Social Theory is multifaceted. It boasts ideals that expound upon society on a grand scale, and theories that dissect the minute actions of individuals that comprise their daily lives. These ranges of theoretical ideals prove beneficial when trying to unravel the complexities of society. Using theory as a framework or a guide, many societal plagues can be examined from the different perspectives that social theory has to offer. This multidimensional approach can be used in the achievement gap debate. The achievement gap is an enduring problem for society that has been a part of public education since it’s creaton. By using conflict theory and symbolic interactionalism, the achievement gap debate will be subject to macro and micro level interpretation. THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND CONFLICT THEORY According to George Ritzer (2008), conflict theorists see a societal system based on conflict and coercion by those in power. Ritzer’s perception of conflict theory is congruent with the achievement gap debate. The data revealed an economic and academic disparity between two or more groups of people. A disparity that spoke to the power-relations found in public education. Lewis Coser stated, “in every type of social structure there are occasions for conflict, since individuals and subgroups are likely to make from time to time rival claims to scarce resources, prestige or power positions” (Kivisto 2011: 216-217). In the research done by William Glenn (2006), successful segregation litigaton was posivetly connected to the achievemnt gap. In these schools, parents and school leaders sought make claims to the resources provided to some students but not all. Vivian Ikpa (2003) did a similar study of the effects of resegregation on ... ... middle of paper ... ...tine may differ from impoverished ethnic minorities. Class similarities may create an understanding that is not easily deciphered by students of a lower socioeconomic background. Amy Orr (2003:298) states, “limitations can serve to disenfranchise an entire segment of the population, making it difficult for them for them to participate fully in such areas as politics and the economy.” Conflict theory and Symbolic Interactionalism provide a useful guide to understanding the complexities of the achievement gap. The simultaneous inspection at the macro and micro level may provide interesting perceptions of the project at hand. The debate is ongoing, and research continues to unearth simalarities found in the data. As the debate continues, it is important to remember that the achievement gap has been an enduring problem for decades and will not be solved overnight.
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.
The Achievement Gap in America has separated and divided America's youth into more or less, two different cultures of socioeconomic placement. The first being the predominantly Caucasian students at American elementary schools, high schools, and colleges that excel greatly in their education. Most of the time earning them middle to upper class jobs in the economy, the aforementioned group contrasts significantly with its opposite culture of American youth. The second culture, the population that is mostly made up of the minority races, takes it's place in the American education system as the population of students who are less interested in getting a decent education and taking advantage of the resources that are offered, for various underlying reasons. This in turn manufactures less people of this type of culture to be readily available for higher paying jobs, and often times unemployable for a job at all. The Achievement Gap in America is influenced by many cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that separate lower and higher achieving students based on these factors, and leave a high amount of unemployed Americans as a result, if not incarcerated or deceased.
The article I chose to research is entitled Cultural Code-Switching: Straddling the Achievement Gap by Jennifer Morton. It was published in September 2014 and placed in the journal of political philosophy, with regards to education as well. The goal of the article was to point out the inequality that comes with the educational achievement gap and how to begin to fix the issue that has arisen.
The essay “Still Separate, Still Unequal”, by Jonathan Kozol, discusses the reality of inner-city public school systems, and the isolation and segregation of inequality that students are subjected to; as a result, to receive an education. Throughout the essay, Kozol proves evidence of the inequality that African American and Hispanic children face in the current school systems.
The achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the performance groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability and socio-economic status. The achievement gap can be observed through a variety of measures including standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, college enrollment and completion rates. The Black-White achievement gap is a critical issue in modern society’s education system. Although data surrounding the issue clearly indicates that the racial performance gap exists in areas of standardized tests, graduation rates, dropout rates, and enrollment in continuing education, the causative reasons for the gap are ambiguous—therefore presenting a significant challenge in regard to the most effective way to close the gap. The gap appears before children enter kindergarten and it persists into adulthood (Jencks 1998). Since 1970, the gap has decreased about 40 percent, but has steadily grown since. Theories suggest the Black-White achievement gap is created by a multitude of social, cultural, and economic factors as well as educational opportunities and/or learning experiences. Factors such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, disparities between blacks and whites in income or family structure, and genetic and cultural differences between blacks and whites have all been evaluated as explanations for the Black-White achievement gap (Farkas 2004). The research that follows will elaborate on these factors as they affect the decline in academic performance of black males—particularly the literacy achievement of black males.
