Social class is a factor that is a determination of many outcomes; To address the inequities that are a result of social class, we need to focus on education and provide well-rounded, well-funded education for all people, regardless of where they live and what they are able to pay in taxes.

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Research Project Proposal

03 March 2014

The Academic Barrier

Social class is a factor that is a determination of many outcomes; To address the inequities that are a result of social class, we need to focus on education and provide well-rounded, well-funded education for all people, regardless of where they live and what they are able to pay in taxes. Youth born into poverty have to face certain road blocks that keep them from succeeding in their academic careers. On the other hand, if a child is born into an upper class family, s/he will most likely attend elite public schools or even private schools. Once that child reaches the age of eighteen, s/he will probably go on to college and, eventually, pursue a successful career. The lower class on the other hand is not so fortunate. They are basically born with an academic handicap that can’t be removed. Lower class students are stuck with public schools that lack funding, recreational entertainment, and basic learning materials. For this paper, I plan to answer the following research question: How are children born into poverty limited by their academic options? As a result of my research, I’d like to demonstrate that children born into poverty are handicapped by an inferior educational system that results in their being trapped in the lower class throughout their lives.

Social class inequality and its correlation with achieving academic success is an issue I have witnessed myself. The goal is to shed some light on the problem. As much as I want to express the effect social class has on education, the point is also to get people thinking. I want everyone to be knowledgeable on the topic, so they can develop opinions of their own. Having different points of view and diverse experiences is healthy for society. It also eliminates the chance of groupthink; a dangerous result of everyone thinking alike. Upper class and Lower class inequalities have been around for years, and I hope to better educate both myself and the reader on the topic. Awareness is the first step in taking action or making a change. The second step is caring, which is how I hope my writing will impact my audience.

I am personally invested in the issue for a couple of reasons. First of all I genuinely care about the difficulties the lower class face in their academic careers. They should not have to worry about whether or not a teacher will be provided for every subject, or if their school will receive enough funding for them to have a textbook in class. Students from the lower class are already facing financial problems and family problems at home. There is no sense of carrying these problems into their learning environment. They need the opportunity to learn without any distractions and get the chance to interact with other students. Second of all I have seen firsthand the struggles lower class students face in school.

Back in 2001, I lived in Franklin, Tennessee where I attended Johnson Elementary School. My family was considered middle class but the only school available to me was a rundown elementary school consisting of mostly lower class students. Those lower class students were generally black minorities, very few whites. I saw firsthand what a school that lacks funding looks like. The teachers were mediocre, school supplies were scarce, the playground was beat up, and the overall learning environment was depressing. These students were living in poverty. Divorced parents were the norm, and most students lacked any real motivation. These families didn’t have much money, and, either because of the day-to-day stresses of raising a family, hoping to have enough money to feed the family and pay the bills, or because they weren’t really concerned about their child’s education, they did not get involved in the school or provide support for their child. The consequence was poor academic results. Fortunately, my family was middle class, and we were able to live in a different area of town than most of the other students. Yet, I personally witnessed the effect low social class has on education.

While I would like my audience to feel enough concern that they may have the desire to do something about the situation, I believe that only such powerful groups as the government and upper class have the ability to effect real change. These are my target groups. Just as the government and the wealthy have power over our political system, they have power over the educational system. The problem with targeting the wealthy is that they tend to be a more conservative group. As a group, they tend to be against increased taxes. They have political clout and they often don’t pay their fair share of the taxes. Oftentimes people who are successful feel that the lower class need to pull their own weight and that mindset keeps them from feeling sympathetic and, as a result, from taking the necessary action to effect change.

While I personally feel that people should work hard and do what they can to help themselves, I believe that without a good education, many are trapped in the class that they are raised in, and they do not have the tools to bring themselves out of poverty. Education is the stepping stone for success and once that is provided for lower class students, dependence on financial assistance from outside sources will be less of an issue.

An education gap between upper class and lower class students will persist as long as nothing is done about it. Public schools need the proper funding, parents need to do their part to help guide and motivate their children, and quality educational resources need to be available to all, regardless of their social class. The wider the educational gap gets between rich and poor, the wider the gap will remain between the social classes. The lower class will keep on hitting this academic barrier unless the conditions fueling the fire are put out.

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