Social_Class

If there is one thing that influences success more than anything that everyone carries from the first day of kindergarten, it must be social class. Family’s social class is generally measured by parent’s education, income, and type of profession. And it is the most significant factor in determining a children education path. Children with more educated parents and higher income are more likely to perform well at schools, pursue higher education, have healthier lives, and live longer; while poorer children are more likely to die sooner, be uninsured, and suffer health problems. The social class we are born into could determine our health, our life expectancy, and our opportunities to succeed in life. “My children have no extra books, no magazines, no extra pencils, or crayons, or paper and the most important of all, they do not have health.” The quote from the article “What Is Poverty'” written by Jo Goodwin Parker shows how lower class parents think about their kids that go to school. Thinking about their level of education and what they really want to do with their lives must be luxury for them, because they face a matter of simple survival in daily lives. The social class of one’s family either helps children succeed or limits their opportunities. “We may believe that anyone can succeed through hard work and determination, but the facts say otherwise.” This quote is from “Confronting Inequality” written by Paul Krugman. This line indicates that in reality, the hard work and will power are not strong enough to overcome the pre-existing family social class. I was actually the one who was innocent enough to believe that life is pretty fair and everyone can achieve their dream and potential as long as they work harder than other people. But one day, looking at the grade ranking in the school, I was surprised when I figured out that all of the top ten students lived in the same richest neighborhood around school and they had good family backgrounds. It was the first moment when I realized that life might be unfair because it’s based on the social classes. I didn’t get to know all of the top ten people, but most of them were my friends and the number one of my school was my boyfriend. My boyfriend had parents who both graduated from the top university in Korea, Seoul National University. His father was a dentist and his mother was a Korean professor. It was no wonder he grew up under rich educational support where he was exposed to a larger vocabulary and had access to tutor that better prepare him for school. When he talked about his childhood, I was shocked because he had totally different one from mine. During his childhood, he used to have multiple tutors from different countries to teach him various subject: English, French, math, social studies, and etc. Even after tutoring, he read one book a day with his parents before bedtime. He finished the complete series of world literature, the complete works of Shakespeare, History of Three States, Greek and Roman mythology when he was 11 years old. He had a wide range of knowledge which was accumulated over a long period of time from reading and various cultural experiences such as international museum visits, abroad trips, and etc. When I threw out a random question, he would answer almost every time. Also, in his free time, he said he played a golf or tennis which I never thought about because it was rare for a kid to learn those kinds of sports. In high school, he was known to be not only a smart kid but also a jock. On the other hand, I had one of my friends who was smart and worked hard, but couldn’t be dedicated herself to only studying because she had so many personal and family stuff to take care of. She was born to poor parents, and her father was a severe alcoholic. I was surprised when she told me about her family background because I never imagined that such a bright kid would have that kind of a dark past. She looked a well-beloved kid. On the contrary to this, actually she was a child head of household who bore a heavy burden on her shoulder. Even though she had to take care of her sick father and work to supplement the living expenses, she still managed to be ranked above 30th place most of the time. But when she had to do extra work, she just couldn’t balance school and work well enough, so her grade ranking dropped harshly. I think if she was born in a higher social class family where her job is only studying, she could’ve been number one at my school. The Korean exam requirements to enter university tend to change every time the head of the education board changes. This meant that it was pertinent to not only study hard, but also get the newest university exam information as much as they can, and as fast as possible. To get the most accurate information, the family had to consult a private academy or researchers that major in university exam requirements, which requires a lot of money. Since just studying for the university exam was burdening enough, it was impossible for the student to go out and find out about the new exam requirement information. There was an annual seminar hosted by the private academy to talk about what the universities require and the entrance fee for this seminar was very expensive. In order to succeed, the full attention to the university exam requirements were needed. So, the parents’ roles become very important in the way that they have to manage their child from the sidelines, while the child dedicates himself/herself to studying. The reason why the top ten students from my school lived around each other is because of the exchange of information that frequently takes place within that neighborhood. “It’s no surprise that schools in wealthy communities are better than those in poor communities, or that they better prepare their students for desirable jobs.” The quote from “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon also demonstrates that the neighborhood has a great impact on how well children perform at school. Those kids who don’t have any advantages couldn’t be as prepared as higher income kids on the first day of school because rich students have head starts. And these disadvantages limit their progress in their education and could lead to drop in high school. Parents with more income and wealth are able to give their children opportunities that lower class children can’t afford like providing more extra-curricular activities and experiences, such as swimming or music lessons that build self-confidence. Students of lower class are more often aware of their social class then the students of upper class. They see what the upper class friends have that they don’t have. Children with higher self-esteem are better able to interact with friends and teachers, do better in school, and receive more education. Children with low self-esteem tend to avoid anything that may make reveal their flaws. Because of this, they don’t take on any challenges that may bring rewards. Education can be an important factor in escaping poverty and making a better life. Unfortunately, educational performance is more likely based on the class of background. And it is often children from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to quit school early and perform at school poorly. They face disadvantages including constant worries about money and managing part-time jobs alongside their studies, anxiety about whether they will be able to keep up in class, and families who can’t offer advice. It is possible for them to do excellent in their studies, but the problem is that they should be highly motivated and work harder to achieve this. And it is much better when the student can have the support from the family.