Social prejudice in schools
Children from middle-class families generally are more successful in public schools than children from low-income families. Is the school system responsible for this problem, or is lower performance among low-income children a result of their home environment? The home environment has a big role in a child’s education and if it is not supportive of the school environment, the student will not be as successful in school as the child whose home environment is supportive of the school’s learning environment will.
The typical public school teacher is a middle-class white female. The typical curricula, tests, and learning tools used in public schools were created by middle-class educators and are
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So do teachers assume that poor and minority students are misbehaved and non-conforming? In Ain’t No Makin’ It, MacLeod told us that the “Hallway Hangers” (low-income “problem” students who would not behave or conform in school) responded better to the teacher (Jimmy Sullivan) that they identified as being a part of their same social class. The Hallway Hangers respected their teacher because he was raised in the projects where the students now live, he talked the way they did; he was tough and stubborn just like they were. The other (middle-class) teachers were found by the Hallway Hangers to be “condescending” and “pussies” that “ ‘don’t know how to deal with us kids’ ” (MacLeod, 108-109). Clearly, a teacher who understood their “language” and behavior and identified with their social background was able to communicate with them and help them at least to stay in school. Teachers who couldn’t relate to lower-class students weren’t respected by those students. In their book, Social Foundations of Educational Decisions, Fischer and Thomas state that distinctive things about a subculture (including language and behavior) have a definite influence on a child’s learning style (26-27) and that “informal education”—which occurs outside of a formal school setting (mostly in the home) and is different in every family and subculture—causes differences in the way children learn (34).
In their essay “Social Class and Education,” Brookover and Gottlieb refer to
African Americans are not the only ethnicity group to be singled out with behavior. Racial and ethnic minority students report experiencing low teacher expectations, having less access to educational resources, being placed on lower educational tracks, and being steered toward low-paying employment (Kozol, 1991; Olsen, 2008).This low expectation is causing
Racism isn’t hating someone because of their race. Prejudice is not a misconception of who a person is. Racism is being prejudiced because a person believes their race is superior; and, prejudice is a preconceived opinion not based on any prior experience. In other words, racism is when a person has a preconceived opinion about another person because they feel their race is superior. Racism and prejudice are probably two of the most talked about and controversial words 60 years ago and still today. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and Martin L. King marched on Selma they didn’t think we would still be in such a place today; we are in a place where people are not allowed to be themselves without facing judgment. This is the same prejudice and racism members of society face in schools, by students and educators which limits their ability to progress in a world full of competition and rise above what demographics say they are destined to become. As the great Charles Albert Tindley once said, “We Shall Overcome!”
I was born and raised in Europe. I have learned from my history books that there were freedom and equality in the United States. I learned that, among many other rights, people enjoy freedom of religion and freedom of speech - the rights that were envied by millions of people of the Eastern Block countries.
In 2014, MSNBC reporter Trymaine Lee wrote a post on the racial achievement gap. In the post, he briefly discusses how African American students are less likely to be placed in an academically rigorous course. This claim was reiterated in a study conducted by Allen (2015) some teachers use preconceived notions of Black male students and reduce academic expectations. Black boys regularly find themselves placed in remedial, or special education programs instead of higher ability and gifted programs (Ford, Harris III, Tyson & Trotman, 2002; Harry & Klingner, 2006; Oakes, 2005). Because a majority of African American students are taught my White middle class teacher, some can come with preconceived beliefs about the academic capability of African Americans thereby not expecting and pushing for anything greater. However, an African American teacher can bring a cultural understanding that may inspire or motivate African American students to strive for greater
The racial and ethnic demographics of public school children generally stay the same through the course of their twelve years of grade school thus implementing a program where ethnic and racial diversity is encouraged and researched can help bring students together in Democratic beliefs of cultural, racial and ethnic acceptance. Through grade school Department of Defense (DOD) students have opportunity to make social connections with diverse race and ethnicities. Static social interactions give way to (in-group) (out-group) phenomena where the in-group perceives members of its group as more favorable than that of the out-group. Research has shown that biases can increase within the groups (Smith & Ho, 2002). For example, a child who attends
Some parents, such as Walter Fields, have said that “You can literally walk down the hallway...and look in a classroom and know whether it’s an upper-level class or a lower-level class based on the racial composition of the classroom” (Kohli 3). Despite the fact that some teachers claim they do not group their students based on race, some of them subconsciously play into the stereotypes presented in society today. When it comes to grouping, whether in class or between classes, the majority of the students placed in the more advanced track will either be white/asian or from a high-income family. Although black/latino students and students who come from a low-income family are just as intelligent as their counterparts, they aren’t given the opportunity to show it. Data compiled from the racial distribution in AP courses at Columbia High School show that the black student population exceeds the white student population by 13.1% (the black population being 51.5% and the white population being 38.4%), yet, when it comes to AP course takers, the white student population dominates over the black student population at 69.8% and 18.7%, respectively (Kohli 4).
