Please post the opening paragraphs of your essay. Remember, you can write your essay in 1st person or 3rd person. Either way, just “throw strikes.” Generally, your thesis statement should appear at the end of the first paragraph (literally, the last line). But if you open with a long, personal anecdote, you may want to put your thesis statement at the close of the second paragraph.
Your thesis statement should be sophisticated and detailed enough to sustain 4-5 double-spaced (typed) pages. Read your thesis statement out-loud and to yourself several times. If it appears too broad, simplistic, or fairly obvious, then re-write it!
Remember, your thesis statement should “point to” or “lead into” any one of the numerous essays in Class Matters. Finally, is your thesis statement really what you want to write about for several pages?
Social mobility is literally defined as, “the ability of individuals or groups to move within a social hierarchy with changes in income, education, occupation, etc” (Dictionary). Knowing this, how do we decide where we stand in this social hierarchy? This is not an easily answered question. Some possible influences include family background, location of residence, family income, and other factors. In order to decide which of these are the true aspects of one’s personal definition of social class, we can examine a person’s “Twin Pillars of Success” (Wilkerson 230). According to Isabel Wilkerson, the author of “A Success Story That’s Hard to Duplicate”, the twin pillars include human capital, which is “a person’s education, job credentials, and employability” and social capital, which is “emotional support and encouragement from a reliable stakeholder in one’s life” (230). Due to the fact that there are a multitude of influences in one’s social standing, it is very difficult for a person to move upwards in the social hierarchy.
Sarah V
According to the Department of Education, 41% of low-income students entering a four-year college manage to graduate in five years compared to the 66% of students who come from high-income families (Leonhardt 89). Recently, the continually widening gap between these two statistics has become a noticeable and significant issue. Why is this change occurring? There is no easy answer to this question, but researchers have discovered numerous factors pertaining to the issue. People from low-income families are more likely to drop out of college than people from high-income families because of certain factors such as not being academically prepared in high school, lack of emotional preparation from family members, the need of personal funding, lack of interest in the college’s major options, and not fitting in socially.
Lauren S
Being classified as middle class, can both help and hinder the way my life is lived. Ideally, I will always be living comfortably- a fairly decent amount of money, a college education, and a strong familial base. However, I will never be able to afford an Ivy League education without financial aid, nor will I have a very high chance of being accepted to such wealthy schools because of my middle class status. My parents have experienced the middle-class life and pass down ideas, morals, and habits, which I will eventually pass to my children. Social class is nothing more than a cycle, which is nearly impossible to break.
In the article “The Education Gap,” David Brooks insists that “educated parents not only pass down economic resources to their children, they pass down expectations, habits, knowledge and cognitive abilities. Pretty soon you end up with a hereditary meritocratic class that reinforces itself generation after generation” (par. 8). This cycle is true in all social classes, whether it is upper- or lower class. Due to familial support, education, self-motivation and other factors, social class is a catch-22 with extremely little mobility to move up in classes.
JoanneA
It is apparent that the world has always been wrought with difficulties pertaining to class. America is known for its “American dream” however achieving it is far from an easy task. The ability to move up in class is based on a combination of talents and various types of capital. Motivation and determination are imperative to the accomplishment of this dream; to elevating oneself to middle class society and higher. Some believe that we all start out on the same plain when we are born, however in my opinion, this isn’t true. Being born into a wealthy family versus a poor family, or a caring family versus an apathetic family can have an enormous impact on the future of a child. Achieving the so-called American dream can take more time than one person has to achieve it, however if a parent is motivated and well on their way toward their goal, the child can pick up where the parent leaves off. Education plays a big role in this. Schools in poorer areas are not always the best equipped to give children a thorough education. When these kids get to college they aren’t ready for the challenge that it creates and they drop out. Parents that never finished high school, let alone college, either don’t realize the importance of education or are acutely aware of it and make sure that their children pursue schooling as far as they are capable of. People who have parents that have built themselves up from poverty are more aware of the difficulties it entails. Some believe that they’ll get their dreams handed to them if they wish for them hard enough, but those who know the struggle are more realistic and therefore more successful. In today’s society, it is clear that class is a sticky thing to rise up through, however with a family that has already worked hard to achieve their own goals, it is easier to achieve your own.
