Working-Class Education

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”.

One of the material conditions which is called “Social class” affects education. Because the people who are in lower social statuses are not able to afford a premier education, the necessary tools to complement a public education, or continuing education. In addition, people who are in a lower socioeconomic standing also have a harder time staying in school compared to the people who live in a higher social status.

The researchers wanted to explore the idea that the “American system of higher education is widely regarded as an engine of social mobility that provides equal opportunities to all deserving students, irrespective of their previous background, upbringing, or life circumstances (Stephens, Fryberg, Markus, Johnson & Covarrubias, 2012) and compare it to the reality of the rise of first-generation college students who are from interdependent working class families attending institutions who focus on norms of independence. It has

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.

Last Autumn, I received a call from Amir asking me if he could develop a tutoring program for college students. Amir, having recently graduated for the University of Houston, had spent time reflecting on his college experienced and sought to aid others who were going through similar collegiate struggles. Amir quickly formed and established the Undergraduate

Nowadays its said that a student from a low/working class have the same opportunities in obtaining a degree or even graduating from university just like a student from a higher class. Low/ working class is used to define a person who works to sustain themselves and don’t have luxurious objects. While a person from a higher class is classified as being financially stable and having a life more free of stress. However some people might argue that the opportunities don’t always favored those who need it the most and in some cases they’re restricted. During the last decade education have been advancing and innovating by creating different programs. These programs such as financial aid and students’ loans were made with the purpose of helping those with financial problems and scarcity of resources; which are a great helper in walking a student on their way through college. I personally believe that the working class have to face multiple phases in order to graduate, obtain a bachelors, master or a doctorate degree, and in becoming a more independent student, however feeling like an outsider in their learning environment should not be considered.

They also have social capital; social networks, which help them in getting accepted into better schools. Therefore working-class young people are disadvantaged for many reasons; consequently educational achievement is a lot tougher for them than middle and upper-class young people.

The United States of America is based on freedom: freedom of beliefs (religious or otherwise), practice, speech, etc. Yet, not all people in the United States feel they are completely free. These people feel they are stranded in a certain social class without means of escape. By definition of Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language, class is “a group of people considered as a unit according to economic, occupational, or social status; especially a social rank or caste; as the working class, the middle class” (334). Educational opportunity in the United States is affected by social class.

A cross sectional, correlational online survey was given to 1,169 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 58 who all completed

The literature thus firmly supports the thesis that socio-economic status is directly correlated with academic success, due to the superior financial and social capital resources available to the middle-class student. Furthermore, the interdependence between multiple factors means that the cumulative impact of risk factors may be greater than the simple sum of separate factors (Sparks, 1999:10)

“This separate educational system is important evidence for the distinctiveness of the mentality and lifestyle that exists within the upper class because schools play a large role in transmitting the class structure to their students.” (MAP 290) From mediocre grade school to overcrowded mediocre high schools, an attentive student might graduate with a 3.3 GPA and a position as writer on the school paper; little do they know that to get into a decent college while competing against those of private school educations and a great knowledge of college preparatory skills this is not nearly enough to give a student the competitive edge that he or she needs. Aside from the token rags-to-riches cases that colleges like to add to their idea of diversity, the often overlooked are those that have taken the hopeful leap from mediocre, community college dreams to driven and university status aspirations. Unbeknownst to many, this transition is risky for a working class adolescent. “To succeed in the middle-class world means facing great pressures to abandon working-class friends and ways.” (Langston 129) This means that if their efforts to up their status fail, they will often be met with resentment and animosity back in their group of peers. From personal experience, I find that when I visit back home there is a great deal of bitterness towards any sort of success that I have achieved in getting out of my blue collar neighborhood and putting on my suit and tie per

Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that the education system exists mainly to select and prepare young people for their future work roles. (20 marks)

Firstly, due to socioeconomic background of different individuals, those from the low-class background are less likely to complete their high school, and for those who do, high chances are they do not go to universities. The lower class individuals, who successfully enroll in universities, are less likely to complete, and very few get to graduate. This consequently increases the gap between the lower class individuals and the middle and upper-class individuals. The education and social mobility also relate to; where the parents of students in a high-class school always have high expectations on good

Applying to college was a compelling and demanding time for me throughout my senior year of High School. However, there was an additional amount of stress I experienced due to the limitations brought on to me from my family’s financial struggles. Throughout the college enrollment process, I was disheartened to know that I was incapable of attending certain colleges I preferred due to my lower socioeconomic background. My personal experiences with paying the expensive college tuition cost have impelled me to explore in depth the impact that a college student’s socioeconomic status may have on their college enrollment and degree attainment in the United States of America.