Preview

Does Social Class Matter

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1009 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Does Social Class Matter
Yes, social class does matter but does it have to? Are we not now in a position in society to adopt a better notion of equity and inclusion? Do we not all want the same in life? What can be done to change things?
Government
Meritocracy is based purely on achievement. It was a government’s way to level social classes, as students of wavering backgrounds have the potential to succeed by performing well in school and demonstrating their capabilities through good performance. This often happens in the private sector with the use of entrance tests. However issues occur when these schools are often only accessible to the higher social status and result in the inequality of opportunity (Lim, 1998). So is this really a way to maximise inclusion?
Many
…show more content…
The government uses the use of free school meals as a means of assessing social class without considering other indicators of disadvantage such as the proportion of parents with a lack of educational qualifications (Joseph Rountee Foundation 2007). Whilst many believe that at the heart of social class lies economic resources, it is also the cultural and social relations that help create and reproduce inequality (Kirk, 1993). Growing up I would have considered my family middle class with a six-bedroom house with a gym yet a dramatic divorce left us with nothing. Permitted free school meals if we chose but now we’re a completely different class? Are we talking about class or are we just focusing on economic …show more content…
“The good parent must be equipped and willing to intact responsibilities for their child through their engagement with the market” (Penney, 2008). It’s important as teachers we educate parents about the benefits of PE and Sport and that as much as class may be an issue today, it doesn’t have to be.
Conclusion
Social class has the potential to be detrimental in sport if we allow it to. Not everyone in states schools are rubbish at sport and not everyone in the private schools are great at sport. We need to stop stereotyping and treat children as individuals. The more we try to group people, the more people will get left out and the less inclusive we’ll become. Much research has been conducted around this area, some more recent than others. In order to continue to try and make a difference its important more recent research is conducted.
The purpose of this essay was to identify and critique the main claims of the literature surrounding social class and Physical Education and Sport. Looking specifically at how the differences in participation therefore linked to performance as well as the difference in sport habitus between the two classes in terms of equity and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    The social factors that influence an individual’s decision to participate in Athletics may indirectly or directly impact them by shaping their values, attitudes and beliefs. Knowing this the individual may find themselves being subjective to…

    • 1942 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Touch Doc

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The structural level of the framework examines inequities within society on a much larger scale. It evaluates the impact of social status on the types and levels of participation in sport and physical activity. The impact of power and relationships within society and the distribution of sporting resources and rewards on participation in sport and physical activity are also covered within the structural level of the framework…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Social Class is a fundamental aspect in society and can be found in all societies around the world. Aspects such as education, health, wealth, where you live, what do you do with yourself all contribute to where you as a member of society fit in. If you are a student attending a private school, living in Toorak with very wealthy parents you would be considered part of the ‘upper class’ in society, where people would generally look more highly of…

    • 81 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Figueroa's Framework

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages

    At school, peers can change adolescents’ attitudes about a sport that was previously enjoyed. Even students who are talented at a particular sport may quit it because a sporting career is not realistic or because of the social expectations of their gender. Work commitments, financial costs and equipment costs—such factors can have a negative effect on sports participation.…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Figeroua's Framework

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages

    * Equity affects nearly all aspects of our lives none less than sports such as beach volleyball. Sport is an integral part of today’s society and as such, sport should be organised, participated in and distributed in an equitable manner.The aim of equity in sports is to encourage all people, regardless of age, gender, disability or ethnic origin to participate in and develop their potential within sport. Disputes over equity have been apparent in our society for hundreds of years, over such things as gender, religion or race. A framework developed by Figueroa deals with equity. It consists of five levels that link together – individual, interpersonal, institutional, structural and cultural. The following paragraphs demonstrate the use of Figueroa Framework as a tool to analyse the barriers to my performance in beach volleyball and part of this involves a peer evaluation (Appendix A).Each of these levels interacts with equity issues in various ways. These numerous levels deal with social beliefs, values, social position, power, media coverage, resources and rewards (Kirk et al, 2004). Each of the five levels mentioned above relates to the others in some way.…