Going back to the time to when our parents and grandparents went to college, the students that went on to higher learning was only left to a fraction of the American population. White upper-middle-class and rich white males dominated the college scene. To make up for the years of suppressing the women and minorities from attending, affirmative action was implemented (95). Fast forwarding to the twenty-first century, affirmative action has ran its course. David Leonhardt explains that “the students at the best colleges may be diverse-male and female and of various colors, religions, and hometowns-but they tend to share an upper-middle-class upbringing”(90). Affirmative action now needs to turn to the public that it ignored, the lower middle class. The youth of this class is often turned off of college because of finical and social capital problems. The need for affirmative action is dwindling as the necessity for economic assistance for low-income college students is on the rise.
Sam N!
In your lifetime, you have always had someone motivating and helping you to achieve your dreams and be a success, these people do not just vanquish when you get into the real world. Most people in our society do not realize that these are the people who set the standards that we all aspire to reach and surpass. Without someone to inspire and encourage you to do better, would you even try at all? These people, whether they are your family, friends, teachers, or even enemies, are your social capital. Living up to the standards set in the your society, whether you are working, middle, or high class, is achieving the American dream; the most crucial factor in achieving this “American Dream”, whether it be graduating high school or pulling yourself out of poverty, is social capital.
Stories of people achieving the American dream can be told thousands of times. The Random House Dictionary defines the American dream as “a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.” One example is Angela Whitaker, who went from living in the Robert Taylor Homes to making more than $80,000 a year. More glamorous stories than Whitaker’s can be seen all over America in the sports or entertainment world, however opportunity in this current era is waning. Peter Daniels explains, “A study by economist Tom Hertz of American University, ‘Understanding Mobility in America’, finds that a child born into a poor family, defined as the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution, has an infinitesimal one-in-a-hundred chance of making it into the top five percent income level”(Daniels, par. 2) People expect America to be full of Horatio Alger stories which portrayed children going from poverty to being a millionaire, but the odds of this occurring have been falling. “Actually, it is about two or three times as difficult for children of poor families to rise above their economic circumstances as economists reckoned in the 1970s and 1980s”(Christian Science Monitor, par. 4). It is now harder to achieve the American dream than it was in the past because classes are now “stickier” due to a college education being more important, geographic isolation, inheritance of the rich, and because of the loss of high-paying, low education jobs.
Have you ever felt like you were not good enough to attain a certain goal in life? Many Americans in today’s society believe that they are trapped in the social class that they were born into. In “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Charlie realizes an important value of life: “So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there” (Chbosky 211). I fully believe that if a person has enough human, social, and cultural capital, then upward mobility is achievable. As long as your mind is set to do something, anything is possible.
In our culture we tend to measure success by wealth, status and happiness. No matter how much motivation or education a person may have, from a psychological standpoint, without a friend they can not truly be successful, because they can not be happy. This social capital is one of the four main components of most success stories along with human, economic and cultural capital. While all of the forms of capital are important to human development, social capital has proven to be the most outwardly influential in my life as well as other people with strong wills to achieve their dreams. Looking back now, I see how much of where I am headed, and even where I am today, comes from everything my parents and other people who have believed in me have done to show me that. Compared to someone lacking this resource, the quality of social capital that a successful individual has can be clearly seen as a crucial part of their journey.
The acceptance of students into colleges based on characteristics other than their intelligence is simply unfair to those who are more deserving of the position. The term Affirmative Action was introduced in the early reconstruction era, around the same time as the initiating of the Fourteenth Amendment. It [Affirmative Action] refers to the “Employment programs required by federal statutes and regulations designed to remedy discriminatory practices in hiring minority group members [ … ] to remedy lingering effects of past discrimination, and to create systems and procedures to prevent future discrimination” (Farlex). Although this law was organized with good intentions, I believe that it does nothing but take a turn in the opposite direction relating our present actions back to past discriminatory records which should be irrelevant. As colleges continue this practice, many students, as well as myself are angered at its devious tactics to turn down those more deserving and to permeate today’s society with even more racial discrimination. What the government needs to do is direct attention to the real problem which questions them of a better alternative.
Going through high school I was always told how important a college education is to getting a good, well-paying job. I was also told not to worry about the cost of higher education because financial aid will help. I heard that it did not matter what school you went to, the financial aid will take care of the difference. So, when I got my acceptance letters, I was excited to find out how much financial aid I had received. I earned good grades in high school, so I was not surprised when I skimmed the financial aid paper and it seemed like most of the ridiculous costs were covered. To my dismay, a closer look discovered the financial aid package consisted mostly of loans. The loans make it plausible to pay for college eventually, but it does not actually do what I had always thought financial aid would do. In a country where a degree is crucial for most careers, financial aid in the form of grants needs to be increased to help overcome the disadvantages of lower income students.
Oftentimes, many people believe that if someone is in upper class, they are above everyone else. I do not believe this to be true. I have grown up in lower middle class and have faced many struggles. My parents have had to make many sacrifices (some not by choice). Although I was not born into a wealthy family, I believe that I am a classy, strong-willed, confident individual. I may not own much money now, but I have the drive and motivation to be very successful in the future. Today in society, everyone is labeled based on how much money he is or is not making. There are people in lower class who have much more drive and appreciation for anything they do than those in upper class who take it for granted. Motivation, hard work, support, and rearing should determine the value of an individual—not his social status.
America is a place where all people are supposed to be equal, but social class has created divisions in our society. Unfortunately social class has become the backbone of American society, where being upper-class gives a person the “upper hand” in many situations. In order for some people to feel secure and happy, they feel that they need to move up in the social ladder. There is such an emphasis on class and how much money a person has that people will try all of their lives to make a small step from lower middle class to just middle class, and they will have to work hard to stay there. Social class in America is sticky and not guaranteed, and it is extremely hard to move up social classes in this society, to stay in that social class, and to feel comfortable in that social class if one makes it that far.
Over the past generations, our world has transformed itself from a once skill based economy to become increasingly more knowledge based. This has lead higher education to become not only preferred in the work force but a necessity. Anywhere you go, it seems a degree will make or break your application. Opportunities open up for the individual who has recently finished four years at a nearby university, opposed to the other just as skilled individual who has just graduated high school. Unfortunately, this transformation has made a change in not only economic status, but social status as well. Our society has become divided into those with a degree and those without, and those with the degrees are the ones stepping up in life. Almost any statistic you will look at shows college graduates continually doing better than those only at a secondary learning level. Therefore, education, along with the other aspects of human capital, has become the gateway to opportunity and the new requisite for a successful life.
More and more low-income college students are dropping out every year. It has become a growing pandemic across The United States. Many Americans like the instant gratification of a job right out of high school, than taking the time to get a college degree first and then getting a job. According to David Leonhardt, author of “The College Dropout Boom”, “college education matters much more now than it once did” (90). Having a college education is the key to living a middle-class; it brings a sense of normality to life. Leonhardt also says, “only 41 percent of low income students entering a four-year college manage to graduate within five years” (89). This statistic has been on an alarming downward trend since the 1960’s. Many low-income students withdraw from college because for many reasons; they are not prepared academically, the illusion of not having enough money, not enough support from their social capital and more.
As Charles McGrath explains in his New York Times article, “In fiction, a Long History of Fixation on the Social Gap”, he says,
((Indent)) There is an un-American secret at the heart of American culture: for a long time, it was preoccupied by class. That preoccupation has diminished somewhat -or been sublimated – in recent years as we have subscribed to an all-purpose, mass-market version of the American dream, but it hasn’t entirely disappeared. The subject is a little like a ne’er-do-well relative; it’s sometimes a shameful reminder, sometimes openly acknowledged, but always there, even, or especially, when it’s never mentioned. (McGrath 193) ((End ndentation))
In America’s past people were consumed by the reality and notion of social class. The population was so consumed by it because the author’s were honest in what they wrote. But in today’s society social class is watered down and buried under the vast amounts of pop culture.
Perceptions of social class and upward mobility are quite pessimistic in today’s society, as it is often labeled as “sticky”, and nearly impossible to overcome. However, no matter what class you are born into, the ticket to upward social mobility seems to be education. New York Times columnist David Brooks articulates, “…college is the gateway to opportunity. Crucial life paths are set at age 18, which means family and upbringing matter more” (Brooks, par. 6). Although in an ideal situation everyone has the opportunity to go to college, the reality is much more flawed: the trend in modern American post-secondary education has seen large increases in the dropout rates of lower income students, mainly due to lack of multiple types of capital. One of the main reasons for such large dropout rates is academic incompetence, often times the fault of badly prepared or funded high schools, and other social matters, like difficult or dangerous home lives, or unjust responsibility, like Nicholas Whitiker inherited.
According to renowned psychologist, Abraham Maslow, the human psyche can be broken down into a series of levels of need—often interpreted as a pyramid—with the bottom layer representing the most basic, physiological needs, like food, water, and air. In theory, if these basic needs are missing, an individual will prioritize and strive for them first, putting the topmost levels, like self-esteem and self-actualization, out of their minds. This theory is epitomized through the Whitiker family, who put ‘middle-class’ priorities, like education, on hold in order to strive for a sense of safety and stability within their lives. Therefore, it can be said that the ease with which an individual obtains an education, and therefore, societal success, often directly corresponds to their social class, as well as their level of fulfillment of basic needs.
My mother, Randi Salkowitz, is the smartest woman I know. She has a well-paying job, a put-together family, and a strong marriage. It seems like every accomplishment is a breeze for her. However, she did not always have the things she has today. My mother grew up in a poorer area of West Philadelphia with two older siblings and her parents. They lived in a tiny row-home barely big enough for the five of them. While she loved her father, he was a sort of stand-offish person and did not have the best of jobs. Because of this, her mother had to work extra hard to support the family. My mom attended George Washington High School, a decent but run-down school in the city. She remembers she never felt like she fit in because of the clothes she wore and the lack of money she had. However, she had one thing over all of the other students—her intelligence and willingness to challenge herself in school. She always took advanced placement and honors level courses and promised herself she would work hard so that some day she could achieve a better life for herself.
Growing up my mom always knew one thing. She would go to college. When I asked what motivated her to go, she replied, “It was just understood.” She was able to attend Temple University as a commuter student through several part-time jobs, inheritance money, and financial aid. Many low-income students give up on higher education because they fear the debt they will have built when they graduate. However, with the right financial aid, academic competence, and practical competence, a person can rise from poverty through a college education and make their way into the middle class. Many financial aid programs and scholarship opportunities are available to students who are struggling to raise money for college. Academic competence is important because a well-educated student is more-likely to survive in college and obtain a stable career. Lastly, practical competence is the drive that every person needs to asses their situation and make the decision to alter their lives.
Today studies show that women are more likely to be poor then men and single families are usually poorer than most married couples (Wirtz). In today social class is determined by how you were education, what social class you grew up in and what job you have. Due to the stickiness of the American Class System it is harder for a black single woman with a child to get out of poverty then I white woman. Even thought in today’s society we are considered equal it is not always true when it comes to social class
My high school years were far from typical, I got to experience true diversity. I started the ninth grade at Schenley High School, a Pittsburgh Public School, because I was involved in a magnet program through Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. I was the minority, not only because of my color but also because of my suburban life style. Both of my parents completed college and my father is a very successful businessman. I had an abundant amount of opportunities, which I became even more thankful for when I realized the situation of the majority of my classmates. Going in to eleventh grade I decided to go back to my town’s high school, a typical suburban school. That first day back was a cultural shock. The teachers were involved and all of my classmates were focused whereas at Schenley the students would lark and the teachers would give up. The cities schools are truly failing. They need to be given the same chance as the higher social classes and that is not the case. As much pain I feel for this situation it is unfair because there are many students whose parents are middle to upper middle class and the deserving students are penalized because no one will help them, neither the government, college, or their parents. This group of students is stuck when it comes to financially supporting their education, and they are overlooked in all aspects of help. Financial disbursement today is typically based on economic need rather then the accomplishments of the student, which creates an unfair circumstance for those students stuck with successful parents unable or unwilling to help them.
The famous author, F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have once remarked to his friend Earnest Hemmingway, “The rich are very different from you and I.” To which, Hemmingway sarcastically replied, “Yes, they have more money.” Or so the story goes. But true or not, there remains merit to the words spoken by these great literary figures. For even in today’s society, where class is no longer as easily visually recognized, and social lines continue to blur, there remains something else separating the rich from the poor. More than just financial security, those of lower class also lack the knowledge to rise in a society run by the ways of the wealthy and therefore, ultimately, are destined to remain in the class they are born.
New cars, large homes, and fine dining are just some of the things that people long for. However, to obtain those items, you need to have money. People in today’s society are all looking for the same thing in life: to become successful so that they can have the money to spend on things that they want and need. Most individuals would agree that having a good career and a stable lifestyle would mean they have reached some degree of success. Although upward mobility rarely happens and is extremely difficult, I believe that it is possible to become successful. In order to reach this goal you need to have a good amount of human, social, and cultural capital. Without determination, support, and expectations for yourself, it is nearly impossible for anyone to live the life that they want.
Where as earlier generations may have met less resistance in attainment of their successes without a college education, it is far more unlikely that today’s generation will meet a successful future with the same amount of ease. Because of the change in the role of a college education, parents of the young adult generation who lack a college education, or who were taught that it is unnecessary, may actually be hindering their children by not teaching them the four pillars of cultural capital. These pillars, which are academic competence, practical competence, economic confidence, and social confidence, are lacking in the current college drop-outs of America (Brooks 1). The parents of these young adults provide the sole source for information regarding the aforementioned four pillars, and if their parents are lacking the education and knowledge themselves, is it far more implausible that their children will succeed. If success in life is measured by the amount of money that someone makes and the social class they are in, then the ability and probability that someone will succeed manifests in their adolescence.
AmandaS
Social class in America is a clear rift in the amount of money, education, and overall capital a person, or family has. For some social status is not seen as a big deal, for others it is all that matters. Money has always been a huge controversy. Money ensures education, pays the bills, and creates stability. Families that have little money and live in poverty experience many hardships and are given only a small chance to increase their income. The journey to jump social classes is difficult at best, and complete success is very rare. The reason the climb up the social ladder is virtually impossible because it requires all of these components: cultural capital, education, and time.
In today’s economy, three basic capitals thrive throughout all social classes including social, human, and cultural which drive and construct one’s own perseverance, determination, and moral standards. Although all three are key in one’s success and accomplishments throughout life, social capital has the most impact on an individual. The people that one encounters during their everyday life set standards, provide advice or encouragement, and help to shape that person to who they grow up to be. Social capital provides a support system that ultimately helps many to grow and succeed in life and can be shown through statistics and examples including, Angela Whitiker, Dan Crouteau and myself.
Have you ever thought about how a person would climb out of poverty or how possible it would be to move up in a social class? This question is one that many Americans are currently experiencing first hand. The desire for social eminence is one that is shared by most Americans, but unfortunately the journey to the top of the social ladder takes much more effort today, than it ever has before. Success stories like that of Angela Whitiker’s financial triumph out of poverty are becoming less common (Keller 230). There are many factors that add to the difficulties in reaching success and the extreme differences in social classes are not helping the problem along. In today’s society, the gap between social classes is ever widening.
The class to which a person identifies with defines much of how others perceive and treat them. For this reason most people struggle to categorize themselves as middle class, even if their income and social stature may not support that status. There are various theories on how to break down the social classes, especially the middle class, since; it is a broad group with fluctuating borders. Can ones social status be determined simply by social and human capital, or are there other factors which contribute? The exact definition of this class is an indefinite concept, which is continuously changing with today society.
Often in life we have to deal with uncertainties and disappointment. In my hometown of Ashland, Ohio, the Hospira factory has been making pharmaceutical products since the seventies. In 2006, however, the factory shut down due to unforeseen circumstances within the company’s union. This resulted in hundreds of workers losing their jobs. Many of these working class men and women did not have any sort of education past high school if even that far. Now they are left unemployed and helpless as the fresh-out-of-college graduates fly past them in the job market. The downfall of the economy is only leading to the downgrading of many Americans in the job market as well as their social class.
It is possible to move yourself up in social class with the right amount of social capital, human capital, cultural capital and economic capital. Though the move from one social class to another requires all four capitals (with the amounts varying from person to person), it is definitely possible. With today’s society, the social class you live in completely defines the way you live. However, just as the amount of education standards have raised and the difficulty in finding a good well paying jobs to meet everyone’s wants and needs has gotten harder, the amount of opportunities have also increased. There is definitely enough opportunities out there one just needs the personal will power and the emotional support from others to do so. Just as the amount of capitals needed differs from person to person, the personal goals and view of a “good life” also varies among people. This means that one person’s goals may be easier to attain than others, however, all goals still require all four capitals to attain. No matter what goals one has, social class is a key factor in the living conditions one has. According to Bill Keller “class can be, literally, a matter of life and death (Keller XIII).
I can remember the days when my father would take us on four-day vacations to Lancaster Pennsylvania, or “Dutch Country”. We stay in nice hotels, visiting tourist attractions in the nearby area, spending well over a thousand dollars in a week. Coming from our modest background, I sometimes wondered how my father was able to select a week out of the year and splurge to that extent. But he could, and it was all because of his dependable job. It was a job that he had secured for 25 years, a job that provided us with everything that we had. I remember those days, that job. However that job seems like a long time ago.
Many middle-aged workers such as my dad, and Jeff Martinelli find it hard to maintain a solid, well-playing job without a college degree (No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle, Timothy Egan). They are inherently put at a disadvantage because of their background or the culture that they were raised in, a culture that dismissed the importance of a college degree. “For a guy like me with no college, it’s become pretty bleak out there” says Martinelli (106). “Unfortunately, it is clear that middle-aged workers are being unjustly forced out of their lifelong careers because of the absence of a college degree.
Some of the articles I have read in Class Matters describe lower class citizens who have risen from poverty. I personally believe that if a person is equip with the correct tools that they can move upward in class, and stories such as Conservatives believe that the most important factor in upward mobility is marriage and the presence of a strong social capital. David Brooks outlined in his article ‘Pillars Of Cultural Capital’ that cultural capital such as academic competence, practical competence, economic confidence, and social confidence are the most important factors in lower class citizens taking the initiate and being able to move upward in class. I happen to believe that the most crucial element of the equation is human capital. I have found that in most of the stories we have read from Class Matters people with college degrees will succeed and people with out college degree with not. I believe that a college degree and human capital is the most important factor in upward mobility in today’s society.
Growing up in a family of well-educated people, college has always been a part of my life plan. I watched my brother excel in school and get accepted into a top-notch university. My parents both have college degrees and successful jobs. The town I grew up in and the schools I attended were full of other kids like me; born into educated families and expected to go to college one day. Considering where and how I grew up, I learned from an early age that receiving a college degree meant great things in life: more money, better jobs, and a more appealing lifestyle. However, most low-income students do not have the resources like I had to help them prepare for college As the gap between the rich and poor widens, low-income students are finding that staying in college is the hardest part of all. Leonhardt suggests that “In this system, the students at the best colleges may be diverse—male and female and of various colors, religions, and hometowns—but they tend to share an upper-middle-class upbringing” (90). I believe that students who are of lower-income generally have a harder time making it through college based on their family’s class and upbringing.
In a society where wealth is equated to worth, and higher education serves as the “front door” to success, a select few reign supreme. The United States exemplifies such a society. The rich minority live in the lap of luxury, while the many unfortunate individuals who find themselves in lower social class, struggle to make ends meet. To add to this disheartening reality, statistics show that the gap between the middle to upper social class and the lower class continues to widen. In essence, the rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer. Much debate surrounds the solution to the United States’ socioeconomic problem. Many see upward mobility, or climbing the social “ladder”, as attainable solely through hard work and dedication. Conservatives see marriage as a way out of poverty, and sociologists attribute the climb to human and social capital. However, the people of low social class alone cannot carry the burden of closing the economic gap amongst Americans. Rather it is the responsibility of the government use its power to assist in the upward mobility of the poor.
According to the overly-used, uncannily precise yet perpetually wrong internet I travel a mere 1,922.1 ground miles (approximately) every time I step out of the front door of my birth home and step into my dorm room. Clearly this cross-country trek is one time-consuming, money-inhaling aspect to my already hectic and ever-changing life as a college student yet it is not the only facet that has caused stress and heartache. Of course economics comes largely and often most obviously into play when college is the subject but deep beneath the surface are sacrifices of a completely different kind that are equally as important. Once my family and I took thorough consideration into finances, we acquired an issue of a different sort: Was I mentally ready to delve into a land of independence previously unheard of? Were all my non-fiscal affairs in order, and was I ready to make the sacrifices necessary to success? With the help of an outside, paid college counselor and a plethora of surveys and seminars I was fully aware (or so I thought) of what I was getting myself into. That being said, I would have never given the time to title the individual sacrifices I had to make had the issue of class and college not come up as a course subject in school. What exactly does it take to fashion a successful college career and what exactly are the kinds of sacrifices every individual makes in order to come out on top?
According to a combination of viewpoints, a person’s success in any part of life is entirely dependent upon the amount of capital said person possesses. Capital can be quickly compared to words such as economical, financial, and fiscal, yet for the subject of personal achievement it is so much more than that. True, money plays an immense part in life, but what about all that psychological gibberish so often spoken about? Motivation, good judgment, people skills, and a positive attitude definitely don’t categorize as financial, neither do human emotional support, or even academic and practical competence or social and economic confidence. So how exactly do these aspects classify when it comes to capital? According to Isabel Wilkerson in “A Success Story That’s Hard to Duplicate,” “sociologists describe [these] as the twin pillars of success: human capital and social capital” (230). While human capital and social capital define an important part of a success story, David Brooks (author of “The Education Gap and “Pillars of Cultural Capital”) finishes the recipe by adding the idea of “cultural capital.” So there you have it: the four glowing facets of success: economic capital, human capital, social capital, and cultural capital. Taking specific consideration into the thought of college, these four components are undeniably applicable to the successful completion of higher education, but do these categories exist amongst the sacrifices necessary to degree attainment?
Almost everyone has dreams and aspirations that they want to achieve in their life. Whether it is to graduate from college or move up a class in society, most Americans would do whatever it takes to rise to the top of the social hierarchy. However, success is harder for some than others. There are many factors that can affect your social status. Many success stories are driven by factors known as human capital, social capital, and cultural capital. . A combination of these three can determine and stabilize your future. The stories in “Class Matters,” for example, prove that everyone has their own struggles and obstacles that they must face in order to achieve their dream. Theoretically, no matter who you are or where you come from, you can achieve anything you set your mind too. Even though as Americans were are not financially or socially equal, we all have the opportunity to do our best. We need to discover our inner confidence and determination and against all odds; succeed. Anyone can rise into a new social class, no matter how “sticky” society is, through human capital, social capital, and cultural capital.
AliciaP
In today’s society, a college education is becoming the standard for most entry-level positions across the country (Jameson, par. 1). Unfortunately, the growing gap between solid middle-class America and those below the poverty line continues to segregate the educations available to secondary school graduates. As a native of rural Indiana, I grew up among mostly farming families and families operating their own businesses. The expectation for these teenagers after high school is to stay home and work the farm or store full-time. College is rarely even an option, whether it is a financial or labor issue. Without a bachelor’s degree, those who live this way find it difficult to start a career or return to school after they have fallen into the rut of bills, work, and more bills. I was among the few individuals who grew up in my area as a member of the upper middle class. I lived in a private subdivision on the outskirts of town, and grew up learning things like playing the piano, tango dancing, and tennis. In high school, I went away to boarding school outside of Indianapolis, a major metropolitan center. There, the expectations were completely different. Even the lowest of the lower class knew that college was essential in order to achieve personal gain. Everything a teenager did was to prepare for their college entrance examinations and interviews. Unfortunately, the stark contrast in my adolescent experiences represents the current trend in American social hierarchy, and the crucial problem it arouses. Those who are privileged enough to attend college are setting that as the social norm, while those who are not are falling even further behind.