Relationship between Social Class Origins and Educational Attainment - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... The society has values, customs and beliefs that guide the behavior of all members and doing contrary to such values and beliefs is considered out of the norm and deserves punishment. As such, the society is bound together by rules and children grow up following their parent’s footsteps. These values held by the community affect what is valued by children thereby impacting on what they study in schools. However, Durkheim also notes that the family forms are not constant; they keep changing with time. For example, as industrialization creeps in children move to urban areas to look for work thus breaking up family ties and the values that bind them (Morrison, 2006). However, all is not lost as division of labor in the new found occupations bring about a higher order in society known as organic solidarity. They thus progress from mechanical to organic solidarity enhanced by institutions such as educational institution (p. 166). People now cooperate on basis of shared tasks and not family values as in mechanical solidarity. Children thus engage in various occupations different from their parents necessitated by division of labor and specialization. Conflicts between individual and society interests often arise as observed by Craig (1997 p. 210) thus affecting educational attainment. In this view, the education attainment is affected by individual aspirations although social class origins may affect the occupation aspirations of children. If one does not have enough resources to pursue the goals he/she wants then attainments in education are affected. Another important mechanism that link class origins and educational attainment is the...
This essay stresses that the important mechanism that link class origins and educational attainment is the childrearing strategies in society. As observed by Lareau different socioeconomic classes apply different strategies in rearing their children which in turn affect their educational attainment. For example, middle-class parents teach their children to be assertive and courageous in dealing with the authorities in schools and other institutions. They offer adult organized activities to children to cultivate talents, opinions and skills and put more emphasis on language use. They use reasoning and negotiation while talking to their children thus teaching them to be responsible leaders and to deal with authorities effectively thus gaining benefits that help them to get higher educational attainments.
This paper makes a conclusion that training programs only lead them to low paying jobs which cannot take care of their needs. Most single mothers rely on boy friends and fathers to take care of the family. The situation of women thus affects class origins of children and consequently educational attainments. These low paying jobs cannot allow children to register in good schools where their aspirations are raised leading to higher educational and occupational achievements. Sewell and Hauser argue that parent’s aspirations also affect the education aspirations of their children and achievement. If these single mothers do not have higher aspirations they cannot encourage children to take up more advanced careers hence end up as their parents. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More