Preview

How Does Inequality Exist In Social Structures

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
452 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Does Inequality Exist In Social Structures
DOES EQUALITY EVER EXIST IN SOCIAL STRUCTURE? One place that inequality exists in our society is in our education systems. We want to believe that every child has the same opportunity when it comes to public schooling. In reality, these children do not have equal opportunities. Each school district has a certain amount of money to utilize on their schools. If a child’s family cannot afford to live in a nice neighborhood, with a good education system, that child will not get the same education as the child who’s family can afford to live in that neighborhood. The graduation rates in a higher class community tend to be higher also. For example, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Oak Hills High School has a graduation rate of 98%, and a median household income …show more content…
While, in the schools in lower income districts cannot afford to have these materials in their schools, therefore, those students do not get the same opportunity. Where a person lives affects what school they attend, which in the end affects their future. All children have different opportunities and it all depends on what their families can afford. Education, therefore, is structured inequality. Inequality exists in almost all social structures. There is always someone who gets ahead, or who is “in charge.” “As people interact, some will almost always emerge with more of the valued things than the others” (Charon, Vigilant, 2009, p.54). There will never be equality in the social structure. As much as we would like to believe there is equal opportunity, and there is no inequality… it is simply not reality. The education system is just one social structure that has inequality that people are unaware of. Every social structure, as small as a dyad and as large as a society, has inequality. There will always be that person, or group of people, that will want to get ahead or obtain their high

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol claims that the ways these schools are funded continues to allow inequalities. The way schools are funded depends on the area and the neighborhood schools reside and the value of the area. As for instant schools that resides in the poorest district receives less amount of money per student from legislative grants, while schools that resides in the richest districts receives so much more money. Money that’s reserved for fighting drug abuse and illiteracy in poorest school district is instead put towards schools in wealthy areas instead of schools in the poorest areas a way of government finding excuses to do nothing but blocking the success of poor schools. Suggestions of racism must be made with caution.…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Jonathan Kozol’s book Savage Inequalities he discusses the differences in education between schools from different races and wealth communities. Kozol did observations on a variety of public schools in St. Louis, Bronx, and Rye both in New York. Kozol visits the areas where he explains how it is unsanitary and very low on staff that lacks the basic tools and supplies for teaching. For some schools it has very outdated equipment that has been there for at least 40-50 years old. Kozol adds on and contrast the conditions poor living and how children adapt in those environments and how they live and learn.…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    When it comes to a child’s education in today’s society race does have an influence on one’s educational experience. There is an inequality that is faced by minorities in the struggle to success. In the article by Motoko Rich from the New York Times called “School Data Finds Pattern of Inequality along Racial Lines” it compares different races and their achievement in school. In a study it stated that a quarter of high schools with the highest percentage of minorities such as, black and Latino students do not offer any Algebra II courses, and more than a third do not have any chemistry classes.” Whites have a full range of courses offered while minorities from low-income neighborhoods do not have these courses available. The studies also found that more than 70 percent of white students attend schools that have a full range of math and science courses and are well-rounded. For minorities, this does not expand their education. The article also mentions that minorities that attend these types of schools also have teachers who do not meet the teaching requirements. The lacks of all of these services does put a strain on our children’s education when it comes to being a minority.…

    • 315 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Wk2 Assignment SOC 320

    • 1193 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Every individual in the United States deserves equal access to education but unfortunately this is not the case. “Despite major progress in some areas, many students, especially students of color, continue to lack the opportunity of a quality education” (U.S Department of Education, 2014). Many years ago the Brown v. Board of Education revealed the racial gap that existed in the early 1960’s and with Brown’s victory we can now have equal opportunity on a racial level. That was a big achievement for the education system as children of any color, culture, or ethnic group received the same quality of education as white children in America. In many poor communities educational opportunities are not as equal as in other sectors where well off Americans live. In this paper I will discuss whether every individual has the right to equal education, who is responsible for the provision of education, and I will suggest an improvement that I believe can help our educational system.…

    • 1193 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Educational Inequality exists for students of all backgrounds in the U.S. but this inequality is extremely pronounced in minorities. It is no secret that the whiter, richer, more educated individuals in this country have generally had greater access to more stable learning environments, more knowledgeable, academically concerned parents, and better educational resources. However, In the Post Brown Vs. Board of Education world, inequality still persists at high levels for people of color and poverty. Despite the abolition of obvious forms of discrimination, students of lower socioeconomic status continue to receive worse educations and attain lower levels of schooling…

