SOC 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Debutante, Manifest And Latent Functions And Dysfunctions
Document Summary
They have always learned that america is a land of equality and opportunity, and their textbooks never even mention the class system when addressing the reasons why poor people are poor and rich people are rich. They are all focused on what makes it possible to achieve success but fail to ask what prevents people from becoming successful. Social class is arguably the single most important variable in society, as it determines many elements of your life from the time you are born, and these students do not even recognize the struggles that it presents. Even when poor kids are lucky enough to be integrated with rich kids, they are often treated differently. Wealth differences are ten times larger than income differences. Teachers who shy away from the topic harm the students by continuing the cycle and by causing them shame; students feel better knowing that they"re stuck where they are because of the system.
