Educational Imbalance
Social class is defined as a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige (Ferris and Stein). The key word in this definition is "access" because in order for different member of society to have the resources mentioned, those members need to have "access" to proper-higher education. Higher education is one of the reasons why, nowadays, the gap between the different social classes in America (the upper-class, middle class, lower-class) is spreading more and more apart. One of the reasons why social class is studied is because sociologist have found that humans need some sort of structural system in order to function properly. This social class stratification itself is discriminatory and corrupt considering that it promotes inequality when it comes social mobility. This system of stratification was design to make sure the wealthy gets the best part and the poor get the worst part. In other words, this system is meant for the poor to stay poor and the rich to remain rich. This may be an unfair assumption to make but the truth is that there is a noticeable lack of opportunity and social mobility in this society. People can see this social inequality in housing, and health care but mainly in education. Different member of society have different chances or no chances at all of getting a higher education depending on their socioeconomic status. Furthermore, people's socioeconomic status is what ultimately determines their chances of having higher education in this society.
Moreover, lower class society are less likely to go to college because of their position in society. They also have a different perspective and experience of education. For example, "going...
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...come a well-rounded and balanced society we should start by changing our education system because that is what is causing inequality.
Works Cited
Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 3rd. ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print.
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Silva, Jennifer M. "The Chronicle Review." The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
Strong, Alissa B. "Educating for Power: How Higher Education Contributes to the Stratification of Social Class." University of Vermont, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
"Working Class Students Go to University 'In Hope Rather Than Expectation'" The Huffington Post UK. The Huffington Post, 03 July 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
Authors Michelle Tokarczyk, Peter Sacks, Robert Haverman and Timothy Smeeding all write about certain problems that working class students are facing in education in the U.S. , especially in college education which is usually defined as higher education. Although they focus on different aspects of the problem, they still have some ideas in common. In their articles, all of them discuss how economic and social class occupies a very significant role in the quality of education an American student receives. In order to support their claims, all of them employ studies as their strong evidence. They also imply that college education fails to consider the special issues and conditions that working class students have. In addition, higher education fails to help those students to improve their circumstances and social mobility. Even though all of the problems that working class students face are important, some of them are extremely significant factors to their struggles to obtain a college education, such as the economic and social class of the working class student. The main problems that working class students face in America also occur in the education system in China.
Allen supports her claims about hierarchies and power dynamics in her chapter “Social Class Matters.” She dives into the structures of society by examining power and social class in various contexts. In this chapter, she explains that people are categorized according to themes of class difference and struggle. Social class is associated with the relationship between power and the distribution of resources. Because this stratification system of social class is one of the biggest predictors of school achievement, social identity plays a large role in the social reproduction of inequality in the education system.
I feel the author is attempting to convey that class means everything when it comes to education. Mantsios lists several references and charts that show what the odds would be if you were low, middle, or high class to attend a university and what level of education you might obtain.
Social class should not be used to define a person. Every person has the ability to overcome the roadblocks that society has placed in their path, so long as they have the determination and motivation. In Gerald Graff’s article, “Hidden Intellectualism” , he explains how social class is irrelevant when it comes to education, despite what society will lead you to believe. He displays how everyone is intelligent in his or her own way.Lynda Barry during her article, “ The Sanctuary of School” spoke about the importance of education to her and many other students like her.Another writer, Mike Rose shows how despite the thoughts that society puts in our heads we can still be successful in his article “Blue Collar Brilliance”.Regardless of social
One way to look at class is with the model developed by Janny Scott and David Leonhardt in their article, “Shadowy Lines That Still Divide,” in The New York Times. They state that “[o]ne way to think of a person’s position in society is to imagine a hand of cards. Everyone is dealt four cards, one from each suit: education, incom...
Classism is seen at both institutional and individual levels and in many forms. Institutionally, it may surface in the manner financial aid is handled versus traditional tuition on a university’s campus. Individually, on that same campus, it may be displayed in the manner students from different backgrounds are received by a Greek organization. Classism can be insidious as stereotypes and myths, contempt and dislike, or contact avoidance, or as menacing as discriminatory practices in housing, employment, and schooling. One of the strongest stereotypes associated with low-income persons are those which equate members of this group with laziness, uncleanness, immoral behavior, deviance and limited intelligence (Spencer Ontario (LCO), 2009; Woods, Kurtz-Costes, & Rowley, 2004)
Social class often puts us in a group or community of people who share similar experiences such as, having a low income. People that come from upper class households, may have an advantage at
Social class is a subjective concept in social sciences and political theory where individuals are grouped into different classes. This set a hierarchy inside the society structure where the upper and lower class exist and contribute to the society. Understanding social classes and their effects on the people, as well as cultures and social behavior and lead sociologist closer to the development of an ideal society.
Some people may believe that education all over the United States is equal. These people also believe that all students no matter their location, socioeconomic status, and race have the same access and quality of education, but ultimately they are wrong. Throughout history, there has been a huge educational disparity between the wealthy and marginalized communities. The academic essay “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon, an American critical thinker and researcher in education, conveys that depending on the different economic backgrounds students have, they will be taught in a specific way. He reveals that the lower economic background a child has then the lower quality their education will be and the higher their economic background is the higher quality their education is. Anyon’s theory of a social ladder is extremely useful because it sheds light on the
In American in order to move up in your social class you have to a degree. For an example today a person with a high school diploma are only qualified for a certain type of job like Mc. Donald’s, which you are only going to get ...
Parker, Kim. "Yes, the Rich Are Different." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. N.p., 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. .
Social stratification is a system that societies use to rank members into organized and functioning groups. The way that the United States stratifies its members is by a class system. Upper, middle, and lower class are determined by the amount of money individuals have available to them for spending. Social class in America is a huge determinant of an individual’s quality of life. Education and training, or better yet the access to these, are what governs the amount of opportunity an individual has to make money and move up in social class. Often, social class can predetermine one’s fate before he or she has the chance to. Ambition means little when “class-based discrimination
While social class may have some effect on how one may view schooling and formal education, it would not be fair to say that growing up or being in a lower class living situation depreciates the value that one has for school. In many instances, it is assumed that because a person comes from a lower-class background that not only are their values for school lower, than those of higher class, but their education levels and ability to handle and process situations are placed on a lower level as well. While these are indeed horrific stereotypes and generalizations, the idea is perpetuated throughout, primarily, Western culture. It is just simply illogical to believe that one 's education will be taken for granted due to their socio-economic class
Education has been provided for all students in the United States. As we see educational opportunity in the United States has been determined by one 's socioeconomic status. Although all students have the opportunity to receive an education, it is not equally given to students because of their socioeconomic status. Students in the lower class are given less educational opportunity then the higher class. The higher class goes above and beyond to encourage students to pursue an education. While students in the lower class are not as encouraged as the higher class education.
The Relationship Between Social Class and Educational Achievement Many sociologists have tried to explore the link between social class and educational achievement, measuring the effects of one element upon the other. In order to maintain a definite correlation between the two, there are a number of views, explanations, social statistics and perspectives which must be taken into account. The initial idea would be to define the key terms which are associated with how "social class" affects "educational achievement." "Social class" is the identity of people, according to the work they do and the community in which they live in. "Educational achievement" is the tendency for some groups to do better or worse in terms of educational success.