Low-income families provide less tax dollars to schools, which directly affects a school’s financial ability to provide resources to teachers and students. Also, larger class sizes could lead to more discipline referrals, which affect the culture of the classroom (Rowley et al., 2011). The role of teachers and family is crucial for student success. A teacher’s ability to show compassion, provide instruction that is relatable, and eliminate discriminatory behaviors, is essential in establishing a classroom culture that promotes learning. Parental involvement in their child’s education is essential, as well. According to Rowley and Wright (2011), “Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods expose children to behaviors and ideals that hinder academic progress” (p.
Students in low SES homes often experience many negative experiences outside of school that can impact their academic performance. Time availability and financial resources for academic support are struggles of families of low SES status (Education and Socioeconomic Status Factsheet, 2015). Students of families with low SES status have fewer books, fewer opportunities for reading, greater exposure to aggression and violence, fewer forms of cognitive
The difference between racism and being prejudice is nothing. They’re the exact same thing. Both affect different minorities in America based on stereotypes. Stereotypes aren’t the only thing. Not everyone gets to live the American Dream because of their race & beliefs. People struggle feeding their families at the end of the day because they couldn’t get a better job because of their skin tone. Others can’t go to certain places without getting judged because they have hijabs on. People can be very prejudice against women, too. Women can’t live the American Dream to the fullest because men think they belong in a certain place. They shouldn’t do
The public school system maintains inequality through tracking of students and standardized tests. Barkan pg. 292 talks about white middle class being likely to be tracked up which in return results to them learning more, while poor students of color are more likely to be tracked down resulting in them learning less.
Societal expectations are certain standards that one should abide by in their lifetime to be considered to fit the characteristics specific to certain groups. When some individuals step out of that barricade of expectations they are looked upon differently and possibly discriminated against by their peers. Racial prejudice and sexism has been a focal point of discussion amongst world leaders and people alike. From the 1900s eras when women could not vote, slavery, the Civil Rights movement, to present day, people (especially minorities) have fought against such acts to ensure that their civil and human rights are being upheld. The adversities that were once prevalent and thriving during the Jim Crow era became less perceptible, but instead transitioned to individuals undermining minorities through prejudice and discrimination. Being that the film, Crash, showed prejudice remarks toward a variety of minorities. The film demonstrates that racial prejudice is not a phenomenon specific to one ethnic or social group but instead focuses on various racial stereotypes, vexations toward various lifestyles, and social statuses.
If I did a project and had to present it, my topic will be about racism, because now in days a lot of people don't care about hurting someone else feelings by calling them names or telling them why they should not live and they should die. I have a story about a friend that experience bullying because she was African American. It all started when I begin my 3rd-grade class and I was new to the school and I didn't have any friends, I had this girl talking to me and I didn't understand English at that time, her name was Skai and she was the nicest person. When weeks passed I was her best friend, we went everywhere together and always hang out on the playground at launch. Skai was a happy girl and she always had a smile on her face and when she
In today’s society stereotypes are being used, all the time without knowing it. The problem that stands and will remain is people in society cannot accept we are all different in our own way. This leads to the issue of social discrimination occurring because people see themselves different from others, but believe they have a minority group that happen to be similar to them. According to the website “Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination”, Stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations about groups of people. Stereotypes can be based on race, ethnicity, age, and gender.
The children were so easily affected by this experiment because they're young children who are still growing and learning this whole world. Many of them follow the footsteps of family members who could be racist or even in the media. The media has their way of truly affecting children and their views. I do believe that prejudice can be erased with age somehow, only because once children grow up they begin to think for themselves and have their own opinions for once in their lives. I do believe that once they're not children anymore and actual adults they don't follow into anyone's footsteps anymore and hopefully helps that impact go away for good. This tells us alot about our behavior, prejudice, and social systems affecting children everyday
The significance of the topic is to elucidate and educate others on how crucial it is for teachers and principals to understand the backgrounds and dynamics which surround students of the lower class population. This research paper will reveal the encumbrances children encounter in their daily walks of life. Out-of-school factors to be discussed will include family economic status, culture,