The Structural Elements Of Society

Sociology is the “systematic or scientific study of human society and social behavior” (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 9). The study of an individual society and its behaviors can have contrast due to a 20th century event. In the essay Racism and Research: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the unethical experiment took place in the year 1932 in Macon County, Alabama. This case can discuss the topics of culture, socialization, deviance, and race. All of which can become visible in a society through the structural functionalism lens. This sociological perspective theory is “a way of looking at the world” through a specific lens (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 10).

The more education a person acquires throughout their life-time means they are more-likely to find high paying jobs. So, the amount of education a person receives correlates with if they live in poverty or not. “None of Crystal’s siblings finished high school. Instead, they became adults when they were teenagers” (Potts 598). Without a high school diploma the chances of any of the family members attaining a job that makes above minimum wage was almost impossible. The desperation of not being able to make an adequate amount of money for basic needs, lowers the life expectancy for poor women. “The more educated among us are better at forgoing pleasurable and possibly risky behavior because we’ve learned to look ahead to the future” (Potts 595). In the case of Crystal, she dropped out of high school because she married Possum. In today’s society a majority of women want to continue their education before marrying, because marriage is risky with possibilities of children, or their spouse may

An example of this would be the education available to people of a higher social class. It is hard for many poor people to go to college because of high tuition costs. While scholarships are usually available, one must still maintain a high grade point average or excel in a special field to achieve one. Because many poor people come from more fragile neighborhoods, there is generally a lack of motivation on the part of the school, family and mostly the student (Kearl). In a 1979 Carnegie study, a child's future was found to be determined largely by social status, not brains.

Not one of us gets the choice of what socioeconomic class we are born into. So, each one of us has to make the most of what we have. Some people think that it doesn’t matter what class you are born into. If you truly want to succeed in life you can do so and climb your way up the socioeconomic ladder. To do this it will take hard work, and making sacrifices that not everyone is willing to make, such as buying things used and working multiple jobs. Others believe it is impossible to climb that ladder with all the hurdles and barriers you encounter at a young age. So, they do what they can to better their children’s chances of climbing up the socioeconomic ladder.

. In the article “Public College Boosting Aid to Wealthy as Poor Are Left Behind,” by Marian Wand, the author shares a story of little girl, Shauniqua Epps, she is 19 years old. Epps family lives in subsidized housing in South Philadelphia. Epps’ father died when she was in the third grade, her mother lives on social security which provides $698 a month. She has a good GPA and is also good in sports. She applied for three colleges for higher education, but none of the colleges provided financial aid to her. She did not go to any of the colleges because she could not afford the tuition. No one in family can support her because Epps’ mother does not have enough knowledge to encourage her. This proves that the students from low socio-economic background were not encouraged by their

The impact of poverty on families can affect a child's growth and development. “Poverty and the Effects on parents and Children,” Nagel states, “Families in poverty, when parents are working, are influenced by the kind of occupations in which the parents work. Kohn has found that lower-class parents look at their children's behavior with a focus on its immediate consequences and its external characteristics, whereas middle-class parents explore their children's motives and the attitudes expressed by their behavior.” Growing up with negative and disciplinary parents, it can impact a child's moral and emotional growth through life. Children grow up by the examples and actions of their progenitor, and if they have meager parents then they may grow up to be just like them. “Another study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that for every year a child spends in poverty, there is the chance that the child will fall behind grade level by age 18.” Pupils that live in poverty that don't get

Poverty leads to insufficient opportunities, especially in college education. For instance, according to U.S. Department of Education, students who do not enter college or drop out of their classes are “predominantly persons from low-income families.” In support of this argument, the article states that “only 21 percent of those with family income of less than $25,000 were highly qualified for admission at a four-year institution” compared to the 56 percent of students with family income above $75,000. Therefore, students with bad economic conditions struggle with attending university even after entering it. The problem is that the African Americans race gets the harshest disadvantage from their poor economic conditions. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services publishes that almost 40 percent of African Americans under 18 are below the national poverty line, which is three-times higher than their white counterparts. This explicitly proves that unequal economic conditions are the main reason for inequality in education; African Americans are the most disadvantaged. Furthermore, the correlation between poor economic conditions and a lack of education among African Americans creates a chain of inequality. The poor economic backgrounds of African Americans obstruct their children from attending colleges and subsequently, the lack of higher education makes

