Week 4 Peer Responses

Engagement/ Participation: Respond to two of your classmates’

Distinguished - Contributes to classroom conversations with at least the minimum number of replies, all of which were thoughtful, relevant, and contributed meaningfully to the conversation. Fully engages in the conversation with appropriate topic-based responses.

Proficient - Contributes to classroom conversations with the minimum number of replies that are somewhat thoughtful, relevant, and contributed meaningfully to the conversation. Attempts to fully engage in the conversation with appropriate topic-based responses.

Peer Responses must be written as though you are speaking with the classmate, having a conversation that goes back and forth and expresses whether or not you agree or disagree with their point-of-view on the topic.

Week 4 - Discussion 1: Social Institutions

E. Jackson: Peer # 1

Education and the economy are two of the institutions we are discussing, the many societal institutions are related to one another.  This means that problems and challenges in one institution tends to create problems and challenges in another institution .  For instance, as the Georgetown study suggest, recent problems in the economy have created challenges for those entering the employment market.  Delays in securing employment may affect when an individual decides to get married and start a family.  New graduates who can't get decent jobs may return to their parents home instead of establishing their own household.  For working and lower class students higher education is an unavoidable passageway into middle class (Stevens, Armstrong, & Arum, 2008).  Although college is a means of social mobility for some, for many others reproduce inequality.  Haveman and Smeeding (2006) and Julian (2012) documented some of the important class differences in higher education. 

Bourdieu (1977) argued that children from middle- and upper class backgrounds have a greater amount of social capital and are therefore more successful in school.  These kids adjust more easily and more likely to be familiar with the cultural arrangements and social expectation of the school system.  Moreover, they are more likely to have extensive educational resources such as technology and books in their homes (Perry & Perry, 2003).  Lareau (1987) found that regardless of their social class, and upper class families are better  equipped to interact with the teachers and make meaningful connection to the school system.

My personal opinion on how I would change everyone would have the same education meaning there would be no more hand me down books because your labeled as lower class middle class and upper class the lower class got the middle class books and the middle class got the upper class books and the upper class got the new books every class would get the same book at the same time it shouldn't matter what your family incomes is if we are all getting the same education.

Durkin, K. F., & Carrothers, R. M. (2015).  Sociology: Beyond common sense  [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

· This text is a ConstellationTM course digital materials (CDM) title.

A Mornes: Peer # 2

Social Institutions-

 

Based on what you have read in the text, describe at least two institutions that do not provide equal access? If you were asked to implement changes from a sociological perspective, what changes would you suggest? Support your answer with detailed examples.

 

Based on the text provided, the two institutions I believe that does not provide equal access, would be Education institutions and Health Care. There are no surprises how the education systems operate according to society and how it works. Since years ago the education system has given the more “smart and advanced” students and higher education is or more access is offered. Since students that the system deemed to be with a lower ability, then they are given less effort and standards are reduced, yet leaving them greater expectations to do better. The labeling of the students to me would be somewhat of degrade, and some students adapted to what they are being called or expected, and tend to act out in that manner. School funding I think as attributed to this behavior. Since it is based on property taxes, those that live in a more upscale area tend to be funded more for the children, than those of poorer school districts. Which in return, have a higher turnover in teachers and staff and hire teachers with less qualifications. This impacts the performance of the students.

If I were asked to implement changes, I would suggest teachers that are more qualified be hired in districts where students have some advantages. I would see that students are treated equal despite of their race or gender. African Americans are almost two times more likely than Whites to drop out of high school. Hispanics have a dropout rate that is almost triple that of White students (Durkin & Carrothers, 2015). If possible, try to get teachers paid better for some kind of compensation of what they mean to us. They are with our children 7-9 hours a day, and since they have the degree, then for them to put every effort in for the better outcome of our children.

 

 

Health care is the second that does not have equal access. Jobs often offer insurance for health care but the rates and premiums are almost impossible to afford. Since the government has started to penalize citizens for not having insurance most are forced although incomes or finances are low and only have enough to barely survive. I was forced to decline my own insurance with the company I currently occupy and decided to go with my spouses insurance, and with that, it’s a surcharge that other companies charge for declining ones own insurance and using their insurance. Ruess (2007) stated, “There is a strong relationship between health and social class-as a social class decreases, so does health in nearly all categories”. Depending on your status determines how you are able to afford insurance despite the fact that you are still exposed to sickness and disease. With most unable to afford, often public health facilities are filled or have long waiting times.

I believe if I was asked to implement changes, I would have suggest having rates lowered or have a family package that would be based on income of the families. Because the more basic your package is determines what type of benefits are extended. Sometimes deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses are ridiculous to meet. Or give some special type of coverage for those that meet the poverty lines and have certain diseases that could cause death, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers and aids. With the adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) and its implementation in 2014, the hope is that these health gaps among the poor will shrink in size (Durkin & Carrothers, 2015).

 

Reference

 

Durkin, K. F., & Carrothers, R. M. (2015).  Sociology: Beyond common sense  [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Week 4- Discussion 2-

Current Social Issues: Educational Inequality

B Tribble: Peer # 1-

Many things contribute to the quality of education creating inequalities. For instance, in my local area, economy impacts to the education system by not provided enough taxes to fund certain programs to the applicable schools. In larger cities schools with the best grades receive more funding and majority of these schools are in wealthier districts. So, as you can see a key factor is economy providing money to the right schools in the right areas which affect one’s educational needs.

Social class is reproducing through the stagnate nature of schools not trying to fix the problem. Some schools toward the bottom in grades are more likely the poor schools. These schools do not create the best learning environment. This is a problem because as I stated before schools with the best grades get the money to improve their environment. These schools then churn out the same quality of people weather it is lower, middle, or upper class citizens. I am not saying every student isn’t capable of choosing their own path but better schools give better chances of higher education or career chooses.

This in turn continues impacting other social institutions because it continues churning out the same quality people as before. The gap between classes continue to grow as many upper-class people continue to provide money for their educational needs and then get the better jobs. Lower class continue to get the barely their education and struggle to find higher education and jobs. I do see this creating to educational systems that would not allow interclass enrolments thus leading to even more inequality and segregation.

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J Lott :Peer # 2-

Some of the major and obvious factors that influence the quality of education and individual receives is money or affordability. Doing well in high school might get you some scholarships to more prestigious schools if that is what you are after. I’m not one that ahs ever really seen the value in school myself. I’m a proponent of trade or vocational training, or Learning what you need to for your job. The rest of education system is about making sure you can function in society. Society says we have to know so much general knowledge to function. “Better” schools teach a higher class general information that “prepares” their students for that higher class.  Money guiedes “quality” of education but that education doesn’t have to determine our class

 “It is important to place education in its sociological context, to remind us that education is necessary, but not the sole reason for an individual or society’s success. Success is dependent on social class, the formal education of parents, and race, ethnicity and gender. It is also dependent on how important formal education is to a society, and how much it will be willing to invest financially, structurally, and emotionally in education” (Durkin & Carrothers, 2015.

Many who attend lower universities see value in entrepreneurship which creates a class of its own.

The text also states that another problem is that teachers are “teaching to the test”. Education has shifted its focus from even the general info to test specific info. Free time is taken away or limited in elementary schools. Principles are taugh differently to better scores and not for retention.

Reference

Durkin, K. F., & Carrothers, R. M. (2015). Sociology: Beyond common sense [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/