Social Class and Attainment - Essay Example

Social and Attainment – A Theoretical Assessment Introduction A social can be defines as the a group ofpersons with equal or same attributes, more specifically their levels of wealth, economic and public status and their influence on certain quarters such as politics (Andersen & Taylor, 2007, p. 219). According to Mifflin, the various ways to be used in determination of social class, mostly applied by sociologists include measuring and analyzing of the major facts, through subjective methods by asking subjects and selected individuals what they perceive themselves as, and by the reputational test, where subjects to a research are required to explain what they think about others. Basically, the three categories of class include the lower class where those in this group are hard-hit with poverty, lack of housing and poor healthcare facilities. The middle class are mostly those in the white color tier of professionalism and can afford a reasonable lifestyle, accessible to medicare, housing and other basic needs (Mifflin, 2015, p. 2). The role of Social Class in Attainment Social class divisions play a great role in the educational attainment for children. Usually the higher the rank in the social ladder the high the chances that the students is likely to perform well. Good performance in school usually result to getting jobs and improving the general social class one is in. as such, working class and lower-class students tend to struggle in school due to family issues such as poverty, deprivation of medical assistance and incompetent language and elaboration techniques (Trueman, 2015, p. 3). It is therefore evident according to researchers that one’s level can determine their performance and attainment of better academic results, due to the inequalities in society that expose the students to different scenarios. Students from high end classes can converse easily and relay technical information more reasonably and elaborately in examinations as compared to lower-class students who have been raised with the minimal exposure to good literature material (Paterson & Iannelli, 2005, p. 8). Sociological Theories on Attainment Various theories are attributed to the inequalities of class and the impact on education and better social attainment. According to Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, different social cultures in the form of classes offer individuals different circumstances that determine whether or not the person shall attain their needs and educational goals (Scheid & Brown, 2009, pg.226). According to the theory, children are subjected to the same institutions, but come from different backgrounds and therefore, are to gauge their capabilities and take any advantage offered to them as an opportunity to explore their academic objectives. The students are given the opportunity, but due to the indifference of where they come from, they are not on the same level of understanding, elaboration and coherence in language. To be on the same level, students from lower class backgrounds ought to work harder, as they are facing greater challenges compared to the other advantaged students (Bryce & Humes, 2003, p. 800). Another theory is that of Bernstein, a sociologist who believes that it is due to the poor communication techniques exhibited by the low-level social class members that creates a disadvantage for them. According to Bernstein’s theory, children from lower-class and working class backgrounds struggle with communication, are less coherent and can be unable to explain technical subjects during exams due to the simplicity of speech codes adopted by them. This is a contrast with the upper-class students, who are coherent and elaborate when explaining answers during examinations. They are likely to attain more result compared to the other students. As such, different classes place different values on their credentials academically (Tyler, 2012, p. 105). Hyman’s Theory of Social Class Mobility The main argument addressed by Hyman in his theory is that those in the lower and working class tend to believe that an attempt to grow through the social ladder and attain a better social class is not a desirable idea considering its end result of losing solidarity of fellow class members. As such, members of the lower class find educational attainment to be highly risky considering it consumes most of their income. Instead of risking and failing in the final examinations, students from working class tend to drift their attention to labor that is more realistic and sensible such as acquiring trading skills. Middle class and Upper class are considered to be a direct opposite of the working class, as they have ambitions to reach the highest attainable professional skills, and do not seem to take education as being a risk. Sociological Researchers and Various Approaches Different writers on sociology and attainment have delved into meaningful research in light of attainment (Smelser, 2013, p. 45). Jencks is one of the authors who are of the opinion that due to social inequality and stratification to social classes, we are unable to be equal with regard to attainment of educational and professional success. As such, some classes are favored compared to others (Nash, 2012, pg. 96). This concept is well articulated in Jencks’ book; ‘inequality’. Boudon, another sociologist appreciates that primary factor such as an individual’s intelligence level matters when it comes to attainment. However, he is also alienated to the fact that this primary effect is the only determining factor. According to him, secondary factors such as an individual’s social class play a role in determining attainment (Ishida & Slater, 2009, p. 114). Contradicting opinions Various scholars have however defeated the reasoning that social class, family background, and gender should be a determinant to an individual’s success. According to Capel and Turner, certain education systems such as the GCSE are designed in such a manner that social classes and gender cannot affect attainment in whatsoever manner. Attainment is expected to retain Constance in such an education system (Capel & Turner, 2013, p. 158). However, there is conflicting information where a different writer opines that all though educational attainment might be among the best indicators of differentiating social classes, there are other important variables such as employment and income generation which need to be considered (Ming, 2007, p. 71). Conclusion It is therefore a fact, after considering the various research findings, that social classes do have an impact on attainment whether it is educational or not (Biddle, 2014, p. 213). This is greatly due to the inequality brought about through the social divisions. Social and cultural aspects also play a major role in attainment, according to Bourdieu’s theory (Weis & Dolby, 2012, p. 108). Despite the fact that many governments still develop policies and procedures that could assist alleviate citizens from stratification, it is still visible and far from ending. As a result, there has been excessive social bias including in the field of education and economic development (Ritterband, 1978, p. 22). The education system ought to be designed in a manner that maximizes a country’s resources meant for education, so as to create a balance between the different sociological imbalances. Students from lower-class backgrounds ought to be given an equal chance, even if it means additional resources to ensure lesser social class effects. References Andersen, M. & Taylor, H. 2007. Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society –Updated. South Africa: Cengage Learning Publishers. Biddle, B. 2014. Social Class, Poverty and Education. New Jersey: Routledge Publishers. Bryce, T. & Humes, W. 2003. Scottish Education: Post-Devolution. London: Edinburgh University Publishers. Capel, S. & Turner, T. 2013. Readings for Learning to Teach in the Secondary School: A Comparison to M Level Study. London: Routledge Publishers. Ishida, H. & Slater, H. 2009. Social class in Contemporary Japan: Structures, Sorting and Strategies. London: Routledge Publishers. Mifflin, H. 2015. Types of Social Classes of People. Retrieved on 06th December 2015 from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/social-and-global-stratification/types-of-social-classes-of-people Ming, W. 2013. The Oxford Handbook of Social Class in Counseling. United States: Oxford University Press. Nash, R. 2012. Explaining Inequalities in School Achievement: A Realistic Analysis. New York: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Paterson, L. & Iannelli, C. 2005. Social Class and Educational Attainment: A Comparative study of England, Wales and Scotland. ESRC Research Project. Ritterband, P. 1978. Education, Employment and Migration: Israel in Comparative Perspective. New York: California University Press. Schied, T. & Brown, T. 2009. A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social context, Theories and Systems. New York: Cambridge Press. Smelser, N. 2013. Sociological Theory – A Contemporary View: How to Read, Criticize and Do theory. New York: Quid Pro Books Publications. Trueman, C. 2015. Social Class and Achievement. Retrieved from the History Learning Site, 06th December 2015 from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/sociology/education-and-sociology/social-class-and-achievement/ Tyler, W. 2012. The Sociology of Educational Inequality (RLE Edu L). London: Routledge Publishers Limited. Weis, L. & Dolby, N. 2012. Social Class and Education: Global Perspectives. New Jersey, Routledge Publishers. Read More