The Relationship Between Social Class and Educational Achievement Essay

The Relationship Between Social Class and Educational Achievement Many sociologists have tried to explore the link between social class and educational achievement, measuring the effects of one element upon the other. In order to maintain a definite correlation between the two, there are a number of views, explanations, social statistics and perspectives which must be taken into account. The initial idea would be to define the key terms which are associated with how "social class" affects "educational achievement." "Social class" is the identity of people, according to the work they do and the community in which they live in."Educational achievement" is the tendency for some groups to do better or worse in terms of educational success. Research reveals that the higher the social class, the higher the levels of educational achievement are likely to be. The children of parents in higher social classes are more likely to stay on in post compulsory education, more likely to achieve examination passes when at school, and more likely to gain university entrance. These features painted a true picture of British education in the twentieth century and can be argued to follow this trend today. However, whether there has been any reduction in the inequalities is more debatable, but some research suggests that these inequalities are as great as ever, despite the overall improvements within the education system. Many researchers argue that IQ tests are biased in favour of the middle class, since members of this group largely construct them. If it is accepted that social classes and other groups have distinctive subcultures and that this affe... ... to reject school and school values (such as academic success). This has its roots outside of school in the nature of the fathers and elder brothers' in manual work. They look up to these figures and see school as "sissy", un-masculine, unlike the "real" masculine work that their fathers, brothers etc do. Overall, in conclusion there can be no definite correlation identified between "social class" and "educational achievement" in that there is much research into this and many sociologists suggest their own theories, and have yet not decided whether there is a link or not. However, there does seem to be correlation of some kind as sociologists either favour it or not. It can be still said that the main relationship between these factors is the higher the social class; the more likely the pupil is going to succeed.

A Day to Remember – I Can Still Remember It Like It Was Yesterday

I can still remember it like it was yesterday. It all started at about 2 p. m. It was the time I went back from school on foot. I was so tried and all I wanted was to just relax and eat. When I arrived at the front gate, I was shocked. The gate and the door were opened. It was because at that time there was nobody in my house as all my family members were not at home I was frightened and did not know what I should do. Should I go inside or call the police? I was hesitant because my family went out for work and they would normally tell me if they took afternoon off. However, I decided to see what was happening. I picked up a hard stick so that if something happened, I could protect myself. Then, I walked slowly to my house. I took a deep breath yet, the feeling of dread weighted heavily on me. I clenched the wooden stick on my hands, mind alert and be ready. I walked slowly into my house with my wooden stick in hands. Suddenly, I had nagging feeling that I was being followed. My senses were very alert and I could hear footsteps behind me but when I turned to glance behind I could see no one. I did not take too much notice on it actually. I thought that it might be my illusion because I was too nervous in such an unexpected situation. I grasped my wooden stick again, be prepared. I pushed the slightly-opened door, looked around if there were something going wrong. My heart started to beat quickly. Darkness always terrified me as the curtains blocked out the sun. I looked for the switch and turned on the light. I glanced around again to do a second check. There was nothing wrong! Everything was arranged properly and it just seemed like nothing happened. â€Å"What's happening and why is the door open but there seems to be no one inside? † i said to myself and all this while my head was filled with images of unrealistic thing from novels and movies. I crept around on tiptoes in order to find out what on earth was going on. As I was getting nearer to the staircase, I heard someone talking vociferously. A wave of horror swept over me. Since everyone should not be at home, who was emitting the sound? Once again, I had vivid recollection of Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, mummies, phantoms and zombies but I compelled myself to kicked kick these horrifying images out my mind. When I eventually convinced myself to regain composure, I walked gently quietly up the stairs and snatched a quick peek peep into the dim master room through the crevice of the wall. I could merely see two vague outlines of human figure who stood as still as stone in the room, silhouetted against the light. To my astonishment, they were Mum and Dad. They should not be here right now. I knew them very well. Workaholics like them would only want to come home after they had settled all their jobs. I was absolutely perplexed by their peculiar behaviour that day. As I was dominated by the profound inquisitiveness, I reached the door knob and intended to open the heavy wooden door. Nevertheless, the door banged opened before I succeeded in quenching my thirst for the content of their earlier conversation. I was standing right in front of them but they seemed to be ignorant to of my existence. I wondered if the scenario in sci-fi movie befell me and my parents would not recognise who I was. I had been proven wrong when I heard their quarrel them quarreling. They were just too engrossed in their quarrel and did not notice me. Then, I hid myself at the corner of the stairs and listened to them. â€Å"Can't you find a job? Do you think I can keep on supporting all this home with this small meagre income? † Mum shouted. â€Å"What do you expect me to do since when I don't even received receive any reply after sending numerous copies of job application letters? Dad said desperately. From the quarrel, I found that Dad was dismissed last week due to economic downturn and he pretended to go to work every day just to ensure that we were not worried about him. Although Mum earned a lucrative salary every month, this amount of money would be insufficient because of various types of bills and fees which became the main cause of their quarrel. Brainstorming, rushing in my mind was the thought of whether I should give up the tuitions and my favourite piano lesson to cut down the family expenditures? I knew I had the responsibilities to do it. I came out and approached them slowly. â€Å"Dad†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ mum†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"I said that with the tone of depressed with a cautious. â€Å"Oh, why were you standing over here there? What is going on, Jason? † Dad asked. â€Å"I†¦ I'm sorry I have overhead your argument, I have decided to give up all the tuition. I don't want to attend the piano lesson anymore. I am unwilling I could not bear to see all these and it is also my responsibility to help to reduce the family burden. â€Å"I said. â€Å"Why do you think like that? It is just a small matter. We have abilities to let you go to for tuition. Don't worry about it, Jason. † Dad said smilingly. I knew that my dad was only consoleding me, as he did not want to make me unhappy. I just kept quiet and did not say anything. â€Å"Go to bathe now† Dad said again. I followed his order. After I had taken the bath, I went back to my room immediately and sat down on the chair. At the same time, I thought that how could I do. â€Å"Should I give up the tuition or go out to find part-time job? † I was very confused and bothered on to make an appropriate decision but I had to do so. Well, I decided to give up the tuition because I was trusted my own ability that I could still cope with my study if I put more effort and concentration in my study. I did not want my parents to quarrel on this small issue as I still had a chance to prevent it if I could make a concession. It was the first time I saw my parent wrangled in front of me. I was shocked and still not able to believe that incident had happened as my parents were very kind and respect each other. Unbelievable about the incident happen yesterday, as my parent is very kind and harmonious. It was certainly a day to remember

