Working Class Education
Encyclopedia
Working class education is the education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 of working-class people.

History

Prior to the 19th century, education for most members of society was elementary and only an elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...

 received advanced education. This was intended to provide members of each social class with an education befitting their expected future status - toil or leadership.

Children of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...

 have a different educational experience than children of the middle and upper classes
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...

. Because of this, working class children can start out life at a disadvantage. Their educational experience may be hindered for several reasons, including influences from their parents, the schools they attend, and their expectations and attitudes, all of which are strongly affected by previous generations.

Schools

The schools in the lower income districts are characterized by overcrowding and lack of resources. This is because the funding of American public schools comes mostly from their district’s property taxes. Residential Segregation
Residential Segregation
Residential segregation is the physical separation of cultural groups based on residence and housing, or a form of segregation that "sorts population groups into various neighborhood contexts and shapes the living environment at the neighborhood level."...

 occurs when people segregate themselves based on class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...

 and race. This leaves schools in the low income school districts with little because those who are capable of paying higher property taxes move to districts where there are higher taxes and schools are receiving more. For example, in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, where efforts are being made to level the playing field, students in the wealthiest school districts are given almost twice as much as students in the poorest district, an annual amount of $13,974 compared to $7,457. When schools lack funding, programs such as special education classes and extracurricular activities are cut back. This causes some working class children to not get the attention and help they require. When schools and teachers are not receiving the goods required to fulfill their duty, students cannot be expected to display the motivation to learn in a flawed system.

Parental Influences

The way parents act in the home and raise their children has a large effect on how children will interact in social institutions. Many social scientists claim that middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....

 parents practice concerted cultivation
Concerted cultivation
Concerted cultivation is a style of parenting that is marked by a parent's attempts to foster their child's talents through organized leisure activities. This parenting style is commonly exhibited in middle and upper class American families...

, meaning a child’s life is filled with organized activities and social interactions with adults. Due to the extent of their interactions outside of the home, the children of concerted cultivation develop a greater mastery of language and are instilled with a sense of entitlement, both of which allows them to become more comfortable when interacting with institutions. On the other hand, many working class parents practice the accomplishment of natural growth, where children have more control over their free time and are exposed to fewer interactions with adults that are outside of the home.

The problem that comes with these differences in parenting practices is that schools, along with other institutions, are more harmonious with concerted cultivation, the parenting practice of the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....

. Teachers want parents and children to engage and be proactive, but parents and children of the working class feel a sense of constraint that leaves them confused on how to “work the system” and often causes them to become hostile towards schooling. Because working class parents are oftentimes uncomfortable around authority figures, they are less likely to communicate with their child’s teacher or become involved in the school. As a result of this, low income school districts have lower involvement in parent teacher conferences. This could also be attributed to the fact that working class parents often have to hold down more than one job and do not have very much time to help their children with homework or attend school functions.

Attitudes

The children of the working class approach school with a different attitude than those of higher class. Instead of viewing education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 as a way up in the world, the working class views it as valuable but not as a reality for them. For working class parents, they are more consumed with the tasks of simply getting by and providing for their children than they are with good grades and higher education. Parents pass this survival mentality onto their children and cause a cycle where working class children do not have the same aspirations instilled in them that the middle class does. Only 54% of students whose parents only received their high school diploma go on to pursue their bachelor’s degree. This statistic is compared to the 82% of students whose parents received their bachelor’s degree that go on to college. First generation students who do on go to college experience a culture shock once they get there because they are not as comfortable and sure of themselves as those that have come from a family that has received higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

. This causes working class students to be twice as likely as middle class students to drop out before their second year of college because they lack the persistence they need to face challenges and succeed in college.

The attitude of children born into the working class strongly reflects the way their parents raise them. The outlook and importance of education is not the same as families with wealth. Inheritance
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...

 plays a strong role in the way parents and children view and value education.

Solving the Problem

There are some ways that this may be changed. In order to break this cycle, working class students might be taught the values of the middle class or the schooling system develop programs that help those students that are not receiving the support and guidance they need from home. The middle class values are the same values that are felt by the authority figures at school; therefore, through teaching working class students to value education and be more involved they will be able to navigate social institutions with greater purpose and poise. The problem could be that working class parents did not have these values instilled in them; therefore, they are less likely to pass these values on to their children. Schools have been left with the responsibility of being the only places for some children to learn the rules and values that are present in most institutions.

Solving the problem of racism within these institutions, causing perpetual problems and nearly impossible change, would take large steps towards rectifying problems within the education system. As long as institutionalized racism exists, problems within the educational system will continue to exist.

Due to the lack of resources in needy schools, educational facilities are forced to develop support systems that do not have any additional costs. Programs that have been introduced into lower income schools include the following:
  • A specified amount of time set aside everyday for homework can help the child better understand. Often working class parents have neither the time nor the knowledge to help their children with their homework. By providing time for homework during the school day, students who are not receiving the help they need at home are able to receive supplemental instruction.

  • Keeping the same teachers for a few years or having separate schools within schools can strengthen relationships. This program allows children and parents to become more familiar with teachers and to form stronger bonds. By strengthening the student and teacher relationship, students are able to receive more guidance from their teachers and grow more comfortable, which may be a lacking opportunity in the home.

  • The setting of daily goals can help children learn how to face challenges and deadlines. By setting the goals in writing at the beginning of every day or week, children learn how to manage and prioritize tasks in order to feel a sense of achievement when the goals are met.

See also

  • Education in the United States
    Education in the United States
    Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory.Public education is universally available...

  • Working class culture
    Working class culture
    Working class culture is a range of cultures created by or popular among working class people. The cultures can be contrasted with high culture and folk culture, and are sometimes equated with popular culture and low culture ....

  • Outliers
    Outliers (book)
    Outliers: The Story of Success is a non-fiction book written by Malcolm Gladwell and published by Little, Brown and Company on November 18, 2008. In Outliers, Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success...

  • Educational attainment in the United States
    Educational attainment in the United States
    The educational attainment of the U.S. population is similar to that of many other industrialized countries with the vast majority of the population having completed secondary education and a rising number of college graduates that outnumber high school dropouts. As a whole, the population of the...

  • Economic inequality
    Economic inequality
    Economic inequality comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries. The issue of economic inequality is related to the ideas of...

  • Educational inequality
    Educational inequality
    Educational inequality occurs where the quality of education available to pupils is closely related to their social class or status. A common view among scholars addressing this topic is that rather than succeeding in reducing societal inequality, schools and other educational establishments to...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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