Upper Class And Social Class

Thus, globalization forces researchers to understand the influence of mobility, in addition to education, on social class (Banks & Banks, 2013). This articles I chose to investigate social class and its implications for educational outcomes are Social class and the hidden curriculum of work by Jean Anyon and Reappraising the importance of class in higher education entry and persistence by John Field and Natalie Morgan Klein.

Social class is a large faction of people who have similar positions in an economic system. In an exemplary world, all students would have an equal shot at success, excellent schools, and educators that dedicate themselves and their time to achieving this goal. However, social class can significantly affect a student's success, highlighting the correlation between low socioeconomic statuses and academic problems. In all social groups, class plays a significant role in the attainment of children in education. Unfortunately, this has always been the case and the effects are just more evident today. Families from high social classes are more likely to obtain a greater level of education than those in low social classes. Members of upper social classes tend to be better educated and have higher incomes; therefore, they are better able to supply educational advantages to their children as well. Being in a financially disadvantaged can also affect a child’s performance during school.  It is important, therefore, to examine the way in which education is distributed through social class. Between societal pressures, expectations and parental negligence, children can be negatively impacted in their pursuit for future success through their education as exemplified through “College Pressures” and “The Sanctuary of School”.

Income inequality has been seen throughout different societies. It has always been separated with the poor on bottom and the rich on top. Most societies in past and present have had little to no movement between the separations of classes. The reality for the poor in most of those societies is that they can almost never get to the level and quality of life of the rich. America compared to other societies in our past and present is a society that strongly believes in the idea of “The American Dream”. The American Dream gives hope to some people below the rich that they can someday be as prosperous as the rich if they work hard enough for it and show that they are capable. This idea implies that it is possible for anyone whether the person is middle or low class. It is not possible for low-income workers in America to move to the upper class because they lack the resources for better jobs, they are racially or ethnically discriminated in the workforce and the upper class takes most of the income in the US.

Today in society the determination for a college degree lies beyond education towards future financial security. While college debt seems to be ever increasing, students from low-income families are less likely to attend college due to the financial hardship. The social class that a student’s family falls into shows correlation on whether that student will or not attend college (Peske & Haycock, 2006). However, looking at this issue from my own prospective it seems as though no matter the social class students are attending college. What more so seems to have an affect on outcomes for individuals is how there family’s social economic status effects how well a student performs in college. For a student from a low-income family nothing can seem more daunting than the overwhelming amount of debt we have to pay after college.

In this course, we have learned about different social classes and how they developed over time. In fact, the idea of social classes has been around before what we know it as to today. The concept has not changed. The “higher” classes usually have land, money, and jewels. The “lower” classes are broke, servants, and no valuable possessions. Prior to this course, I only knew of the upper class, middle class, and lower class. In today’s society, the separation between classes is not as bad as it use to be. School is an example of this. I grew up in Cobb County, Smyrna- Vinings area and I went to school with people who parents are CEOs of companies, successful entrepreneurs or even music artist. I would consider my family middle class but we did have students who were also lower class families. Some higher-class families enroll their children in private school. Private schools charges tuition whereas public schools are free of cost. The upbringing up children can determine their social status in schools. In this essay, I will discuss “cliques” and their differences in high schools.

The book Unequal Childhoods explains a study conducted to prove the significance of social class. Annette Lareau presents the study highlighting two primary ways of parenting that ultimately affect how successful the child becomes as they transition into adulthood. These styles of parenting include Concerted Cultivation which is where parents put through kids through structured activities, and Accomplishment of Natural Growth which is emphasized through freedom and directives. While both styles of parenting have their benefits and their weaknesses, the educational system of the United States is built predominantly on Concerted Cultivation and middle class values, which in turn may negatively affect how children prepare for their transitions into adulthood. This imbalance in education can put students farther ahead and at the same time neglect children who don’t have the resources they need to keep up with the other students. There are a multitude of variables involved with helping students reach their full potential and become successful. Some of the big factors to a student’s success include the student 's socioeconomic background, how they “fit” into the educational system, how strong their relationships are with other people, and their ability to access resources. Creating an education that can accommodate students from all different backgrounds will empower students to reach their full potential.

While America continues to battle racial inequality, the education gap in our country continues to spike. The most influential growth has been the importance of education over the years. A high school diploma will not allow an individual to climb the ladder of success without attaining a Bachelor’s degree or some form of proper education. Education in America is considered to be valuable and an important dimension of one’s life. Researchers state that there is a definite link between the individual’s zip code and their chances of success (Ireland, 2016). Individuals are often ranked based on the kind of degree and education one possesses. In America, researchers have stated in order to be “accepted” as a member in a status group it requires certain credentials (Ireland, 2016). Several see education as a key to maintain status and prestige, because individuals believe by attaining an education allows them to advance in society. Researchers then state that attaining a proper education benefits the class structure by

Parents' social class has a greater impact on how well their children perform at school than IQ. Social class has become the primary pathway as well as a towering obstacle to opportunity in America. Below I will discuss three articles on this topic.

