The Relationship of Social Class and Educational Attainment in the US Essay Example for Free

The Relationship of Social Class and Educational Attainment in the US Essay Introduction Social class typically refers to an individual’s position in an established hierarchy in a particular society. Classifications of people have been established in all societies since the dawn of civilization. The hierarchy may be based on wealth, ability, education, occupation, even geographical location. Historically, social class pertains to groupings to refer to occupation or role, i.e. landlord or tenant. Each grouping is accompanied by privileges and responsibilities, with varying levels of control and power within the society.   It also generally carries some type of class identity, so while it applies to individuals, it is not merely a personal characteristic, but exists within a certain context that applies to groups of people. This shared identity is affected by attitudes and lifestyle of its members, and thus establishes a â€Å"culture† or a set of values and practices. (â€Å"Social class†)   The purpose of this paper is to consider current research   that deal with the degree of correlation, if any, between social class and educational attainment in the United States. Review of Literature Education is considered the most widely used aspect that determines social position together with occupational status and income, but none of these factors are pure concepts to be taken in isolation. They are each affected by other social factors such as race and ethnicity.   Educational attainment directly affects social status in the sense that it provides credentials and access to economic benefits as well as establishes social networks.   In the period between 1940 and 1980, the number of persons to have completed higher education has increased to 68.6% of the total US population according to census data. (MacArthur and MacArthur â€Å"Measurement approaches†) The role of education in achieving social status is an important one, and attempts to study the variables that directly affect educational outcomes usually focus on parental education and occupation as well as race, gender and cognitive ability. A study of 1,927 subjects focused on the effect of self-esteem and locus of control (nature of environmental control) on educational outcomes of children net of these other factors. It was found self-esteem and locus of control affect educational outcomes independent of each other and of other variables. (Wang, Kick, Fraser and Burns 288-289) While some people are born into a class, such as royalty, most develop social mobility through shifts in education, occupation or income. There are no tangible measurements to establish social class, but it may be inferred from general guidelines based on achievements. Of the indicators of social status, education is considered the simplest and most universal, although it is limited generally up to early adulthood, when educational activity typically ends. Social class may have significant effects on educational attainment mostly because social class is typically associated with economic capacity. Wealth has a substantial impact on education because it provides access to resources that may not be available to one of lower economic means. Other characteristics of social class include levels of self esteem and locus of control, which also has significant effects on educational outcomes and occupational choice. (â€Å"Social class†) Rouse and Barrow state that students from lower socioeconomic families tend to attain less in education because they have greater psychological costs and less access to good schools that those from families with higher incomes (99). Since higher education attainment translates to occupations with higher earning potential, the long-term effect of this trend is to propagate a cyclical pattern of disadvantaged families producing low-earning progeny who will in turn raise a disadvantaged family. Attempts to break this cycle through programs like the â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† has met with small success. Many studies conclude that smaller class sizes are the most effective way to improve student achievement. The importance of social class in influencing a person’s life prospects is investigated in the US. The goal of providing equal opportunity for all Americans in achieving success in life solely through their own efforts and skills regardless of social class is as yet not completely in place. Social class still has a great influence on an individual’s chance in leading a productive existence despite efforts to level the playing field. The tendency for parents, even in an open and fair democracy, to extend the advantages which they have to further the interests of their children prevails, resulting in a greater access to opportunities and resources. This is especially true of people from the higher socioeconomic class in the United States. (McMurrer and Sawhill â€Å"Class Still Matters†) Data from following the progress of 20,000 eight graders from 1988 to 1994 from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) of 1988 provided a wealth of information about the educational experiences of the subjects. The subjects were divided in four groups based on their socioeconomic status, the first group (Group 1) being the most advantaged and the fourth group (Group 4) the most disadvantaged. Results showed that the average test scores of children from Group 1 were higher that those from Group 4. Group 4 children were more likely to be held back and to drop out of high school than those in Group 1. The results also suggest that parental abilities, which may be hereditary, may account for the economic status of the family, and should also be considered as an influence on educational attainment. (Rouse and Barrow 100-102) A study by Gordon Dahl and Lance Lochner focused on the effect of higher income on academic performance. They found for every $ 1,000 increase in income for a family with two children, math and reading scores also increased up to 5%. (Rouse and Barrow 104) The correlation between fathers and sons in the US with regards to income and occupations is very strong, to a degree of 0.4, which means that there is a significant probability that an adult son will approximate the income of the father, and sons of white collar workers has double the probability than sons of blue collar workers to become a white collar