective (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.