The Importance Of Education In Education

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

With the growing importance of higher education, more people than ever are attending college. According to a middle-class parent, “[Higher education] seen as a means of developing a career and getting secure employment.” (30, Higher Education, social class and social mobility) Moreover, “parents believe that their children need a university education to get on in life… over the past decades (parents) fearful that without a degree their children will be in danger of downward social mobility. (32, Higher

But from textbook data and me and my family experiences I consider social mobility process is still in force today. How much opportunity is there is the factors that determine people’s occupational location and, hence their income, prestige and ultimately their life chances. Therefore, the only things we can control that can determine our future is our work ethic. Some societies tend to assign people’s position at birth by ascription, others who believe in their ability, knows that they can earn a live hood from their jobs, which they obtain based on a combination of hard work, and ability. According to the book “The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States.” (Beeghley, Leonard. 2008) Sociologists assess this degree of opportunity by Social mobility. Which refers to Intragenerational mobility and Intergenerational

American society is built upon a socio-economic class stratification that enables individuals to achieve upward mobility based on hard work and education. Unfortunately, this premise is not a reality for those

Since urban areas, and subsequently urban high schools, have a high population of low-income residents, it is important to explore how this aspect of their social status has affected these individuals historically. According to Mantsios (2006) a majority of the United States (60 percent) hold less than 6 percent of the wealth. What is more, one in eight people live below the federal poverty level Mantsios (2006). This is important, because class level is strongly correlated with educational outcomes and success, which can be explained by class domination Mantsios (2006). Essentially, people who are born into wealthy families versus poor families have more opportunities provided to them on the basis of their class status or familial connections Mantsios (2006). Take for instance the example Schmidt (2007) given of white students with mediocre grades getting into Ivy League

For many families, the idea that higher education for themselves or their children will automatically improve their social or economic status is a common one. In many situations this can be the case, however it is not universal. Additionally, many factors come into play when analyzing how intergenerational mobility does or does not occur. Some of these factors include existing social class, field of study, undergraduate vs. advanced degrees, race or gender, selection of institution, and parental resources. The general hypothesis of this study is “Is a College Degree Still the Great Equalizer?”

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

After seeking a higher education, one is able to move on to the next stages of life peacefully. “One common thread, whether I’m reporting on poverty in New York or Sierra Leone, is that a good education tends to be the most reliable escalator out of poverty. Another common thread: whether in America or Africa, disadvantaged kids often don’t get a chance to board that escalator” (Nicholas D. Kristof). The “escalator out of poverty” indicates that non-affluent students must succeed in the world of academics. Successes that will give them hope to move on to the next stages of life. In addition, one can argue that non-affluent students who succeed in the world of education, epitomizes strong and fearless human beings. These human beings make the world a stronger and powerful place mainly because, they know how to overcome struggles that causes one question the meaning of success in life. Overcoming challenges in life, will allow you to overcome other challenges that you may face later in

In the United States, obtaining a higher education is more important than ever. The income gap between a family of college graduates and a family of high school graduates grew 30,000 dollars in just three decades (Porter). Institutions of higher education are engines of upward mobility that is not afforded to the entire population. American society is still plagued with racial disparities; however, they are no longer the main divider separating Americans. Today, the most imminent danger to the American dream is socioeconomic status (SES). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic organization, found that when it comes to academic achievement, SES has more influence in the United States

In a state with a greater gap in income inequality, youths of low socioeconomic status would have had a 30% lower income in their career compared to that of youths of the same status from states with less inequality. Likewise, individual in the former had a 8% chance of returning to school whereas there was a 10.6% with the latter (Kearney & Levine, 2016, pp. 347). Failing to identify role models in low socioeconomic communities can cause one to fail to identify with college. However, one could also be demotivated by living close to a household of higher socioeconomic status (Kearney & Levine, 2016, pp. 348-349). It makes the prospect on financial success seem comparatively unreachable. With lower obvious income inequality, there is a greater motivation to strive in education because one can feel more competitive with colleagues whose capabilities are not so superior to oneself. Ultimately, striving to achieve success through education was, as the researchers mentioned, “most appropriately considered a cumulative measure of ability, reflecting innate endowments, environmental influences, and the result of formal and informal human capital investment” (Kearney & Levine, 2016). If an individual cannot overcome the obstacles that are cast by

Also, social mobility can show whether the life chances of a child and their chances of success are largely a result of the social class which they are born into, as well as other factors like their gender or ethnic origin. (Browne, 1992)

People from all over the world come to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream, or the belief that anyone can move upwards in society with hard work. The belief that an individual can change their status is termed social mobility (Southworth, 22). However, it is clear that simply being American does not mean everyone has equal social mobility, social stratification exists. Social stratification refers to a hierarchy where people are ranked based on factors such as their class, race, family they were born into, and gender (Southworth, 21). These factors affect an individual's life chances, or the ability to obtain education, health, and income. Better life chances are more conducive to social mobility. Historically, class, or one’s

American Psychological Association. “Education and Socioeconomic Status” American Psychological Association: American Psychological Association, 2016, http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education.aspx, September 19, 2016

A good education can step towards the occupational ladder. Individuals in higher socioeconomic status may foster better goals and better social rewards (Schieman, 2002). An individual pursing profession, such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and professors are considered to be in high socioeconomic status and where an individual receiving a high school diploma can enter the work force and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), earning an hourly wage of $20 or more (Dill, 2014), therefore categorized in low socioeconomic status. Aside from earning a decent living, another factor within improving an individual’s income status in society is occupational prestige. An example of an occupational prestige is the manager position. For example, two managers with high school diplomas, one is a fast food manager and the other is a bank manager. Out of the two the bank manager is most likely to be viewed by society as holding a higher occupational prestige even if both are coming from low socioeconomic status

Moreover In many countries the connection between family wealth, family background and education opportunities is still very powerful. Because people from high class in society tend to receive advantage to support them self in term of long period educational career and qualification better than low class societies, Due to the power of wealth. (Shavit and Blossfeld, 1993). For some reason when the education people enter the labour market. Because education qualification that a person acquiring seem to be advantage for that person if the qualification of education is high. In addition education qualifications seem to be relating to the social background of each person and their later social class background. Therefore the education qualification might be one the reason that support social inequalities and decrease social mobility.