    • 3045 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    The greatest obstacle regarding the attainment of education in a high-poverty school―resources. According to HuffPost Education, 51 percent of children across the country now live in poverty, and the numbers appear to be growing at a hypersonic speed (Slade, 2015). Whether it be the inability to access quality education (a problem for many developing and rural nations) or the inability to fund lunch and school supplies (such as up to date textbooks or computers), there are several inclinations imposed on the education system because of the inadequacy of wealth in several portions of the world, such as the United States. In poverty stricken communities, receiving and therefor employing education properly…

    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Students with financially unstable families may not have been able to afford basic learning materials, leaving these students unable to properly study for school. Paper and pencils are essential to do homework that contributes to the practice of writing or solving math problems, both of which aids to critical thinking. Utensils such as paper, pencils, and books for schoolwork may be difficult to buy or may be in short supply. Without proper materials, students from families with low incomes may find themselves having a difficult time learning compared to the other students who are more financially stable. A few may even stop going to school in frustration or embarrassment until they eventually drop out. Despite education being free for public schools, there are still many finances that students and their families must pay to get the most out of their educational…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    When reading Still Separate, Still Unequal, Kozol’s argument indicates that students of the minority basically are limited in what they can achieve from a very young age. He discusses the issue of “money” and how wealthy white individuals are able to educate their toddlers in very extensive programs before they even enter kindergarten at the age of five. By the time the students are expected to take standardized tests in 3rdgrade, these white students have had far more education than minority students who are expected to take the same standard exams. He goes on to say that money IS an important object within education because it makes the difference of whether or not a parent can afford to send their child to a private school that costs $30,000 a year, or an inner city urban school down the street. I believe that examples like these regarding money that Kozol gave in his article are what primarily begins the “segregated education” years in a child’s life. From there, he argues that inner city school districts are limiting minority students’ achievements rather than encouraging them to succeed.…

    • 1591 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Inequality In Civilization

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Many people in the world blame inequality in the world on race, religion or the amount of intelligence of a civilization, but that's not why. Inequality is simply caused by geography. Geography affects the way a civilization becomes more developed compared to others because, geography controls climate which affects the type of food a civilization can grow, and what type of animals it can domesticate. Domesticated animals and efficient crops give a civilization time to develop new ideas and invent tools that can help the dominate other cultures.…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Author Alfie Kohn explains that, “Research has repeatedly found that the amount of poverty in the communities where schools are located, along with other variables having nothing to do with what happens in the classrooms, accounts for the great majority difference in tests scores from one area to the next”(7). A factor such as resources available to the school as well as the level of affluence of the community in which the school is located contributes to these students setbacks. Test results show primarily socioeconomic status and available resources. In other words they tell us how the students’ houses are. One educator suggested that a way to save time and money would just be by asking a single question: “How much does your mom make?...OK, you’re on the bottom” (Kohn 7). Though that statement is slightly exaggerated, it does have some truth to it. Students, teachers, and schools should not be punished because of test scores especially considering all the socioeconomic factors included. Statistics and facts show that schools in better communities have more successful students while students who attend schools in more urban, low income areas are less successful when compared to students living in better economic communities. This is not the fault of the children therefore they should not be held accountable or punished by not receiving money and grants just because tests scores…

    • 1728 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The lack of resources for schools constricts learning. Poverty stricken school districts in America receive inadequate funding. In his essay, Barber expands on the idea of poverty in school districts and the result from it. Barber states, “The richest school districts…spend…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When children grow up in low income communities where most adults are less educated, there is lower expectations since not many hold a degree in higher education. This also applies to their academic performance, because these children have no one to turn to when not understanding their school work. As a result, these children are discouraged from possibly pursuing better…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In records there is one low income community that can only afford to distribute 1 book every 300 students. Kids in poverty are 7 times more likely to drop out then a kid who is not in poverty, they say the reasons for this is because they need a job to provide for their family sometimes even babysit their siblings while their family works. It’s proven that children in poverty fall behind in school, Not being able to be there all the time or not being able to think straight can cause the education to decrease for children.…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    This educational Achievement gap has been reflected in communities of minorities such as; African Americans and Latinos. One problem that feeds this gap is the amount school fundings receive. It has been articulated that in communities where wealthier individuals live, with not so many minorities, the schools give a higher quality of education and obtain more resources compared to schools in communities with low income minorities. For example, low income schools have limited resources and employ teachers with less/ minimum qualification. Specifically, in the article “Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Say” it is articulated that the gap between rich and poor students has grown significantly during the same period the achievement gap between white and black students has decreased.…

    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Edu 601 Final Paper

    • 2276 Words
    • 10 Pages

    There is the issue of equality and the necessity for creating a base from which children can learn and maintain their focus on a promising education. Because of the funding systems that have been utilized for allocating educational money, wealthy suburban neighborhoods enjoy the benefits of technological improvements, better educational materials, and nicer facilities while children in of the urban poor are often provided with the…

    • 2276 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays