Social prejudice in schools Essay - 1736 Words

Social prejudice in schools Children from middle-class families generally are more successful in public schools than children from low-income families. Is the school system responsible for this problem, or is lower performance among low-income children a result of their home environment? The home environment has a big role in a child’s education and if it is not supportive of the school environment, the student will not be as successful in school as the child whose home environment is supportive of the school’s learning environment will. The typical public school teacher is a middle-class white female. The typical curricula, tests, and learning tools used in public schools were created by middle-class educators and are†¦show more content†¦So do teachers assume that poor and minority students are misbehaved and non-conforming? In Ain’t No Makin’ It, MacLeod told us that the â€Å"Hallway Hangers† (low-income â€Å"problem† students who would not behave or conform in school) responded better to the teacher (Jimmy Sullivan) that they identified as being a part of their same social class. The Hallway Hangers respected their teacher because he was raised in the projects where the students now live, he talked the way they did; he was tough and stubborn just like they were. The other (middle-class) teachers were found by the Hallway Hangers to be â€Å"condescending† and â€Å"pussies† that â€Å" ‘don’t know how to deal with us kids’ † (MacLeo d, 108-109). Clearly, a teacher who understood their â€Å"language† and behavior and identified with their social background was able to communicate with them and help them at least to stay in school. Teachers who couldn’t relate to lower-class students weren’t respected by those students. In their book, Social Foundations of Educational Decisions, Fischer and Thomas state that distinctive things about a subculture (including language and behavior) have a definite influence on a child’s learning style (26-27) and that â€Å"informal education†Ã¢â‚¬â€which occurs outside of a formal school setting (mostly in the home) and is different in every family and subculture—causes differences in the way children learn (34). In their essay â€Å"Social Class and Education,† Brookover and Gottlieb refer toShow MoreRelatedSocial Prejudice in Schools1738 Words   |  7 PagesI am going to talk about the social prejudice that occurs in the schools between students and also teachers. Children from middle-class families generally are more successful in public schools than children from low-income families. Is the school system responsible for this problem, or is lower performance among low-income children a result of their home environment? The home environment has a big role in a childs education and if it is not supportive of the school environment, the student willRead MoreDiscrimination And Discrimination977 Words   |  4 PagesDistinction between prejudice and discrimination is attitude versus action. Prejudice refers to negative attitudes or feelings toward or about an entire category of people (Mooney p. 289). Whereas discrimination refers to the actions or practices that result in the differ ential treatment of categories of individuals (Mooney, p. 292); individuals act on their prejudices which result in discrimination. It is critical to analyze the relationship between prejudices and discrimination as to they affectRead MorePrejudice in the School Systems and How to Fix It1549 Words   |  7 PagesToday’s concerns about ethnic prejudice, taking place in the schools, are being brought to the forefront. 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Prejudice is a favorable optionRead MorePredjudice and Discrimination as a Part of Our Cognitive Social Being804 Words   |  4 Pagesof Our Cognitive Social Being Prejudice and Discrimination are an all to common part of our cognitive social being, but many social psychologists believe that it can be stopped, but only with the help of social conditioning. In this writing I hope to explain and point out some key terms and points made in my assigned chapter. Prejudice refers to a special type of attitude, usually something negative toward any group or ethnicity that is not of ones own social class. AttitudeRead MoreHow Culture Influences The Development Of Attitudes1660 Words   |  7 PagesAttitudes, racism and culture Word count without references: 1470 Attitudes An attitude are the long lasting beliefs, feelings, and behavioral responses towards social objects such as other people or issues (Attitudes and Behavior, n.d.). Attitudes can either be positive or negative. 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Prejudice can be des cribed as an unfavourable, negative attitude towards a social group and its individual members. On the surface this may not seem like a significant issue, however, it can become associated with dehumanisation and violence. It is suggested that every human is prejudice; people make assumptions based on characteristics such as age, sex, and ethnicity. There are many explanations of prejudice, however, there hasRead MoreRacial Prejudice By Gordon Allport1551 Words   |  7 Pages The study of prejudice dates back as far as 75 years ago, Gordon Allport, an American psychologist defines prejudice as â€Å"a feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to or not based on actual experience.† Allport has a five-phase model of â€Å"acting out our prejudices.† In order of least to most damaging to the group being prejudiced, the phases are antilocution, avoidance, discrimination, physical attack, and extermination. These forms of prejudice range from small groupsRead MoreImpact of Prejudice Stereotype and Discrimination Essay897 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Most people know about and have experienced prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Social psychologists differentiate among these terms by focusing on whether they involve feelings (affect), cognition, or behaviors.† (Feenstra, J. 2013) As individuals we tend to migrate toward those that may look think or act like us because it may cause hate towards anyone that i s different. This may inhibit social interaction with those outside of our comfort zone. There are often consequences that affect