Socioeconomic Status is where a particular person or group of people stand in regards to social class. The main measurement that determines one's socioeconomic status is level of education, occupation and income. Although it may not be considered a factor in child development, socioeconomic status can actually play a huge role in determining what kind of adolescent a child develops into. It can influence a child’s morals, self-esteem, grades and many more aspects of a child's life. Socioeconomic status can play a role in determining where a person resides, the occupation they end up getting, their education and their income as well. So, although one’s socioeconomic status is technically made up of these aspects, one can be born into a low socioeconomic status which could result in them continuing to have one throughout their life. It is a cycle that one must break in order to change the outcome. Low socioeconomic status can result in child poverty. Child poverty over the years has risen and fallen but has remained consistently apparent in America. Child poverty can have detrimental effects on developing children and adolescents. It may influence the way they are raised, taught, cared for and many more aspects of the child's life which are important for successful development. Low socioeconomic status can determine how well children and adolescents develop and the type of person they develop into, including

Most children have an idea of a potential career path by the time they are very young. Often times their career goals are influenced by the adults they see on a regular basis, which is why a plethora of small children want to be school teachers or doctors. But what about children who do not have the privilege of being around academically successful-or even employed-adults? From where do they receive academic reinforcement? This poses the question; how does growing up in extreme poverty shape the morals and goals of a person? In the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the main character Esperanza is raised in a poverty stricken neighborhood with few positive role models in her life. In the few scenes school is mentioned,

In the article “Who Gets to Graduate” by Paul Tough examines a problem about low income students are less likely to graduate from college than students from middle class or wealthier families. In the United States, school systems are not created equally. Middle and upper class students have access to safe and modern schools equipped with everything they possibly need to stay in that high rank because they came from a family who has the money to support their studies. Students from low-income families don’t have a lot of the support, stability, and money from home that higher-income students can take for granted.

Children just starting school experience different forms of hierarchy at early ages, primarily differences between social and economic classes, but easily can be labeled victims. There are numerous arguments that support the awareness between the upper, middle, and lower classes, and these arguments are often talked about. There are also specific theories and ideologies that follow the sociological and psychological actions of the victims. The poorer communities are less fortunate, following a cycle, representing the breaks of education and limited community support. With the American Democratic system, public issues are often ignored in the systematic association of poverty. Issues such as health, privacy, and protection are common, and education is pushed to the side. Plausibly, these issues represent a wider picture of the vast issues in America, and economic

“Unlike the structural functional theory, which views society as a peaceful unit, conflict theory interprets society as a struggle for power between groups engaging in conflict for limited resources. Karl Marx is the founder of conflict theory”. The social class most likely to implement or adopt the use of conflict theory are the capital class. As stated in class the social class has a minority called the “Bilderberg Group”; they hold incredible influence over government policies, Represent shared intra-class interests have large Economic power, political and social power, it is in theses hands that majority of the resources are held and controlled, while the majority are left remnants of whatever resource they are able to obtain. As said in class the, Max weber defined this social class as one composed of those who hold similar life chances, such as Income, Marketable abilities, Access to consumer goods and services,Ability to generate investment income, Power

All of the protagonists’ experiences are based on living in a lower socioeconomic status. Researchers named Selina Mcoy and Emer Smyth found that “The middle-classes have more to lose by not staying on in education since they risk social demotion, whereas young people from working-class backgrounds may see less benefit to staying on at school”,3 thus revealing that living in poverty or having a lower socioeconomic status is, therefore, difficult to have a good quality education. Researchers whose names are Heather Wyatt- Nichol, Samuel Brown and Warren Haynes discovered, “The widening gap between the rich and the poor contributes to economic segregation among neighborhoods, perpetuating the problem of inequality in the education and criminal justice system” (190)2, thus explaining the hardship the protagonists faced in their personal experiences. It is evident their lower socioeconomic status affected their education, and it is a crucial theme

The more money and well-off a family is, generally the better education their children will have. This is due to the fact that tutors, extra programs, summer camps, private schooling, etc. are expensive and only available to those who can afford it. This illustrates that this nation does not have an even playing field of opportunities for students. (“Class in America-2006” pg. 155, Gregory Mantsios)

However, parents who live below the poverty line find it more difficult to send their offspring to a school that offers even mildly decent education. In contrast, financially stable parents have far more access to resources that can aid their children, such as tutoring. A lack of proper schooling can serve as a hindrance to the needy children in the future and prevent them from ever ascending the economic ladder. Statistics show that only 3% of students at top colleges come from the poorest quarter of the population (“Inequality and the American Dream” 1). This can attest to the idea that the American Dream cannot be achieved regardless of class; it can only be fulfilled by those who have the resources to do