Solomon Essay - 938 Words

The biblical account of Solomon’s reign contains criticisms; these criticisms illustrate the date of the narrative. Solomon was looked upon as a ruler of peace and welfare. He inherited his throne at a young age from King David. The land he inherited in 970 BC, Israel, ran all along the Mediterranean in the west, up to the Euphrates River in the north, and down all the way to the desert in the south and east.(George Konig, 68) Solomon did not expand his territory any further; rather he built alliances with surrounding countries and developed trade. The traditional powers of the ancient world, the Egyptians and the Hittites, and the empires yet to appear, Assyria and Babylon, were not aggressive during either David’s or Solomon’s†¦show more content†¦(1988). Solomon’s strategies for maintaining peace were constantly to strengthen Israel’s military capacity. Solomon wanted to deal with world problems through diplomacy, but he wanted to negotiate from a position of strength rather than weakness. He fortified key cities on the perimeter of Israel’s territory and set up outer command posts to give early warning of possible enemy military buildups. This military readiness placed a heavy strain on the kingdom’s financial resources. Solomon’s diplomacy was not like his fathers; David had won the respect of the great powers surrounding Israel. Solomon now moved to make alliances with them. His many marriages to foreign women were part of this diplomatic strategy; in that day such marriages were a normal way to seal an international alliance. Solomon’s broad-mindedness his greatest weakness his seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines were the served the purpose of close political and cultural ties with surrounded peoples. (Anderson, p. 241)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Solomon was as aggressive economically as his father had been militarily. He invested in land and sea trade. He developed Israel’s natural resources, setting up smelteries which, excavation has shown, brilliantly used prevailing winds to intensify the heat of the furnaces in which metals were refined. Solomon maintained a large court as well as a large army and he built many public buildings. He also built the temple of the Lord, which his father hadShow MoreRelated King Solomon Essays1675 Words   |  7 PagesKing Solomon King Solomon ruled all of Israel in an outstanding way from 977 to 937 BCE (12). Despite his wealth and power, Solomon is known to history for his wisdom and as the builder of the Temple of Jerusalem. He has been credited with authoring all or parts of three books of the Bible (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). King Solomon was the ruler of ancient Israel who reigned from 961-922 BC (8). He is the son of David and Bathsheba. Solomon succeeded his father as king andRead MoreEssay King Solomon1342 Words   |  6 PagesKing Solomon one of the most influential kings in the entire bible Solomon was a wise king and was gifted as well as punished for his transgressions on his people and God. This paper will show how Solomon was thought to be one of the greatest kings of the bible, his contributions on the lively hood of the Israelite people and how he was sent to bring the people into a new type of living for the people of Israel. This paper will give a personal account on my reason for thinking that Solomon is a greatRead More King Solomon Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesKing Solomon King Solomon one of the most influential kings in the entire bible Solomon was a wise king and was gifted as well as punished for his transgressions on his people and God. 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