Historically, working class groups have been excluded from participating in higher education. For the last couple of decades, there have been noticeable changes towards a more inclusive system of higher education, but statistics show that the participation of working - class in higher education remains persistently low. Can higher education be seen as unattractive for the working class, or are the fees charged by institutions used as a tool to exclude students from working-class backgrounds? This essay examines issues related to access to higher education by students from different social classes, the costs involved and the value of education to people coming from various backgrounds. Higher education has always been, by definition, not open to all and non-compulsory. As Archer (2003) points out, the fact has led to higher education having a particular potential of reinforcing inequalities and the university system long playing a key role in the reproduction of social-class inequalities. In the boundaries of educational research, issues of class have been mostly addressed to the compulsory schooling context, leaving non-compulsory higher education aboard. There has always been a common trend that working-class children tend to achieve much lower rates of attainment and are less likely to continue on to post - compulsory education. As noted by Archer (2003), Bates and Riseborough (1993) have framed out how young people from different social classes do not attend the same
Through this recent recession the gap for financial aid has become increasingly large due to the fact that colleges are basing some of their applications by their financial situation. This in turn creates widening on lower to middle class families who cannot send their children to school because the cost are too great to bear with large amounts of financial aid. The wealthy students are not only being accepted to these pricy private universities but are being given grant and aid so that they can make it through. The poorer students are not even given the chance to attend those school not because of their brain but because of their lack of funding. In today’s society were the upper class has become very distant to the middle and
Andrew Simmons published his article for The Atlantic, “The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility” on January 16, 2014, which raises his concerns that higher education is only being promoted as an opportunity to increase their economic status, when it should be an opportunity to experience an education (Simmons). Through the use of students such as Isabella, Simmons disagrees with the way students now look at higher education and blames the educators through the students’ lives for this view. Instead, Simmons views education as an intellectual opportunity rather than a way to elevate ones economic class which is all people see when they see “higher education.” He believes that education, ambition and work ethic is how you have a satisfying life, not with how much you make. He makes the point that when economics becomes the main goal of education it’s all children begin to think about and they might not pursue something that they are truly passionate about or what they want to learn about, which then does not create an intellectually awakening experience (Simmons).
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.
Lubrano explains how middle-class children understand the importance of receiving higher education, while working-class children fail to see the purpose of preparing for a higher level in the short term. According to Lubrano, “Middle-class kids are groomed for another life” (534). Author Patrick Finn states, “Working-class kids see no such connection, understand no future life for which digesting Shakespeare might be of value” (534). In answering this question, Lubrano must look at the various circumstances that account for the poor performances among working-class individuals, the supportive relationships middle-class students have with their parents and teachers, and how children of working-class parents struggle when preparing for later life. In the address, Alfred Lubrano must address the difference in treatment between working-class and middle-class children attending
The idea of a universal education system is criticized by many, because the idea of giving everyone a chance to prosper, has a detrimental effect on government resources; and the value placed on a post- secondary education, is somewhat diluted. This is wrong though, as people be judged on their academic skills, character and drive above their economic restrictions. The finances which a young person is born into, should not determine the life and career which they have. It has been shown that a college education increases a person’s earning power, but this education is contingent on money, which dictates your chance of achieving a recognized education. This is against the ‘education gospel’ which supports the idea that schooling should be for everyone, and that the more people who are educated, the less prejudices there will be in society. Education is universal, but post-secondary education, and one which leads people to positions of power and influence, is not. It is for the select few, of whom have the finances and opportunities to prosper that other, more underprivileged people do not, and that needs to change.
Recently there has been a lot of debate about the importance of college education. Students are asking if it’s worth the debt to attend a four year university or community college. Some are thinking what are the benefits of a degree is in the workforce. With college tuition increasing and state fundings lowering, low income students are struggling to attain a higher education. College institutions should have a role to provide students higher education and equal opportunity to students to increase social mobility yet intergenerational reproduction of privilege has produced inequality in education.
According to Bynner and Joshi (1999) class differences have persisted since the late 1950’s. It can be seen that all studies carried out by various theorist came to the same conclusion that middle class pupils tend to do a lot better than working class in terms of educational achievement. Pupils from middle class backgrounds tend to pass more exams, stay on at school for longer and are five times more likely to go to university. This gap in achievement widens with age as right from nursery school to university, processes like labelling or the self fulfilling prophecy take
America’s education system is one of the most respectable, reputable and sought after commodities in our society, but it is also the most overcrowded, discriminatory, and controversial system ever established. Most people yearn for a higher education because it 's what 's expected in this society in order to get ahead. It means a better job, more money, power, prestige and a sense of entitlement. But this system has let down the children that are supposed to benefit from it. Education discriminates against minorities, and poorer class students are not expected nor encouraged to attain a higher education. The education system is set up to ensure that every child get a basic
In the article, “Low-Income Students Seeking the Education They Need to Move Up,” Emily Yount writes about the way that poverty affects people entering higher education. In her story, a girl named Chelsea is a single mom trying to get her education, and the path is difficult for her. In this paper, I will discuss both my mother and Chelsea and show the ways that it is mainly the single moms that struggle the most in this society. Regardless if you’re rich or poor, your economic status always is important. A student’s economic status has a great impact and can affect her depending on the decisions she makes.
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.
Brown (1997) argues that middle class families impose values onto their children regarding education from a young age; they place high importance on educational qualifications as they are aware that the job market is becoming increasingly competitive (cited Ball and Vincent, 2001). This suggests that middle-class pupils value school and try to get as much as they can out of it, thus have higher levels of attainment than working-class pupils.
Nearly thirteen years into the new millennium and so many of the gaps most noticeable within the education system in the twentieth century have been closed. Attainment and participation in both primary and secondary education is now almost equally open to boys and girls from around the world, and tertiary education is even seeing a bias in women’s attendance over men. However, despite these positive changes, social class, gender and ethnicity still have a major impact on education and intersect with not only attendance, but with personal achievement too.
The aim of the whole paper was to find out if students from a working class background felt as if they were “fitting in” or if they felt as if they were “standing out” when it came to attending higher education studies (Reay, D., Crozier, G. and Clayton, J. (2010). They study was carried across four institutions of higher learning comprising of Southern elite university, Civic in the Midlands, s post-1922 in the North and a college of further education in the East of England. The selection for these universities was to get a cross –section of experiences by working class students (Reay, D., Crozier, G. and Clayton, J. (2010),
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
One of the reasons that could explain the current higher education participation numbers by people from low socio-economic background is aspiration. It has to be considered as one of the principal issues in student’s decision making process. According to the English dictionary, to aspire, it means to have a strong desire to achieve something. Consequently, to attend university, an individual needs to aspire to do so. Bowden and Doughney (2010), in their study of secondary students in the western suburbs of Melbourne, have found that those with lower socio-economic status have fewer aspirations to attend university. Instead, they aspire to attend a vocational training institution or gain employment. Difference in aspirations among different demographics is mainly influenced by individual’s social systems, such as class, ethnicity, gender, customs and religion (Bowden & Doughney, 2010, p. 119). Furthermore, in his research for the Department of Education, Science and Training, James has found that there is a strong relationship between parental education levels and young people’s educational aspirations (DEST, 2002, p. 51). Bowden and Doughney’s study results are consistent with James’ findings, as well as Bourdieu’s concept of ‘cultural capital’, which Harker et al. (cited in Webb et al. 2002, p. 22) defined as ‘culturally valued taste and consumption pattern’. Therefore, it can be said that those who come from low socio-economic background are at a