As education plays a key role in the opportunities one is afforded in life it is clear that minorities and other poor people whom live in school districts that receive less funding are at a disadvantage. Having less access to opportunity and quality education means that these already oppressed and impoverished people will not be ready to enter advantaged careers but instead will be routed into lower paying jobs and ultimately lower socioeconomic status and capitol. As of result of these factors these very same people are more likely to be criminalized and have involvement with the judicial
By definition, conflict theory basically sees the society as a pitch in which inequality thrives in order to generate conflict and change. For instance, this theory emphasizes on the purpose of coercion in generating a social order that’s often ch...
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.
Jonathan Kozol, an award winning writer, wrote the essay “Still separate, Still Equal” that focuses on primary and secondary school children from minority families that are living in poverty. There is a misconception in this modern age that historical events in the past have now almost abolished discrimination and segregation for the most part; however, “schools that were already deeply segregated
Gamoran, Adam. "American Schooling and Educational Inequality: A Forecast for the 21st Century." American Sociological Assocation. JSTOR, 2001. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
America’s school system and student population remains segregated, by race and class. The inequalities that exist in schools today result from more than just poorly managed schools; they reflect the racial and socioeconomic inequities of society as a whole. Most of the problems with schools boil down to either racism in and outside the school system or financial disparity between wealthy and poor school districts. Because schools receive funding through local property taxes, low-income communities start at an economic disadvantage. Less funding means fewer resources, lower quality instruction and curricula, and little to no community involvement.
Once a school system drops their efforts to integrate schools, the schools in low-income neighborhood are left to suffer; not to mention that segregation in schools leads, not only to the neglect of schools, but the neglect of students as well. Resegregation quite literally divides the public schools into two groups “the good schools”, that are well funded, and “the bad schools”, that receive a fraction of the benefits-- more often than not the groups are alternatively labeled as “the white schools” and “the black schools” (and/or hispanic). Opportunities for the neglected students diminish significantly without certain career specific qualifications that quality education can provide-- they can’t rise above the forces that are keeping them in their situation.
In society, education can be seen as a foundation for success. Education prepares people for their careers and allows them to contribute to society efficiently. However, there is an achievement gap in education, especially between Hispanics and Blacks. In other words, there is education inequality between these minorities and white students. This achievement gap is a social problem in the education system since this is affecting many schools in the United States. As a response to this social problem, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed to assist in closing this achievement gap by holding schools more accountable for the students’ progress. Unsuccessful, the No Child Left Behind Act was ineffective as a social response since schools were pushed to produce high test scores in order to show a student’s academic progress which in turn, pressured teachers and students even more to do well on these tests.
Palardy, G., and R. Rumberger. Does Desegregation Matter?: The of Social Composition on Academic Achievement in Southern High Schools. N.p.: University of North Carolina, 2005. Print.
The No Child Left Behind Act has stacked the deck against schools with special needs. At this point in time with the 2004 elections right around the corner, it seems that this Act is taking a lot of criticism for it’s rigid approach to the educational progress of our children today. No Child Left Behind has some wonderful goals and aspirations: to “close the student achievement gap, make public schools accountable, set standards of excellence for every child, and put a qualified teacher in every classroom”. (http://www.NCLB.gov) In this paper I will be discussing how this new law closes “the student achievement gap” and setting “standards of excellence for every child” using some of the psychological principles that we have covered in this course. Also I will be addressing some of the flaws that this law has by not addressing some of the theories of psychological developments discussed in our text.