Education is the foundation of civilization

Sarah Elgohary

Professor Chris NIedt

Assignment 2 of education inequalities research paper rough draft 

Education is the most fundamental element in a modern and civilized society in my opinion. There are many social inequalities in education systems of the United States and other countries around the world.  Race has an effect on many factors that have led to inequality in the education system such as, educational achievement, educational attainment, cultural values, social status; the lack of school funding, and, sexism. People do not look at all of the different elements that cause educational inequality in society.  Therefore, most people do not have the sociological imagination .This why they only look at the inequality in the education system through one aspect: the lack of   school funding. Thesis statement: C. Wright Mills developed the principle of “sociological imagination,” which states that in order to explain any single problem in society, people have to look at the problem from all aspects. This is why when sociologists want to study educational inequalities they have to analyze these problems through the effects of race, on the lack of funding, social status, educational achievement, educational attainment, class mobility, ascription,   All of these factors help sociologists explain and understand why there are many differences between the educational opportunities, and the limited amount of access to the resources that students in poor high schools and colleges have.

One way that people can understand the differences in school funding as a reason for educational inequality is to examine how the differences in school funding are based on how wealthy or poor the neighborhoods or schools districts are.  The book The Savage Inequalities: Children in US Schools” by Johnson Cool, shows people the statistics of the different populations of both rich and poor children in schools. As a result; he shows us examples of how unequal the education system is. For example, students in the Bronx  only have access to old textbooks and worn facilities, with overcrowded classes, dirty bathrooms, and limited access to resources such as tutors and guidance counselors” (Kozol  pg. 25).In opposition, wealthier communities have newer resources and facilities.. This is due to the fact that there is an unequal distribution of funds in schools because school funding is based on the economic status of the school’s neighborhoods; this discrepancy between poor and wealthy communities is because of racism and school funding being based on economic need in society. In addition, Kozol talks about how school’s funds are distributed unfairly and unequally to poorer populations, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. (Kozol p 25). Kozol, J. (1991). Chapter 4.  Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools (pp. 35-150). New York: Crown Pub.

 I know that school funding is greatly influenced by the economic status of certain areas and 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, I believe that money is not 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. (Kozol, p 9). Kozol, J. (1991). Chapter 4.  Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools (pp. 35-150). New York: Crown Pub.

Another   reason for educational inequality is the concept of   tracking. “Tracking” is a term in the educational language that determines where students will be placed during their secondary school years (Burris, 2008, p 45)” In some schools, tracking begins with kindergarten, screening. IQ and early achievement tests designed to measure so-called "ability" determine track placement in the elementary years, thus setting in place an educational trajectory for 12 years of schooling. In other schools, tracking is a meritocracy that relies on teacher recommendations, grades, and student motivation to determine placement. In others schools, students and their parents are allowed to choose a track, with certain conditions attached to the placement. “(Burris, 2008, pg. 45)” “A common example is allowing students to take an honors class provided that they maintain an average of 90 or above. Standards for track placement are uniform in some schools; in others, each department determines the number of tracks and track placement.” (Burris, 2008, pg. 45) This suggests that Tracking is based on people‘s race because teachers unconsciously sorts students into different groups depending on race.  As a result,  each ethic  group  is sorted with each other so for example  white students  are grouped together,  African-Americans are grouped with each other and Hispanic student are grouped separately from the other  students  from the classes and finally Asians Students are  grouped together based the race .  The sorting that occurs in the educational system parallels the hierarchical social and economic structures in society. These groups or tracks are vocational, general, and academic. Students are sorted into groups that will determine educational and vocational outcomes for the future. Grob, 2003, p. 202). “2003, p. 202).Thus, students are viewed and treated differently according to their individual track. Each track has a designed curriculum that is meant to fit the unique educational and social needs of each sorted group. Consequently, the information taught as well as the expectations of the teachers differs based on the track resulting in the creation of dissimilar classroom cultures”

When students are placed in poor schools are placed in low track because you only have access to limited resources poor student stay in track will have poor opportunities will not get into good universities. Too many of America’s most disadvantaged children grow up without the skills needed to thrive in the twenty-first century. Whether in educational attainment between income groups or racial/ethnic groups or across geographic locations—inequality persists. Low levels of performance among the most disadvantaged recreate the same long-term problems, particularly in an economy in which higher skill levels are more and more valued and the wages available to less-skilled workers are deteriorating. This leads to more social reproduction of social inequality for most disadvantaged students in poor schools. Some researchers claim, on one hand, that educational inequality is due to social class and family background. Others argue that inadequately managed schools bear most of the responsibility for low student achievement. ). http://www.russellsage.org/research/social-inequality/social-inequality-and-educational-disadvantageA person ‘s  race  and social, class can limit his or her exposure to advanced academic knowledge   as a result this limits advanced educational opportunities for their future   The tracking issue in schools tends to perpetuate prejudices( Grob, 2003, p. 202) .This suggests that there are many misconceptions, about the  inequalities of the poor and minority people in society. This is due to the fact that schools are a very powerful influence in the type of people that students will become in society.  This is because Schools provide both an education and a setting for students To be Socialized  In order to develop into unique individuals,   First of all, human beings are  born as innocent  babies who come into the world without  knowing  anything, so they have to be  socialized  by many different  sociological  agents.,   These sociological agents  include many individuals and  social groups such as parents even  if they are  not well  rounded people,  family,  friends,  work, school and even society  itself.   A person( baby or babies )  grow slowly  and they need  all of these Individuals, people, and social groups  to help them gain a perspective  or world view, in, order to learn about  social norms,  morals,  good and bad  behaviors,  how to build good character gain knowledge,  a good education,  and a large well connected social capital networks  of  friends,  people you  know. This is   in order to achieve your dreams and goals in life to be a successful productive, member of society who knows how to a good decision that not only benefits himself or herself, but benefits all of society as well.   Schools have a unique acculturative process that helps to pattern self-perceptions and world views. (Banks, 2004)The expectations of the teachers and information taught differ based on tracks. Diverse classrooms and schools make it possible to teach students from many different cultures and group how to live together cooperatively and productively. However, racial prejudice and discrimination are challenges that arise when people from diverse groups interact. Teachers need to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to maximize the opportunities that diversity offers and to minimize its challenges. Teacher education programs should help teachers attain the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to work effectively with students from diverse groups as well as help students from mainstream groups develop cross-cultural knowledge, values, and competencies. , (Banks 2004 1

