Wall For Lower Class Students example essay topic

Education is one of the most important aspects of every society and country. A person can be changed no matter what kind of education they have because education affects one's personality and moral character. Among common ideas, education establishes a one's job choice, life quality and thoughts. Donna Gaines, essay "Dirt bags, Burnouts, Metalheads, and Thrashers" argues that education protects the social class in each person. In other words, education tends to determine the social class of each person. On page 245, Gaines talks about the vocational school.

As we know, there are two different kinds of high schools that every youngster can attend: regular high schools and vocational schools (votec). Most people think that vocational schools exist for the student who has lower academic grades or makes trouble in a school. In other words, the vocational school is the negative alternative for troublemakers. Donna Gaines presents several examples of students who attended or have graduated from a vocational school such as Eddie, Cliff and Ann. (248) According to her text, those students had individual dreams and wanted to achieve a successful life (248).

Their dreams are different according to a gender and interests. For instance, Cliff wants to be a bass player, Eddie wants to be a terrific writer and Ann wants to have a family. However, they couldn't because of a social wall that disrupted the movement from lower class to upper class. There are many reasons why vocational school students cannot improve the quality of their life. For instance, many high-paying jobs require a college degree or doctoral degree. In this case, a college degree can be a "wall" for lower class students.

Generally, college provides high quality knowledge that many high paying companies require. But votec does not do that. Therefore, the majority of students who graduate from a votec school might obtain a "shit job" (Gaines 250). As she said, a grocery stocker or construction worker does their jobs despite the fact that they are boring and hopeless. In other words, they have few life choices with these kinds of job. So, lower class people have fewer opportunities to obtain a high paying job that they want.

Recently, capacity of money has been a major factor to make a wall dividing social classes. If they cannot get a well paying job, how can they improve their lifestyle or break the wall to join upper class? There are several cases for each gender as I said. For instance, many lower and middle class boys want to be famous entertainers or sports superstars like Jon Bon Jovi or Mike Tyson (Gaines 248).

Girls also hope to be entertaining stars. In this case, girls rely upon their spectacular beauty and talents. But, in most cases, girls dream of marring a millionaire who has great looks and generous manners. However, it is hard to move from upper class to lower class. Of course, there are a few evidence of this movement from lower class to upper class. For instance, Rams quarterback: Kurt Warner can be a good example for my assumption.

Before starting the '99 NFL season, he was a grocery stocker. But finally, he became 34th Super Bowl MVP. Any students who come from votec might write a huge success story if they have specific sports skill or terrific beauty. However, this theory might not be realistic for normal students who graduates from a votec school or lives in lower social class.

According to Gaines' argument, education tends to be a major factor that determines one's life; parents have an affect on their children in terms of thought, action or individual characteristic. We have seen many cases that a son succeeds in his father's old business. Let us imagine two different people from different classes. Suppose that they are Brett and Jason. Brett is born to the upper class. His father is a lawyer and his mother is a doctor.

His parents send him to a well-known private school, which has a great academic reputation. After graduating from a private school, he may join a great college like Harvard or Stanford. We can visualize the next scene very easily. He gains a kind of well paying job that is similar to his parents' job and marries a woman who has lived a similar life as him. Definitely, Brett's children will have the same opportunities as he had.

So, his families and offspring continue their successful life. On the other hand, Jason is born in the lower class. He has many brothers and sisters. His father works in a steel factory and his mother is a washer in a school who earns a cheap salary. Jason's parents do not pay any attention to his education because their parents also did not have any interest.

That is why Jason is not interested in academic subjects like Math, English or science subjects like Physics or Chemistry. Can he get good grades and come to a college? Probably not. So, his family maintain on a poor lifestyle. My assumption may be a severe example of two different classes because there are many exceptions in our society. For instance, a bagger is able to make huge lottery success.

On the other hand, some rich people can loose their money if they are addicted in reckless gamble. However, my assumption can be possible. What is the main cause to divide two men's lives? It might be wealth or different life circumstances. However, the most important factor is education. As an example, Brett and Jason may live like their parents.

If parents have a comfortable life situation, they focus on their children's education. Thus, their children would have more attention, and interest about studying and learning. But, if parents are struggling with their life, they cannot focus on their children's education because there are many places to concentrate their attention like earning money. Here is an example of the result that education can make.

Gaines said, "If your parents are losers, it's because their parents were. It's just that way" (Gaines 254). In other words, looser makes another same kind of looser and winner makes winners. As she has mentioned, students who graduate from a votec school have individual dreams and hopes. However, there is little possibility to get a high paying job that they want and move to the upper class.

Because of their lack of education, they just earn a little money for their life. Gaines describes their situation critically in this example: "The American dream won't work for them, and nobody has bothered to explain why. So they find their concentrated effort and motivation only lead to an extra dollar an hour" (Gaines 254). American dream can be an exit for lower class people. As we know, any lower class people want to move to the upper class. Thus, lower class people might think that American Dream can come to them no matter when it is.

Any lower class people are happy when they think they enjoy higher class life. However, the real world is different from their sweet imagine. After all, they have to do their boring job for their life. The inability to improve their life quality is the result of the lack of education. American dream does not come to everybody.

American dream can come to someone who prepare an opportunity, practice his or her ability and think positive thought. Votec school may provide some skills like usage of machine. But that is all votec can give to students. The essay "The Professions as Class Fortune" by Barbara Ehrenreich presents that education tends to divide the social classes. Also, the capacity of money is a key how education is organized well. For example, if a student wants to join a high quality college, he or she would pay lots of money for tuition.

Certainly, lower class families cannot pay for that. Therefore, nowadays, if someone wants to learn more knowledge, he or she should have both a passion for study and money. Some critics and people insist that the capacity for money and wealth should not determine one's life and their quality of education. Unfortunately, the recent situation is different from their thought.

If someone wants to obtain a well paying job, he or she should have several advantages that lower class people cannot have. Of course, these assumptions do not apply in every case, each person. But, the capacity of money determines the quality of education. Furthermore, education is major factor to make a lifestyle and the quality of lifestyle comes from what kind of education people have. Recently, each social class has people who have similar background or job.

So, Education is a major factor to determine one's life. That is why the education makes a wall between each class of our society..