worker. (McMurrer and Sawhill â€Å"Class Still Matters†) Source: http://www.urban.org/publications/307017.html#chart2#chart2 Recent trends suggest that the attainment of higher education has begun to change this pattern of occupational mimicry. This is fueled by the economic boom in the US which has unfortunately slowed down, and the trend of an upwardly mobile labor force has slowed down with it. Overall, upward mobility composition is that of growing individual opportunity (college education) and a lackluster economy. Social class in no longer the force it had been before, which will benefit people from the lower socioeconomic brackets. For those in the upper social strata, the emphasis on individual ability and skills and the decline of social class importance will likely result in a drop in social status. (McMurrer and Sawhill â€Å"The Offsetting Effect of Economic Growth†) One considerable portion of the US population which may benefit from this decline in insular social classification is second-generation Americans, or those who were born in the US of immigrant parents. Nearly one-fourth of young Americans are second-generation immigrants and most are found in the cities like Los Angeles. Recent migration trends in the US have transformed the social character of American society to a marked degree. The long-term effects of these patterns are most evident in the educational attainment profile of the population. On average, these second generation population, especially those of Asian ethnic origin, exhibit better academic performance than native-born Americans. As an illustration, 32% of all Asian high school graduates who applied for slots in the University of California was accepted, as compared to 16% eligible native-born American, and 7% of Latino-descended applicants. (Feliciano) Feliciano accounts for these disparities by considering two explanations: cultural values, belief systems and attitude differences, i.e. children of Asian families tend to be more successful because of the high currency placed on academic achievement; and structural differences, i.e. accessibility of opportunities and resources. Immigrant social class status may be different before and after migration to the US, which could explain why some groups are more successful at overcoming barriers to educational attainment such as poverty and low socioeconomic status than others. To investigate this theory, relevant pre-migration information on educational levels in 31 immigrant groups was determined by cross-referencing census data in the US and the home country of the immigrant group from 1997 to 2001, using the Net Difference Index. The subjects were second-generation Americans ages 20-40 with at least some college education. Results show that immigrants to the US tended to have attained higher educational levels than those who stayed in the home country, especially those who come from countries remote from the US, such as Asian countries. (Feliciano â€Å"Methodology†) In considering the correlation of pre-migration class status with second-generation educational attainment, a strong positive relationship was revealed.   Regardless to their social status in the US, children of highly-educated immigrants demonstrated the highest educational attainment rates. While pre-migration class status had a significant effect on second-generation educational attainment, economic security in the US as a factor accounted for 41% of the variability. In effect, to accurately account for ethnic variability in academic success among second-generation Americans, social status of the parents before and after migration should be considered. Such cross-referencing adequately explains 60% of the disparity in educational attainment observed in this population segment. (Feliciano â€Å"Pre-Migration Origins and Second Generation Outcomes†) Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Social class is a nebulous concept that dictates the individual’s eventual role in society to a great extent. Educational attainment depends in a significant way on social class because of the socioeconomic factors that influence is such as income, occupation and family values are all related to social class. Individuals from the higher social class are more likely to have parents who possess high cognitive ability, more self-esteem, more money and better access to resources that would enable the attainment of higher education such as college. Second-generation Americans with immigrant parents who have lower social status in the US but higher social status in the home country are more likely as well to complete a college education. However, public policies and other programs aimed at providing higher education access to individuals from lower social classes could help to break the like father-like son trend in educational attainment and occupational choice and facilitate an upwardly mobile majority. References â€Å"Social class.† Encyclopedia of Public Health. 2007. 15 March 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/class-structure Feliciano, Cynthia. â€Å"Another way to assess the second generation: look at the parents.† Migration Information Source. 1 May 2006. 15 March 2007. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=396 MacArthur, John D. and MacArthur, Catherine T. â€Å"Educational Status.† UCSF. 8 August 2001. 15 March 2007. http://www.macses.ucsf.edu/Research/Social%20Environment/notebook/education.html Mani, Anandi and Mullin, Charles H. â€Å"Choosing the right pond: social approval and occupational choice.† Williams College. October 2001. 15 March 2007. http://www.williams.edu/Economics/mani/manimullin.pdf McMurrer, Daniel P. and Sawhill, Isabel V. â€Å"The declining importance of class.† Urban Institute. Number 4 in Series, Opportunity in America 01 April 1997. 15 March 2007. http://www.urban.org/publications/307017.html Rouse, Cecilia Elena and Barrow, Lisa. â€Å"U.S. elementary and secondary schools: equalizing opportunity or replicating the status quo?† The Future of Children 16.2 (2006) 15 March 2007. http://www.futureofchildren.org/usr_doc/06_5563_Rouse-Barrow.pdf Wang, Li-Ya, Kick, Edward, Fraser, James, and Burns, Thomas Jerome. â€Å"Status attainment in America: the roles of locus of control and self-esteem in educational and occupational outcomes.† The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2007) 15 March 2007. http://www.unc.edu/~fraser18/publications/Locus_of_Control_SelfEsteem_%20and_Status_Attainment.pdf