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Gregory Mantsios’s article, Class in America he says, "The lower one's class standing, the more difficult it is to secure appropriate housing, the more time is spent on the routine tasks of everyday life, the greater is the percentage of income that goes to pay for food and other basic necessities, and the greater is the likelihood of crime victimization. Class can accurately predict chances for both survival and success. " Mantsios also argues that while most Americans, both rich and poor, are keenly aware of class differences, "Class is not discussed or debated in public because class identity has been stripped from popular culture. The institutions that shape mass culture and define the parameters of public debate have avoided class issues.…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Social class is often judged upon by the following criteria; money, possessions, and ranking. In our society today, so much of our life is focused on social ranking. There are those who actively try to climb the social ladder while there are others simply who seem to be at the highest status. In Westport, it seems that most people are privileged in some way. I’ve grown up being on the soccer team, traveling on vacations to Arizona, the Caribbean, and London, never giving much thought to social class. These activities and gifts are just part of my life. However, over the last few years, I have come to realize that there are people who do not have these privileges. That is when I began noticing different social classes.…

    • 1155 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Amanda Ripley Analysis

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages

    or many years, athletics have improved junior’s well-beings and their schooling, but some academies have been thinking of getting rid of these programs all together. The two articles mentioned that school should keep or get rid of sports. One is written by Amanda Ripley while the other Tim O’Shei. Both have good arguments yet Tim’s article provides more positive undertones and uses of sports. Therefore physical education should stay in schools because It helps improve children’s grades and health, equal opportunities are given to students that didn’t exercise before, AND athletic careers can open for people who play competitive games early in their lives.…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sociology Final Exam

    • 2046 Words
    • 9 Pages

    1.)Social class is a “class society, a set of concepts in the social sciences and political theory centered on models of social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social categories”( Grant,2001,p.161). The most common being the upper, middle, and lower classes. The upper class consist of people or families that represent institutional leadership, heads of multinational corporations, foundations, and universities. They are people who have finical stability and are well educated due to their finical income. Most commonly in American society today people fall in the middle class category. Middle class is made of people and families that are involved in clerical work, provide professional support, and engage in data collection. Even though they are educated based on local school systems they are not given the luxury education that you would fine with upper class. Last but not least you have the lower class. The lower class is commonly the hardworking of them all. They work full-time at wages below poverty line and commonly are on some type of social services help such as Medicaid or food stamp program (EBT).Even though they are entitled to education they commonly would rather work to just get by day to day due to finical struggles. Based on these classes’ people in today’s society have certain criteria that are used to determine ones place within the social class scale. Three most common criteria used to measure social class is wealth (property), power and prestige.…

    • 2046 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anyone who has ever been a part of a life of as a sportsman can relate to it and tell you the how much the awareness of such matter is important for the parents and coaches. These sports can cause hindrance in the development of a child’s personality. As I have been a part of these competitive sport so I can very well relate to the concerns that are brought up by writer and I cannot emphasize enough their importance in today’s world where everyone seems to be in a rat…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The social structure of Britain has been highly influenced by the concept of social class. In sociology, the term ‘social class’ is most often used to refer to the primary system of social stratification found in modern capitalist societies. Social stratification refers to ‘the presence [in society] of distinct social groups which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth’.…

    • 1749 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to the Webster dictionary, social class is defined as a group of people who share economic and social status. Social class is separated by one’s wealth and how they present themselves. James W. Loewen once said that “social class is probably the most important variable in society. From womb to tomb, it correlates with all other social characteristics of people.” Here he is stating that social class is something a person will have to deal with for from birth to death; it will develop a person and their unique characteristics (compound sentence). Social standings are ubiquitous, which makes the idea of this quote so intriguing. As the world becomes more complex, the division between social classes becomes more apparent…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Yet for some people social class still influences their voting behaviour, as they may feel that someone who is from a higher class than then would be stuck up and possibly ignorant towards their struggles. As…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Avoidance of speaking about classes is something that most Americans practice. Most people refer to race, ethnic group, or geographic location. Sometimes people refer to identifying themselves through their employer. Americans are aware of class differences but the terminology seems to have been removed from popular culture. Our society is intrigued by the rich and famous. They are not rich, because we seem to be poor. Social commentators try to obscure the class structure and deny exploitation. What influences from class differences impact people’s lives? There are four myths in the United States. The first myth is that the United States is a classless society. Classes mean nothing in today’s society. We are equal in the eyes of the law, and health care and education is provided regardless of economic standing…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Social Class In Society

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages

    While the determining factor in deciding social class should rely first and foremost on hard work and perseverance, which is the American dream, it often relies on other things. For instance, someone is born into a rich and powerful family, generally they do not have to make a name for themselves, since they can rely on their parents name. Likewise, if you are born into a lower class family, you have to spend a large part of your life and resources trying to rise to the classes above you. Because of this, not everybody has an equal chance to succeed and fulfill their dreams. Social class has come a long way, but undoubtedly still has many changes that need to…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays