Gender, race, and class in media are aspects that test our social identities through the integration of culture and our economy. The three aspects nevertheless interlock in people’s lives to simultaneously affect the experiences of individuals in society. Race class and gender invite people to differentiate between comparative and relational thinking. Comparative thinking is seen when people learn about other individuals experiences and begin comparing them with their own. Relational thinking, however, is different as social groups combine their own group histories and then compare them in society. When discussing the topic of race gender and class it is impossible to escape the question of equality in these social aspects. Are aspects of gender race and class fair to the education system today?
There have been concerns on equity issues in society today in platforms such as education and how it affects the quality of education today. Gender, race and class discrimination in education is still an issue to modern society (Azzarito " Solomon, p.27). Although most women argue that we are living in a post-feminist era recent evidence have shown a type of sex discrimination in education. Women who are seen to climb up the social ladder through school education have been discouraged on their way up. Arguably evidence of this is seen as women get lower wages even after education completion than men. Women are also seen to be the largest percentage of part-time workers.in education, it is always important to treat the three aspects of gender race and class equally. Evidently, girls and boys perceive and experience education differently.
Race equally plays a big role in education, especially in the United States. Racial biases have been seen in schools where more colored children have received suspensions rather than white students while having the same offenses (Giroux, p.555). Recent reports have shown that academic and disciplinary disparities have been largely seen in the United States where students from different race find it hard to start school or even finish school at all. To get a clear view of how race and ethnicity affect education one must take a look at the united state department of education’s 2014 civil rights data collection report. In the report, it is clear that colored students have higher chances of receiving first-year teachers than white students. The report also details that black students are often expelled at higher rates three times that of white students.
The class is the other aspect affecting education. Different socioeconomic classes have their influences in education today. Social class is widely regarded as the biggest predictor in education today. Most poverty-stricken students cannot afford to go to good schooling institutions in the United States. Most students thus opt to go to public schools which are seen to have lower resources than in private schools. The mere existence of public schools and private schools is an example of the social class boundaries existing in society today (Stanton-Salazar, p.33). These class boundaries stretch so far as to affect other aspects such as those of race and gender. Urban schooling institutions provide examples of social class distinction with separation of classes due to various economic factors. It is no wonder that the rich and bourgeoisie societies often opt for their children attending homeschooling or other private schools that fit their statuses. In conclusion, we have seen how gender, race and class interlock to affect the various experiences individuals receive in education systems.
References
Azzarito, Laura, and Melinda A. Solomon. "A reconceptualization of physical education: The intersection of gender/race/social class." Sport, Education and Society 10.1 (2005): 25-47.
Giroux, Henry. "Racial injustice and disposable youth in the age of zero tolerance." International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 16.4 (2003): 553-565.
Stanton-Salazar, Ricardo. "A social capital framework for understanding the socialization of racial minority children and youths." Harvard educational review 67.1 (1997): 1-41.