Vincent Van Gogh Essay -- Art, Painting, Yelow House

In the summer of 1881 Vincent Van Gogh asked for his cousin’s hand in marriage and was turned down. He was very insistent on seeing her and took action on this by holding his hand in a flame and holding up the words â€Å"Let me see her for as long as I can keep my hand in the flame† (Wikipedia, Letter 193 from Vincent to Theo, The Hague, May 14, 1882). In 1885 Vincent’s father died (ArtBook: Van Gogh; A profound and tormented genius—his life in paintings, 1998). In December of 1888, Vincent Van Gogh had been living with a fellow artist and friend, Paul Gauguin. They lived in â€Å"Yellow House†; the house that Vincent rented and had painted a picture of in September of that year. On the December 23, Van Gogh approached Gauguin with a razor blade and then left Yellow House in a panic and fled to a local brothel. This led Vincent to cut off part of his ear, which he then gave to a prostitute (Wikipedia, Rita Wildegans, 2007). Vincent spent 3 days unconscious in the hospital after that night and was released back home on January 7, 1889 (Jen Green, 2002). In January and February Vincent was at the hospital a lot due to his hallucinations and paranoia. He thought that someone had poisoned him. In March the police closed down his house after a petition was signed by some of the locals and then was admitted into the town hospital in Arles (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). Vincent reported once to his brother Theo that looking at his face in a mirror calmed him. In April, Vincent’s brother Theo got married and Vincent started to feel like a burden on him (Jen Green, 2002). In May 1889, Vincent agreed to go back into hospitalization at the Saint-Remy asylum. He reported during his stay there that painting soothed and healed his spir... ...know the way he was feeling at any point in his life. I don’t know that there were a lot of psychiatrists and therapists around during his time but while researching him, it seemed like he was in touch with at least two doctors in his life that helped him with his psychological issues. So if Vincent Van Gogh were alive today I would still have him talk to doctors or one psychiatrist that he is comfortable with. I don’t know what kinds of treatments were available for someone in the late 1800’s but today I would see if Vincent was interested in taking a combination of mood stabilizers with antidepressants to help his manic episodes and his depressive ones. The textbook says that using these in combination with each other also may â€Å"reduce the risk of future depressive episodes, just as they seem to prevent the return of manic episodes† (Comer, 2011 p. 224).

Developing the Employee, Developing the Company ¾

The world of business is changing everyday. New trends, new markets, and new ideas open to a more competitive business setting, requiring companies to keep themselves at par with the others. One way for companies to do this is to support professional continuing education for their employees.However, given hectic schedules, corporate deadlines, and the steep price tag attached to professional continuing education, many employees think twice before taking up professional courses—but not when companies are willing to help. To compete, companies must open themselves to professional development strategies for their employees which can be made possible through educational funding and time management support.It is understandable for some firms to feel uncomfortable about spending for their employees’ college tuition fees. For one, manpower piracy is a reality in business and when this happens to an employee whose education was funded by the company, it is an automatic loss for the firm.Also, employees may not be able to balance work and education at the same time; and when the employee loses grip on either of the two it is the company who loses in the end. Still, strategic planning and compromise can help the company help the employees with their desire to continue their education while overcoming these fears and risks.In a survey done in Boston, more companies are again willing to pay for their employees’ continuing college education after the trend declined years back. (DeMarco, 2005) This is not surprising. Now, more than ever, companies know that professional education gives a holistic effect to their companies.While uplifting the lives of employees through education, companies receive a lot of perks and privileges just by sending their employees to school again.Multiple BenefitsStrategic funding of professional education among employees allows them to take courses for free or at a discounted rate, making them feel good about working in their firms and attracting them to stay. They also receive new ideas, new experiences, and get to mingle with new people who can help them excel in their fields.Education also protects them within the competitive employment world where younger, more skilled workers are entering everyday. But employees are not only the ones who benefit from these educational programs. Companies are likewise positively affected.DeMarco (2005) states that companies who offer professional development programs such as tuition fee reimbursement, tuition fee funding, or tuition fee discounting are more attractive to applicants than those companies who do not have similar programs.In effect, employees are also more likely to stay in these companies and not think of jumping to another firm who does not offer professional development packages. Most importantly, companies improve their stand in the business world when they help their employees develop themselves.Theories change, practices change, and industries chan ge. Employees who continue their education as professionals bring to the company new ideas and skills that are useful for the company to move forward and face growing competition.The article Six Ways to Encourage Employee Development (2007) agrees to this, saying that the best benefit that a company can get on funding their employees’ education is the expertise, which can be cost-effective for the company sooner or later.By helping employees attain professional courses, the company creates a pool of in-house knowledge that is easily accessible for the company at less cost because the company will no longer need to subscribe to outsourcing services. In the end, the company benefits from the lead it can take in terms of market trends.ApprehensionsBut then again companies may not fully subscribe to the idea of retention through continuing education. Anything can happen, so to speak. Employees can suddenly quit their jobs, switch employers, fail the course, or lose the balance be tween work and school. Again, strategic planning is the answer.Companies can offer educational funding while protecting their interests on the side. To begin with, firms should know exactly what type of courses should be funded and it follows that these should be courses that will be useful for the operation of the company.The company should also assess their ability to fund the program, and identify if full reimbursement, discounting, or upfront funding will be workable for both the employee and the employer. It is also important to set conditions such as a holding period for the employee after his education has been funded, or a grade requirement to determine the percentages of the funding that may be given.(Establishing a tuition reimbursement program, 2007) This can solve much of the dilemma that a company may have in supporting professional continuing education for their employees.Time ManagementWhen a company finally decides to offer funding for the professional continuing edu cation of their employees, the responsibility does not stop in the finances. School can take considerable time and effort from students, especially for adults who have work and familial responsibilities. All three roles can be physically and emotionally demanding, if not draining.On the other hand, it is understandable for companies to expect good results from these studying workers. Besides, they are hired to work for the company so they must perform impressively at work; and they are assisted in their professional education so they should also bring in good grades. But companies should also understand the difficulty of maintaining an everyday balance between work and school life among other things.Thus, it is helpful for companies to offer these studying employees options in handling work, school, and their personal lives. Flexible working hours, telecommuting options, and minor exceptions to work attendance regulations when needed such as during examination periods can do so much for an employee to manage his time.In doing so, the employees are in top shape at work and school, and still have time for his personal responsibilities. It will also then be right for the company to demand good performance from the employee on both aspects. (Establishing a tuition reimbursement program, 2007)An InvestmentOffering tuition fee funding schemes and time leniency to employees can take a lot of effort from companies, and there are also a lot of risks. However, employers can rest assured that with a strategically planned education plan for their employees, every dollar is well spent.While it is not a requirement for companies to offer such privilege to employees, it helps them build a good reputation and allows them to invest in something that will never fail.Education is a good investment that benefits the employee-students and the company as well. While education can require a large sum of money and patience in the part of employers especially when the studying employe e is caught between a school and a work deadline, the company will surely benefit. And as with good investments, the rewards are in the end.ReferencesDeMarco,P. 2005. Companies pick up college tab. Retrieved May 9, 2007, from http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/09/25/companies_pick_up_college_tab/Establishing a tuition reimbursement program. 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2007, from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development/1163-1.htmlSix ways to encourage employee development. 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2007, from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development/1240-1.html

Learn How to Use the French Preposition Par

The French preposition par means through, by, or per in English. It is used to indicate the manner in which something is done, the reason behind an event, the direction something moves, or the amount of something per some unit of measurement. In everyday conversation, you might use par when giving directions to someone or to describe how an event occurred. Examples of Par Je suis sortie par la porte.I left through/by the door.Jai appris la verità © par hasard.I learned the truth by accident.Il la obtenu par la force.He obtained it by force.Je lai envoyà © par la poste.I sent it through the mail.Il a jetà © les dà ©chets par la fenà ªtre.He threw the garbage though/out the window.Il gagne 500 euros par semaine.He earns 500 euros per week.Par is often used to introduce the agent in the passive voice:Ce livre, à ©crit par Voltaire...This book, written by Voltaire...La tasse a à ©tà © cassà ©e par un chien.The cup was broken by a dog. Verbs With Par As with prepositions in English, there are some instances when a verb will also require using par in sentence construction. Some of the most common French verbs are: arriver  par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to succeed through/bycommencer  par  Ã‚  infinitive  Ã‚  Ã‚  to  begin by ___-ingfaire  par  (la pitià ©,  lamour)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to do out of (pity, love)finir  par   infinitive  Ã‚  Ã‚  to end up ___-ing / to finally do somethinghabiter  par  ici  Ã‚  Ã‚  to live around herejurer  par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to swear byobtenir  quelque  chose par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to obtain something byprendre  quelquun  par  (la main)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to take someone by (the hand)ressembler  par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to resemble due tosortir  par  (la fenà ªtre)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to leave by (the window)venir  par  (la cà ´te)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to come along/by (the coast)