Preview

Ways In Which Class And Ethnicity Impact On Children's Lives

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1982 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ways In Which Class And Ethnicity Impact On Children's Lives
Discuss some ways in which class and ethnicity impact on children’s lives.

To discuss ways in which class and ethnicity impact on children’s lives we must first of all define both terms. According to Walters (2012) ethnicity refers to a sense among a group of people with a shared culture, ancestry and decent which has either a national or regional origin. A focus on ethnicity also suggests a focus on cultural markers such as race, religion, language and shared customs; this is because cultural markers like these can give a sense of belonging to an individual by helping them express and identify with their ethnicity or a particular ethnic group. Like ethnicity, class is also an important aspect of someone’s identity and can provide a sense of belonging to an individual or a group of similar people. Class is a
…show more content…
A class consists of a large group of people sharing similar economic, social and cultural capital within a society (classim.org, 2014). When discussing ethnicity and class it is important to consider whether a group or individual has chosen to identify with a specific ethnicity or class or whether it is something that has been ascribed to them. This is important as how someone is perceived may be different to how they perceive themselves (Walters, 2012). This essay will mainly use facts derived from statistics to explore the inequalities between ethnic and social groups, therefore it is important to remember that some people included in these statistics may have been associated with and categorised into ethnic and class groups in which they feel they do not belong . Children are born into ethnic and class groups, both of which have a significant impact on their lives and are therefore common frameworks in which to monitor and explore children’s education, health and future. Therefore, this essay shall be discussing the social inequalities associated with class and ethnicity

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Social class background has a powerful influence on a child's chances of success in the educational system, a child is often labeled from the first year of school based on stereotyped assumptions about their class background, in the society there are significant social class, gender and ethnic inequalities of educational achievement. Differences in cultural and material circumstances operating outside the school environment and processes that take place between working class and middle class students within the schools themselves which involve negative and positive labeling.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Gregory Mantsios’s essay, “Class in America” he discusses his point of view on social classes in America and the impact it has on people. Mantsios pulls information from a number of different sources. He looks at differences in wealth distribution. He discusses the health concerns. He then looks at educational success, and the correlation between social class and better economic success. He claims that, “we mistakenly hold a set of beliefs that obscure the reality of class differences and their impact on people’s lives.” (698). Gregory Mantsios succeeds at proving his claim because of the amount of evidence he presents.…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Comm 315

    • 1285 Words
    • 6 Pages

    American social classes can be defined as: lower, middle and upper class. Social classes systems are defined by various factors and characteristics such as: income levels, occupations, educational background, net worth, personal possessions and ownership. (Bucher, 2010). Moreover, superficial factors play an integral role in defining one’s social class. Clothing, hairstyles, vehicles, jewelry, morals, and attitudes are examples of superficial factors that describe social class within society. (Bucher, 2010). Social class distinctions between societal groups and classes can be observable or concealed. The purpose of this essay involves a personal observation of a social class that is diverse from mine. Moreover, a personal action plan will be created based on the information and knowledge gained through my personal observations. The personal action plan will discuss ways to improve my diversity consciousness and awareness.…

    • 1285 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    As well as social class, ethnicity also plays an important part in educational achievement. Just as we can think of everyone as belonging to a social class, we can also see individuals being part of an ethnic group. Lawson and Garrod (2000) define ethnic groups as ‘people who share common history, customs, language and religion, and who see themselves as a distinct unit’.…

    • 1284 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In politics, in primary and secondary education, and in the mass media, formulating issues in terms of class is unacceptable, perhaps even un-American." Social construction is segregating us depending on our physical appearance and our material possessions. We are seen differently because of where we live, where we come from and how we look. Our whole lives have been caught up in this idea of stereotypes and standards that we are supposed to follow but…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Inequality In Australia

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Class is a significant force in all societies, understanding class is crucial if we are to see how groups of people within our society have different experiences. Social stratification refers to the way society is organised within hierarchical layers (Furze,…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    DD102

    • 1503 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The identity of ‘class’ is often called the ‘unspeakable identity’. The reason for this may be that class refers to inequalities based on a small group of people that occupy a greater position within society. Class identity can therefore be defined as ‘a group or collective identity that links economic inequality and social differences, including superior or inferior status and differences of family background and lifestyle’ (Open University, 2015). Inequalities of class are part of British social history with famous theorist Karl Marx being one of the first social scientists to focus on social class. According to Marx there are two classes of people within society, these being the bourgeoisie and the proletariats, or in other words the employers and the workers.…

    • 1503 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Everything in society, not only has an impact but it shapes the individual as well. There are many inequalities that individuals face based on their: race, socioeconomic statuses, beliefs, and because of their lack sufficient knowledge. The way one raises a child has a huge impact; however, social class has a tremendous effect on the child because that is what allows the child to experience opportunities. If the child comes from a middle class, working class or poor family there is already inequality being present unconsciously because they are exposed to different culture, system, and different capital. For instance, In Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race and Family Life, Annette Lareau analyzes how social statuses impacts parenting.…

    • 2261 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. I am writing to express my appreciation to you and your assistants for your extensive research and your dedication in determining the lasting effects of unequal childhoods. I feel that this research project was important to answer the question of how unequal childhoods affect a child’s future. Your methodology was thorough and unique. You and your assistants not only interviewed children and their families, but also immersed yourselves in their family and social lives. Your research in examining how middle class, working class and poor families raise their children was very detailed and informative. Every chapter had interesting examples of how the differences affected the child or children involved.…

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1. What are class, race and ethnicity and what role do they play in social life?…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the past few weeks we have read many articles that allowed us many clear descriptions. Prior to this course I would have described class as being a way in which society groups individuals based on economic positions or social status. In my opinion, sometimes political beliefs can attribute towards class placement as well. However, since reading the required texts and watching films based on class, we now know that there are other factors associated with class divisions. For example, we read in Brenda J. Allen’s “Social Class Matters” article that not only are these two viewpoints large contributors (economic & political alliances) towards classes, but also geographic locations. This can be seen when visiting a typical trailer park, where many of its residents are presumably called “white trash”, or as depicted with lower income families who live in the projects or ghetto. Their locale most likely reflects their social status or class. Moreover, we have learned that these factors also define what class is to the general public: education, occupational position, and power. “Women without class” by Julie Bettie examines class theory by understanding the ways in which class identity is constructed. It has many illustrations of social class by way of education and occupational positions. The upper crust students of Waretown were typically children of white collar employees. The preps generally outperformed the las chicas, hard living, and often settled living students of this documentary,…

    • 2088 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Race Class and Gender

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Beautiful. Everyone wants to look beautiful, but who determines what beautiful is? Being ugly is a problem that everyone fears. Getting under the knife on a surgical table is an answer to the problem. Eating an apple and only an apple, once a day is the other answer to the problem. The problem of not looking beautiful is slowly wiping out the naturally beautiful men and women. What are you to do when looking like you do, is not beautiful? A great amount of people go to this extent because of what influence them the most – parents, boys/girls, lovers, and friends – tell them. Someone who does not have the crease in her eyelids, someone who hates their fat chin, or someone who wants a thin body for Spring Break, goes through this phase of false impression of what beauty really is.…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racial formation

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages

    After reading many articles in different themes in this class, I have to say that Racial Formation in the United States captured my attention. Coming from Congo, I had another way of perception about class and race. Surly the different background that I had on how to categorize people in a particular class based on their skin color changed slightly when I moved in the US. However, one thing that did not or I may say never occurred to me, was to think even once that race could also be viewed as someone's social class. To me social class was limited or based on someone's education, place of birth, income made, and country or city of origin. So this article really did stimulate my curiosity on looking into different way that race can play a big role into defining someone's social class. That is the reason why I am going to write about the theorist Michael Omi in how he argues about race and social class.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Health and Social Care

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ethnicity results from various aspects of variation, which are socially and politically vital in the UK. These include race; culture; religion and nationality, which impact on a person’s identity and how other individuals’ observe them. Identification with ethnic groups is at many different levels. They may see themselves to be: British, Asian, Indian, Punjabi and Glaswegian at different times and in different circumstances.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethnicity and race has had a big influence on peoples' every day life choices. In some way or another, most people will be judged according to their color of their skin or their ethnic background. We live in a society full of different races and cultures affecting the way we interact with each other, as well as influencing our views on equality and differences among the many different races in our society. Often influential media groups and social standards shape our beliefs, also affecting how we interact with cultures different from our own, and how various groups interact with each other. Race and ethnicity may be defined as a type of grouping or classification based on a persons origin of birth and includes their racial appearance, language, religion and culture. Ethnicity can be defined as a social construction that indicates identification with a particular group who share common cultural traits, such as language, religion and traditions.…

    • 806 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays