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The hidden truth behind the education system: Can we really break down class boundaries?
Social reproduction is a concept that describes the reproduction of social structures and systems, primarily based on specific demographics, educational background, and inheritance of material possessions or legal titles. In this way, social relationships are maintained and perpetuated. First proposed by Karl Marx in "Das Kapital", this concept is an extension of Marx's economic reproduction theory. Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu believed that there are four types of capital that facilitate social reproduction: economic capital, cultural capital, social capital and symbolic capital. Social reproduction in this sense is different from the concept of reproductive labor in Marxist feminism, which is mainly used to explain women's role in the larger social and class structure and their role as childbearers and within the family. The (often unrecognized) contribution of carers.
Social reproduction allows people to remain in the same social class as their parents through capital passed down from generation to generation.
Four types of capital
Bourdieu's four types of capital play an important role in social reproduction because capital is passed down from generation to generation, and this process continues to reproduce social inequality. The four types of capital include:
- Economic capital: A person's income and wealth, which often accompanies the inheritance of cultural capital.
- Cultural capital: Shared ideas, beliefs, knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation, which may influence human capital.
- Human capital: A person's education and job training, which affects his or her likelihood of acquiring social capital.
- Social capital: The social networks to which a person belongs, which significantly affects his or her ability to find opportunities, especially employment.
Application in education
The combination of social reproduction and cultural reproduction allows the sociology of education to establish its role. The original intention of education is to level the competitive environment and give the poor classes the opportunity to rise. However, education fails in many key ways; for example, education is expensive: better schools mean better equipment, better books, and better teachers, all of which poor families cannot afford. Therefore, receiving higher education has become the exclusive preserve of the upper class, leaving lower-class people with limited resources and fewer opportunities.
The education system in many high-income countries polarizes individuals from an early age.
The current situation of education in the United States
Statistics show that most students who drop out are below the poverty line. Due to lack of capital, they will not complete their education because it is not as convenient for them to complete their education as to find a job to support themselves or their families. Most of these students who dropped out were from racial minorities, such as Hispanics and African Americans. Many are unable to continue their education due to a lack of funds, and some are in single-parent families, or have difficulty attending school and working due to the early death of a parent. These problems are less common among the upper classes, making them less likely to drop out.
Health and Disease
The sociology of health and illness studies how social life affects disease and mortality, and in turn. Our social reproduction has important consequences for group health, particularly how inequalities affect the health of particular class groups. As economic inequality rises, it takes a greater toll on people's health, from longevity to infant mortality and, for example, rising obesity rates in the United States. Research shows that economically disadvantaged people have worse health outcomes.
American social class system
Social reproduction is the process of transmitting social inequality across generations. The upper class has many advantages; having money means access to more resources to succeed. In contrast, the lower classes have relatively fewer resources. In social movements, we often see people gathering in protest to express their dissatisfaction with the status quo and believe that capitalism does not provide good solutions. Stable social structures tend to retain poor children in the poor lower classes, while wealthy children inherit enormous social and economic capital.
Overview of each class group
Underclass
The underclass is a class affected by poverty, homelessness, and unemployment, who often face difficulty paying their bills and experience food insecurity and even lack of access to health care as a result. The media often labels them as lazy, system abusers, or criminals.
Working class
The working class is generally not well educated. They are mainly engaged in manual labor, with relatively low wages and limited promotion opportunities. Most members of this class are from ethnic minorities.
Middle class
The middle class can be roughly divided into two independent groups, upper and lower. The upper half has more professionals and educated business owners, while the lower half is like the lower class, with lower education and income. Most people struggle to maintain a stable career after receiving an education.
Upper class
The upper class controls 25% of the country's wealth, and most have the advantage of long-term family wealth and usual educational choices. The education and resources they received gave their descendants better opportunities.
In this context of increasing social inequality, can we find a real breakthrough to improve the current class solidification phenomenon?
