Education Resources and Social Identity
Introduction
Education resources often differ in terms of social identity. Identities such as race, social class, and gender have an impact on education resources. Children from low social classes tend to get few education resources compared to children from higher social classes. Teachers and parents from low-class schools are faced with school challenges which in the end affects the children in their studies. Education resources are mostly influenced by social identity in society.
The black colored people tend to be discriminated in white-dominated schools for example in the case of a parent who had mixed colored children and went to enroll them in school, and only the white children were accepted Tolerance (2020). Education resources in the higher social class children are available, updated, and are enough for each person. This is because these children consist of well able parents and guardians who can pay for anything. Unlike the low social class children who have to use the available resources. This includes the sharing of these resources and some even lack. Some teachers in the low social class children have to use their money to get education resources so that the children can benefit. In these schools they employ unqualified teachers, children are given shabby books and equipment and attend to crowded classrooms. In terms of gender segregation, boys and girls are taught different skills that are believed to be a custom to society.
The government should reduce the differences and obstacles in education. The government should help to provide schools with educational resources. It should implement policies against racial, gender, and social class discrimination (Aprr 2007). It should be responsible in terms of making sure that every child can go to school and doesn’t lack the required resources. The government should ensure that all the parents and guardians send their children to school and educate them on the significance. The government should support the local schools financially so they can accommodate the unprivileged children.
According to Sociology (2016) the issue that is most problematic is school inequality. Underprivileged children attend schools that are not equipped with educational resources while the rich children schools are well equipped. The short term consequences for the society are that lack of school equality leads to school segregation. The long term consequences for the society is that unprivileged children begin life with a lot of hardships and in the long run lack an equal opportunity with the other children.
From a functionalist perspective, general education fulfills the needs of education. Functionalists view the role of education as getting basic knowledge and skills and passing them to the other generation. Education is associated with transmitting core values and social control. From a conflict perspective, education maintains social inconsistency and safeguard the power of the people that control society Mooney, Knox, & Schacht (2007). From the symbolic interactionist perspective, education is what they directly see happening in class. From their perspectives, the teacher’s expectations influence how the student performs, their attitudes, and perceptions. I prefer the functionalist perspective because through education, we get the knowledge and skills that help us live socially with people. This way we can express ourselves and our needs.
Conclusion
Education resources are determined by social identities. Discrimination or lack of privileges that are a result of social identities tend to be common in the black community and the low social class groups of people affecting education. The government should support the disadvantaged schools in society by providing educational resources. The functionalist, conflict and symbolic interactionist explain the different perspectives regarding their understanding of education.
References
Appr Sed 2007. A Human Rights-Based Approach to EDUCATION FOR ALL Retrieved from
https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/A_Human_Rights_Based_Approach_to_Educat
ion_for_All.pdf
Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2007. The Three Main Sociological Perspectives Understanding
Social Problems Retrieved from https://laulima.hawaii.edu /access/content/user/ kfrench/
sociology/The%20Three%20Main%20Sociological%20Perspectives.pdf
Sociology (2016) Understanding and Changing the Social World Retrieved from
https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/
Tolerance Teaching 2020. A Tale of Two Schools Retrieved from https:// www.tolerance. org/ classroom-resources/texts/a-tale-of-two-schools
