I love education I have to change the world and education system

Sarah Elgohary                                                                Christine Otto

Sociology of inequality                     4/22/14

People tend to look at the levels and structures of society at face value. But in order understand  why society is the way it is, then people have to be like sociologists and peel away the layers individually to see where the problems really lie and the solutions to fit social problems.  American sociologist C. Wright Mills came up with the term “sociological imagination.”( Kaiser pg 90 Mills was trying to say that in order for people to understand the world they need to peel away the layers of society, which means that people need to analyze a specific aspect of society in terms of all the different factors that are causing it.  Therefore, this is one reason there is so much inequality in the education system. Most people do not have the sociological imagination, which is why they only look at the inequality in the education system through one aspect. They do not look at all of the different elements that cause education inequality in society. The many reasons for social inequality in the education system are not just differences in school funding but also race, sexism gender, one’s culture, social status, and religion. 

One way people understand the depth of finances as a reason for educational inequality to examine the article “The Savage Inequalities: Children in US Schools”    The statistics of the different populations of poor children in schools, the overcrowded classes and the students in the comparison between rich and poor schools really surprised me.  Schools funds are distributed unfairly and unequally to poorer populations such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. This is in opposition with schools in wealthier neighborhoods who have more access to funds and resources. This discrepancy between poor and wealthy communities is because of racism and sexism in society. The study showed examples of how unequal the education system is. For example, students in the Bronx only have access to old textbooks and worn facilities. In opposition, wealthier communities have newer resources and facilities. This is due to unequal distribution of funds in schools that base the funding on economic status.  Even though, I know that school funding is greatly influenced by the economic status of certain areas where people live in society, I agree with Jonathan Cool’s argument that “schools stack the deck against poor children (as cited by Kozol, 1956, p. 6 )”. Unlike Jonathan Cool however, money is the only reason for lack of school funding and educational inequality in many public schools. Those who live in underprivileged neighborhoods do not get the same funding as privileged neighborhoods not only for financial aspects, but also because they do not have power of influence. 

      There are many factors that have led to lack of school funding and educational inequality such as race, sexism, one’s culture, social status religion and many other factors.   That is why I believe Jonathan Cool’s argument on the problems, education inequality of inner-city schools is incomplete. Improving student performance requires not merely spending more tax money but also getting parents to take more interest in their children’s educational progress. Kozol, who concedes that equalization might alienate affluent parents, shows that spending more tax money might help poor schoolchildren; he offers no airtight case either for funding equalization as a solution or against such remedies as choice plans or magnet schools. Yet by letting readers hear the voices of studious, articulate inner-city teenagers, he combats stereotypes; by challenging comfortable assumptions, he contributes to public debate I Agree with Jonathan kozol that it is the job of our schools, we like to believe is to give children a chance to develop their abilities and complete with others for our in society .but has the game been “fixed “right from the start? In my opinion the” savage inequality of economic status social status, racism sexism and culture division of class differences are obviously not equal. Kozo1’s analysis proves once again that our social stratification system is based on capitalism is a closed system .We are not a open system in which people are not socially mobile because of social inequality and class differences. I think we should be an open system in society.

 Another aspect of educational inequality is than the gap between rich and poor nations. In savage inequalities, Kozol, having visited many inner-city schools, he finds black and Hispanic schoolchildren to be isolated from white schoolchildren and shortchanged educationally. I think that is unfair It makes sad but. I never realized before I read this article that the gap between rich and poor school districts educational inequality is just as or maybe even bigger than the gap between rich and poor nations In global poverty In my opinion that is very sad to-me the gap between rich and poor  Only by closing the gap between rich and poor school districts in the amount of tax money spent on education, Kozol contends, can we give poor minority children an equal chance. To show just how high are the barriers to learning arising from inadequate school funding, Kozol paints a bleak picture of severe overcrowding; dilapidated school buildings; a shortage of supplies and aids to learning; and teacher salaries too low to let a school either attract good teachers or do without substitute teachers. He repeatedly contrasts inner-city austerity with the bounty of suburban schools.

David Leichardt  talks about how poorer students who have the top test scores are not  Even applying to higher schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale because they do not have the money or resources to get Into these top schools.  This is because most of these Poor college students are ascribed into either the lower working class or middle-class social status As a result; this is another   reason why people have class inequality. Our class system stratification allows for very limited social mobility so it is very hard for poor working class citizens to become upper-class citizens.   In fact it would take a working class citizen nine generations to become an upper class citizen.   There are two types of social mobility in society intergenerational and intra generational mobility.  Intergenerational social mobility is the ability of a specific individual to move up or down the ladder within his or her lifetime. You come from humble origins, but intelligence and hard work, climb up the social ladder. On the other hand, Intergenerational social mobility, the changes of social class of different generations of family members. If, for example, your parents were squarely working class and you, for whatever reason, occupied a position in the middle class, you could serve as an example of Intergenerational social mobility e of intergenerational mobility. David Leichardt talks about how poorer students have less Intergenerational social mobility the intergenerational mobility. 

The last reason for educational Inequality in society is ascription and achievement in society the difference between an achievement culture and an ascription (born into culture is not difficult to understand.   Achievement( is earned or learned status or behavior which in society means that people are judged on what they have accomplished and on their ability Ascription means that status is attributed to you by things like birth, relationship gender, age, interpersonal connections, or educational record.  The former kind of status is called achieved status and the latter ascribed status. Achieved status refers to doing; ascribed status refers to being. Achievement-leaning societies or organizations justify their hierarchies by claiming that senior people have "achieved more." In ascription-oriented cultures, however, hierarchies are justified by "power-to-get-things-done."  People like college students in the article can get an Achieved status of education by going to college to get a degree but people cannot change their ascribed status unless people marry rich individuals. The United States of America is becoming more of an ascribed oriented culture than an achievement culture because our social hierarchies are justified by “The people who have the power-and influence in society to-get-things-done these individuals are the upper class citizens.   This is why there is so much inequality in school systems the poor students never get to show off their skills in the world if the government only favors the rich upper-class citizens in society.