Another aspect of educational inequality is inequality of income and socioeconomic status of people in society is based on race society.  The issue Of inequality of income and socioeconomic status of people is discussed in an article Education and Inequality  Why are Poorer Students  not Getting In top Schools.” by David Leichardt. In this article, 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  and  they cannot afford  tuition   application fees  for  IV Leagues schools l 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.   “Did you that   Harvard is not the top IV League School anymore, but   Stanford University Is? ‘(. Star 2014 pg. 1), in 2014, both parents and students in The Princeton Review’s “College Hopes & Worries Survey,” said they would pick Stanford over Harvard, Princeton, and Yale if they could go to any school, regardless of cost. However, the costs of an ivy league college are quite hefty”‘(. Star 2014 pg. 1)” in 2014 Harvard’s tuition was  $57,050, just slightly below Stanford’s $58,846 tuition, Yale’s $59,320 tuition, and Columbia’s $61,540 tuition—and these are only the direct costs, not counting printing, travel, laundry and extra expenses. ‘(. Star 2014 pg. 1) 88% of parents say they will need financial aid to cover the hefty prices of a college education. ‘(. Star 2014 pg. 1) Harvard, Princeton, and Yale do offer financial aid to poorer students but Harvard offer the most financial arid of the three schools.   In fact Harvard has a policy where families earning fewer than 65,000 annually will pay absolutely toward the cost of education. Families earning between 65k and 150k will be expected to pay a sliding scale of 0 to 10 percent of their annual income. a student who was accepted  to Harvard said’” I will tell you, that coming from a family that earns slightly more than 150k a year, we will only be paying for room and board and personal expenses, as the tuition was covered by financial aid. “(Harvard College. Term Bill Rises 3.5 Percent, (2012, p. 26).  Despite  this positive case,  many poor students  do not get much financial  Aid and many  students  are eligible for financial  aid because  their families do  not make an enough  money to meet  the  financial  requirements to get  aid so they cannot  afford to pay the full tuition of IV  League  schools alone.  As a result, poorer students do not get the same educational opportunities as upper or middle class students in society.  . Harvard, College. Term Bill Rises 3.5 Percent 

Our class system stratification allows for very limited social mobility this leads educational inequality, 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 of intergenerational mobility. David Leichardt talks about how poorer students have less Intergenerational social mobility the intergenerational mobility, their individual track. (

Race allows for educational inequality in society because of ascription and achievement which are the two ways that sociologists measure educationally attainment in society (Kester 33

. For example,  if a person is born a African American who lives in a poor neighborhood  he  or she is limited to the educational opportunities ( there are not many for African Americans and  is very Limited by the barriers or being born Into the working class In society  Working class citizens  have limited social mobility. this Is the opposite  of the wealth of educational opportunities   upper class citizen get  This Is proves that race Is a social construct because It Is the main factor that determines people access to resources  such money,  power,  educational  opportunities,  employment and  social status  As A Result, 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.   

References

Banks, J. (2004). Tracking. In Selected chapters from: Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (Updated 4th ed., Vol. 12, pp. 25-60). New York, New York: Wiley Custom Services.

Burris, C., & Garrity, D. (2008). Chapter 2. What Tracking Is and How to Start Dismantling It. In Detracting for excellence and equity. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Epstein, K. (1993). "Insights on Diversity: Toward a representative teaching force". Kappa Delta Pi Record 29 (4): 128. 

 Grob, M. (2003). "Educational systems and perceived social inequality". European Societies, 5 (2): 

1 Kozol, p 9). Kozol, J. (1991). Chapter 4.  Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools (pp. 35-150). New York: Crown Pub.93.

 . Harvard, College. Term Bill Rises 3.5 Percent to $54,496, 2012, March 26). Retrieved May 8, 2015, from http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/03/harvard-college-tuition-financial-aid-increase-2012

Kozol, J. (1991). Chapter 4.  Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools (pp. 35-150). New York: Crown Pub. Leichardt, D. (2015) “Why are Poorer Students not Getting In top Schools.” New York: new York Times 

Leichardt, D. (2015) “Why are Poorer Students not Getting In top Schools.” New York: new York Times  

Lisa Kester. (2012) the contemporary social inequality New York