It Is Now Widely Accepted That Children of Middle-class Backgrounds, Do Better, In Terms of Educational Performance - Essay Example

? Topic: It is now widely accepted that children of middle backgrounds, do better, in terms of educational performance, and educational outcomes, than children of working class backgrounds.  Paper Writer’s Name: Professor’s Name: Introduction: This essay is composed on a common observation that has been observed almost in every nook of the world that is “It is now widely accepted that children of middle-class backgrounds, do better, in terms of educational performance, and educational outcomes, than children of working class backgrounds”. Moreover, this essay also throws light on the following points Reasons behind this scenario, How material factor influences the educational outcomes of the students Gives a clear understanding of the term middle class and working class. This essay also embraces few related findings that will make it clear why middle-class students perform well in education as compared to the student from a working-class background. Education and class are the two topics that have been researched in different universities across the globe since last few couple of years. One common observation is that there are significant differences in the educational achievements between students of various social groups. Students of working-class background having a same IQ level as that of middle-class students are usually less successful in the educational attainmentsand outcomes. According to the education experts educational attainment is directly related to the class stratification. Generally, it is stated tat distinctive norms, values and the subcultures of the social classes have a great influence on the performance of students in their educational careers. Basically, social class is the hierarchical categorization of people in a society as cultural or economic groups. The class is considered as the important element of the analysis for anthropologist, sociologist, social historians and political economists. An informal ranking tool for arranging people in various social classes includes occupation, income, dwelling, education, family background and similar other factors. Students belonging to different social classeshave different physical, emotional and intellectual mindset because of the visible differences in their economic status, educational background, occupational status, values, attitudes, interest and family setups. All these factors play a significant role in an individual educational performance and outcomes. (Muola, 2010). What is Middle-class? The middle-class is the term used for the people who lies in the mid of social hierarchy. In the socioeconomic term, it is a wider group of people in the existing society who comes in between the upper-class and the working-class. People who are categorized under middle-class give immense importance to education and values educational attainments as a chief contributing factor in establishing a successful life. Parents stress a lot on the importance of quality education and its influences later in an individual’s life. They look after their children in such a way to make them a successful member of the society, and they use all their available capital sources to prepare their kids for educational achievements. What is Working-class? Working class, laboring class or lower class also known as the “Proletariat” are the people who are employed in the lower tier works and extending to below average income people or unemployed people. These people usually live in urban areas and industrialized economies. It is considered that the basic aim of working-class individuals is to make an earning or economic wealth. These are the people who offer their labor power for money and are responsible in creating wealth of any society. These are usually involved in the production of furnitures, bridges and grow food but, didn’t own factories and lands. The major difference between middle-class and working-class is where people spend more as a standard of living rather than for basic necessities I. e. Fashion vs. shelter and nutrition. Differences between the middle-class and working class people From various researches, surveys and opinion polls conducted in different universities has pointed out the below mentioned differences between middle-class and working-class values system when it comes to education and its outcomes. Individuals of the labor or working class place immensely lower values to studies or education. They give less importance to formal education and has their own beliefs. They didn’t believe that education is the building block of a contented life and is a mean of personal accomplishments. They also didn’t value higher education that is why students from lower class leave school before reaching high schools and universities. Individuals from lower or working-class didn’t emphasize on accomplishing higher occupational ranks. While valuating jobs, they put emphasize on immediate economic outcomes, security, stability and usually rejects investments and risks involved in achieving high occupational standards. Job possibilities are therefore, limited to trading goods. When compared with the middle-class individuals working-class people believe that there are less opportunities for own (personal) improvement.Probably, this belief is the foundation of putting lower values to high occupational standards and education. (Hyman, 2000) Role of Teachers and Parents: Middle-class students perform outstandingly in their educational career because their schools and parents put more importance and energies into their education. Researchers and professors have found that pupils from poor or working-class backgrounds are not dull or less hard-working in fact, parent’s attitude makes the real difference. No doubt, the school also plays an important role in this regards and studies has shown that teachers put more efforts on students from better homes or backgrounds. May be this discrimination is because of the pressure or stress exerted by the educated middle-class parents. (Theguardian, 2010). Researchers, teachers and professors have suggested that educational policies intendedto improve parental efforts willbe effective in boosting the student’s educational achievements. Schools with good academic records and teachers from more privileged background puts more energies and efforts on their kid’s education and it definitely marks positive impact on the educational achievements of their kids.Parents background is also considered an influential factor in a student’s educational achievement. It also enhances the institute’s efforts which ultimately ignite the student and overall school achievements. A question arises why institute works harder when parents belong to a more advantaged or privileged background? It may be because of the fact that parents from a middle-class environment are more uttered in demanding schools to work harder so, their kids will be able to make a respectable place in society by achieving high occupational ranks through their education. Manipulating parental efforts is of course the thing that is quite easier than modifying the social backgrounds of your children for educational attainments. Material factors: According to the Educationalists material factors also plays a significant role in the educational achievements of a student.Research has shown that families having a better access to material outcomes and money can make their kids available with all the latest material things and facilities. On he other hand, limited money makes a kid feel limited and may stop a kid entering or getting to better schools, colleges and universities. (Perry, 2010).Thisisthe reason that middle-class school students has 6 times more chances to attend top notch universities as compared to the students from a working-class background. (Bourdieu, 2004) has narrated that students from middle-class backgrounds embraces the true kind of cultural assets, skills, the language, attitudes and knowledge to perform better in life as compared to the working-class individuals. He is of the view that more are the cultural assets more will be the success rate both in education and professional life. He believed that the working-class students don’t have an access to real cultural capital and it eventually results in bad educational performances and outcomes. Families from middle-class background pass on the values, expectations and cultural capital to kids and it continues fromgenerationto generation. Related findings: Conducting research on this topic has revealed some other interested facts about middle-class and working-class pupils in educational premises. Students from middle-class households have a natural confidenceat institutes after being trained by fathers and mothers to engage with the authority figures. A study has revealed that students from working-class backgrounds are very courteous and polite in classes but, avoid asking help from teachers and attempt to solve queries alone thus, hampering their academic development. It is feared that the class differences within the classroom may have bad effects on the student’s life as the poor or lower-class students slide far behind the middle-class students. Earlier, a British research has shown that the brilliant students from working-class or disadvantaged background lagged about 2 ? years behind the brilliant students brought up in a privileged home by the stage of 15. (Paton, 2012) Research has also pointed out that even the most shy middle-class student learn and start feeling comfortable in approaching trainers with his/her problems and also recognized the advantages of this student-teacher interaction. Actually, working-class pupil thinks that the trainer will get angry or upset if they requested them for help at an inappropriate time or if asked in a wrong way. They also worried that the other classmate will judge him/her as incompetent or dull if s/he asked for some assistance. Consequently, these variances give birth to the differences in teacher response towards the two groups of students belonging to different social classes. Teachers are responsible to answer students equally, but the differences in skills, values, attitudes, orientations and understanding of different strategies create the difference in academic performances of both middle-class and working-classstudents.  Basically, help-seeking skills in a child are developed by the parents. Parents from middle-class backgrounds having 4-year degree and years of experience in practical life make their children feel comfortable while interacting with teachers, peers andotherhigher authorities. They also trained them on different strategies and languages that helps them in making those appeals. On the other hand, working-class parents usually having a diploma motivate their children to perform well in school but, unfortunately place less importance in building their kid’s self advocacy attributes. That is why pupil form working-class and middle-class backgrounds come to educational institutes with poles apart help-seeking abilities and strategies. They also have a different mode of interacting with classmates and teachers. Conclusion: From the aforesaid discussion and the other related studies it is clearly demonstrated that children of middle-class backgrounds, do better in terms of educational performance, and educational outcomes, than children of working class backgrounds because of different reasons. The differences in parents mind-set, schools, cultural capital, values, attitudes, family setup and material factors are the leading factors that influence the educational performance and outcomes of a student. Studies have clearly revealed that there is a direct link between class stratification and educational attainments. It is clearly discussed that the sub-cultures, sub-groups and the distinct values and norms of the social classes affect the performance of students in the scholastic system. Consistent researches on class and educational attainments demonstrates that the higher is the social class, higher will be the educational outcomes. Students from upper social background have greater chances to stay in the post-compulsory teaching and are better prepared to get through the different examination levels. They also have greater chances to achieve universityentrance. Apart from the social-class differences, educational achievements are also directly related to the role of parents and school. The contribution of parents and school also has a significant role in the academic career of an individual. Researches have made it clear that students from advantaged households are not only sharp in studies but, are creative, talented, confident and has a mind-blowing help-seeking skills as compared to the working-class pupils. They are confident, self-reliant and poised in seeking help from teachers or their classmates. Generally, help-seeking skills are often linked with over-dependence and weakness. With the rising emphasis on the cooperation and social networks, help-seeking is considered as a major ingredient of the proactive learning. Moreover, it is increasingly perceived as a method of utilizing your resources. In the light of the above discussion it is concluded that middle-class pupils are reaping double advantages thus, leaving the working-class pupils far behind in the educational race. It is because middle-class students are taking benefits from the resources and opportunities equally which ultimately results in better educational outcomes and results. A brilliant academic career is the foundation stone of a successful life. It makes you able to attain higher social ranks in the society. History is full of such notables' who belong to the middle-class background but, with their exceptional educational outcomes touched the heights of success like Elbert Einstein. He was awarded with the Nobel prize in 1921 and is considered as the most leading physicist of the millennium. References: 1. Hyman, Herbert H., 2000. The values of systems of different classes. 1st ed. America: Reay LA. 2. Muola, J. M. , 2010. A study of the relationship between academic achievement motivation and home environment among standard eight pupils. Degree. Kenya: Egerton University. 3. Rachel Williams. 2010. Theguardian. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/oct/29/middle-class-children-better-school. [Accessed 01 May 13]. 4. Perry, Emma , 2010. The social class gap for educational achievement. Degree. United Kingdom: University Of Bolton. 5. Bourdieu, A.H, 2004. Class and Education. Postgraduate. Malaysia : University Sains Malaysia  6. Paton Graeme. 2012. Working-class pupils lose out because they are 'too polite. The Telegraph, [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9487174/Working-class-pupils-lose-out-because-they-are-too-polite.html. [Accessed 01 May 13]. Read More