Socioeconomic status is often determined as a combination of education, income and occupation. Depending on the social class an individual is in, it affects the power,privileges, and care they are receiving. When looking at lower class, it shows a greater percentage rate of problems that rise in that category. One seemingly growing issue that is seen more in the lower class than any other social class is how many individuals are affected by the HIV/AIDS virus due to unstable living conditions. Though there are many cases of people that have contracted the virus in the other following classes, there is a disproportionately higher rate in the lower class.

“ I got to figure.  We all got to figure.  There’s some way to stop this.  It’s not like lightening or earthquakes.  We’ve got a bad thing made by man, and by God that’s something we can change.” John Steinbeck. This excerpt from Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath is talking about the ‘bad things’ that we deal with in our society. Two bad things that are extremely pressing in society today are the growing gap in the social class system and gender inequality. Both social class problems and gender inequality affect the way members of our society live their daily lives but are commonly overlooked or underestimated.

Recent statistics highlight the strong relationships between parental social class and educational achievement at GCSE level, in addition to the likelihood of pupils eligible for free school meals to be less successful at GCSE level and Level 3 qualifications than those not eligible (DfE, 2011; Lupton & Thompson, 2015; DfE, 2016a). Furthermore, the link between levels of social class and participation in higher education is well documented, with those individuals from lower class backgrounds less likely to access higher education (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2015; DfE, 2016b; Bathmaker, et al., 2013). Moreover, research conducted by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (2013) found that 70% of people surveyed agreed that a good education was key to getting a good job, yet almost half thought it remained unlikely for most children from lower income families, with 65% of those surveyed regarding ‘who you know’ as more important than ‘what you know’. In short, the dominant power within an educational setting is held by those in higher social class positions.

“How do you where you fit in the class system? Is it the level of income? Is it defined by your education or the kind of job you posses?”(Mosley 174). A person’s level education could be measured by their social class. Americans are categorized using the American class system; which is broken down into three tiers and is divided into sub categories. First three tiers are lower class, middle class and high class. The sub categories are poverty, the working class, limited privileged, and the wealthy. Social class determines how Americans socialize, how we function and how we acquire or gain wealth. Those who tend to be at the bottom of the spectrum are typically minorities. History shows us that the educational system has favored race since the

We all have to start somewhere when we move to a new town, new state or even a new country. We all start from the bottom and start to work our way up as we learn to improve ourselves to move classes in the American system. In America we either belong to the lower class, middle class or upper class. We are classified either by our: jobs, education, aspirations,budgets and values. But most of us fit into the middle class, because many have started from the lower class and worked their way up to middle class, thanks to the mobility between social classes. There is mobility in the U.S. because like my father who came from Mexico to look for a better future for my mom and two children found mobility to move from lower class to middle class. My father started from the lower class and worked his way up to middle class and got his construction license and finally was a contractor assistant for a construction company in Arizona.

Decades of social research has shown that a person’s socioeconomic status has the greatest impact on their academic achievement. We all agree that proper education is one’s greatest tool to social upward mobility. My own grandmother and great grandmother went to school together at night when their store was closed because they knew that education was their greatest asset. Therefore, we must take extra care when it comes to academia and what causes academic success. It is this factor that makes one’s socioeconomic status so important. This is why we can’t say social mobility is the problem and not social inequality, for they are inextricably

It is popular to assume that an upper-class child would more easily reach self-fulfillment than a lower class child. However, I would strongly disagree with this statement. As a young girl who grew up in a strict upper class conservative family, I lacked of many liberties from a young age because of my social status and gender. For instance, I could not walk out of my house without a chaperon until I was twelve. I was often told to keep quiet. I was asked to display my culture and knowledge in galas and receptions, but was conversely reprimanded if I would dare to correct an adult. During my teenage years, I also had to tolerate my relatives who were awkwardly introducing me to ten years older wealthy men as a “lady to marry”. It is undeniable that I was facing limits from my parents due to the status I was labelled by. These were mostly depicted during my social interactions but also in my every day personal life. It was the case for my extracurricular activities. As my parents used to say, “A young girl from a good family should dance and play piano”. I was therefore not allowed to take martial arts and singing classes. Nevertheless, I one day finally found a “noble enough” activity I had an inclination for: theater. My parents thought it would be a prominent way to give eloquence in my speaking. They consequently agreed to let me attend acting classes. Theater has been truly freeing to me, not only it had a tremendous effect on my academic skills but moreover taught me a