Effects of Societal Inequities on Education - Assignment Example

Effects of Societal Inequities on Education Effects of Societal Inequities on Education Question Differencesamong students, institutional discrimination (including institutional racism) and prejudice on the part of teachers and society all interact in a complex way to lead systemic discrimination. Systemic discrimination is entrenched in all the spheres of life, namely social, political and economic. These systems then become the channels via which discrimination is perpetuated. Systemic discrimination in education, especially on the basis of race, leads the entire society into expecting more from learners of certain races that are deemed superior while expecting very little from learners that belong to “inferior” races. Systemic racism poisons the minds and attitudes of both its perpetrators and victims. The latter may resign into a mindset that tells them they are inferior. By so doing, they open the floodgates of racism even wider. Systemic discrimination leads to unfair school and educational policies when policies are enacted and adopted to advance the interests of one or few groups while suppressing those of other groups. For instance, many black scholars argue that the racial discrimination against African Americans that began during the days of slavery persists to this day. The discrimination has permeated all areas of the American society, including education policy(Lourbert, 2005). Yet, there is much denial in the existence of discrimination against blacks as far as education policy is concerned. Those convinced of the existence of discrimination contend that as long there is denial, the problem is here to stay. Systemic discrimination in schools also leads to and finds manifestation in discipline practices that are heavily influenced by race. A recent report by the National Women’s Law Centre shades light on how discipline decisions are reached in a number of American schools. For instance, for subjective offenses, black girls are punished more frequently than their white counterparts(National Womens Law Centre, 2014). Typically, they are also punished more severely. As the researchers lacked evidence to suggest that African American girls misbehaved more than their white colleagues, the researchers reached the conclusion that these disparities may be based on racism and gender stereotypes on how a female ought to behave. Question 2 The terms prejudice, racism and discrimination are closely related in that discrimination is usually based on prejudice while racism is a form of discrimination based on race. Thus, to answer this question, the short- and long-term effects of discrimination on education will be examined. There are several agents of discrimination in schools. These include teachers and students. In the short-run, discrimination is likely to affect how students value school, their self-concept and performance. Learners who are victims of discrimination on the basis of race or other factors at school and in the community are more likely to perform poorly than their white counterparts(Wong, Eccles, & Belansky , 1996). They are also likely to perceive themselves as being inferior. In addition, they may value school less especially if it is the source of their discrimination. In the longer-term, discrimination is likely to affect adversely the performance of the student who is the victim of discrimination. When discriminated against, a student almost naturally tends to react by withdrawing not just from the perpetrator of the discrimination, but also other members of the school community(Wong, Eccles, & Belansky , 1996). For a student to achieve academically, they need to work closely with their teachers and fellow students in the classroom and outside. By withdrawing from their colleagues and teachers, the student denies themselves the support they need for their school achievement. The situation could be worse if the student suffers discrimination in the community also. In the long-term, discrimination in Americas schools tends to perpetuate the vice nationally. The student who is discriminated against is more likely to discriminate against other people later in life(Wong, Eccles, & Belansky , 1996). This way, the vicious cycle of discrimination continues. Therefore, it is paramount that every American plays their part in bringing discrimination of all forms to an end. Schools especially have an important role to play in this task. It is through schools that children first interact with the wider society. Also, it has been said children learn best in their formative years. Hence, the earlier our schools can train our children to embrace people of diverse ethnic, racial and other backgrounds the better. Question 3 In my professional life, I have several structures that hinder people from realizing their full educational potential. Three of these are explained here. The first one is institutionalized discrimination. Institutional discrimination refers to the phenomenon in which some members of the institution, such as a school, are entitled to certain opportunities, benefits and privileges while other members of the same organization are deprived of these. This situation is possible because the privileged members of the institution wield a lot of power relative to their minority counterparts. Under these circumstances, it is easy for the power holders to promote their interests to the detriment of the minority groups. The second structure isinstitutionalized prejudice. This is a situation where certain beliefs and attitudes are held about and toward certain racial, ethnic, religious or other groups. Many of these beliefs and attitudes are mere stereotypes. However, they have been entrenched into the school system that most people, including victims, hold them to be true. For example, many teachers believe that African American students put less effort into their schoolwork compared to white students, all other factors held constant. As a result, fewer of them realize their full academic potential relative to their white counterparts(Wildhagen, 2012). The third factor I have observed in my professional mainly relates to students. It is the culture of television viewing. From my observations and simple surveys, I have found that there exists an inverse relationship between the quantity of time a student spends on television every day and their academic performance. Overall, students who spend more time in front of the television are more likely to perform poorly in class. On the contrary, those who spend less time watching television perform better. Television viewing promotes a viewing, not reading culture. The latter is desirable if a student is to perform well in their schoolwork. Question 4 The continued institutionalized discrimination in American schools is unacceptable and has to be brought to an end. In this regard, several tools are available to schools and educational leaders to bring about the desired reforms. Two of these will be presented here. The first one is STEM programs. The US Department of Education is convinced that in order to maintain her global economic leadership, the United States must take STEM subjects seriously. Otherwise, the country risks losing that position to emerging economies like China. Yet, in recent years Department has observed the number of students pursuing STEM subjects, namely science, technology, engineering and mathematics fall. Consequently, the Department introduced STEM programs in America’s primary and secondary schools. Besides rejuvenating interest in STEM subjects, the purpose of STEM programs is to encourage girls and students from disadvantaged family backgrounds. Traditionally, girls have tended to shy from these subjects, labeling them hard and a reserve of men. Also, students from disadvantaged backgrounds such as minority ethnic and racial groups. Whereas many schools across the country have initiated STEM programs, there is no guarantee that these programs are engaging disadvantaged learners, who are most vulnerable to systemic discrimination, actively. Thus, the federal government needs to move with speed to enforce this element of STEM programs. The second way in which schools can stamp out discrimination is by adopting practices that aim toward that end. For instance, a mixed race school may require that no two students of the same race sit side by side in the classroom. This practice would teach children to embrace people of backgrounds other than their own. For practices such as this to succeed, it is imperative that the school management commit themselves to them. Without their goodwill, the practices are bound to fail. References Lourbert, L. (2005, July 12). Discrimination in Education Financing. The Review of Black Political Economy, pp. 17-27. National Womens Law Centre. (2014). Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls. New York: National Womens Law Centre. Wildhagen, T. (2012). How Teachers and Schools Contribute to Racial Differences in the Realization of Academic Potential. Teachers College Record, 114(7) 1-27. Wong, C., Eccles, J., & Belansky, E. (1996). The Effects of Perceived Racial Discrimination on African American Students Motivation and School Achievement. Michigan: University of Michigan. Read More