A topic of constant debate is the fact that not all students are given equal opportunity when it comes to higher education. This is a fact and it’s not easily disputed. However I will attempt to argue that although this discrepancy is very real, there are some positive aspects to being a victim of economic inequality.
Money Matters
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The status quo is that socio-economic status creates a sense of incapability. Your class defines the type of life you will live. Sadly, there is a huge discrepancy that exists in equality today. In a description of our current economic state David Leonhardt explains,
“And inequality is likely to continue increasing for decades. Ultimately, we could end up with a society in which the rich separate themselves from everyone else, perpetuating their wealth from one generation to the next, as nobility of past centuries did.” (545)
When it comes to college, for some it’s a no brainer, for others it’s a dream and for most, it’s not even a possibility. According to the New York Times only “65.9 percent of people who had graduated from high school the previous spring had enrolled in college” in the U.S. This is the lowest percentage in a decade. Without a wealthy and powerful background many students like me, as the resident of the middle/lower class, are left without the resources needed to succeed…but I don’t buy it.
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While it’s true that money does create some opportunities that a lack of it could not, there are advantages to being on the receiving side of inequality, as bad as that may sound.
Hard Workers Club
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Ok, I know what you’re thinking…what’s wrong with this girl? She supports injustice?? Most certainly not. But I do think there’s value in recognizing that not all oppressed people are doomed. One of the major benefits of coming from a situation that lacks monetary support is the determination that stems from the desire to create a better home life. In education, there are two major types of learners, passive and active. Following this train of thought, it makes sense that the learners who are most often active have something to work towards.
This video is taken from a Ted talk given by a man named Richard St. John who is a success expert with his own Marketing company. In the video he outlines that working hard is the ultimate driver of success through the use of well-known examples like Oprah Winfrey. Oprah in particular came from the lower class and through hard work was able to become the second richest Black woman in the world (worth $3 billion). See what I mean?
Being Poor Has Perks!
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Not literally. Individuals in the lower class don’t revel in their lack of resources. However, students that have the aforementioned sense of self determination that come from lower class homes are even MORE driven. Shocking right? No not at all actually. Let me ask you this: If you grew up in a setting where you were constantly deprived of opportunity, worried about money and therefore forced to monitor your use of food and other necessities, and making sacrifices in order to survive, wouldn’t you do everything and anything to get away from that?
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That is the mindset of many lower class students working towards higher education. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 46 percent of low income students enroll in college directly after graduating from high school. Although this number isn’t stellar, it does prove that almost half of lower class students in the U.S. are willing to work to improve their current economic position. And that glimmer of hope is enough to satisfy me.
Still Fighting
Alright, let’s be real. Of course I wholeheartedly agree that residing in the middle/lower class can remove some essential resources and opportunities. BUT, the willpower that comes from that depletion is invaluable. Time and time again it is evident that some of the most successful people in our world today come from less than ideal circumstances, and those circumstances are what fuels them to succeed. Re-thinking the status quo not only allows us to disarm it, but also creates a broader sense of awareness about the different experiences of people within a specific context. So if you leave this blog with one thought, make it that groups of people are not defined by their conditions, but by their actions.