Class & SES (Chap. 3)
What is class?
–What do you already know about class?
–How has this chapter helped you
understand issues of class & SES?
–What questions do you have pertaining
to the assigned readings?
–How has this work about class &SES
enabled you to become a better educator?
Class
•A socially constructed (hence, changeable)
system that determines access to
power/privilege–Economic
–Political
–Cultural
–Social resources
•Class determines:
–Schools to attend (CD Chap. 3 on Smart kid, Tough
School..MIT.. Identify the issues Cedric is managing
to get to MIT
–Stores to shop
–Restaurant to eat
–Community to live
–Jobs to access
Types of Class
• Limited class consciousness due to
improved standard of living but:
– Working- from 14,000-35k
– Middle- From 30,000-80k
– Upper middle- Over 75,000
– Upper class- Inherited wealth & Top level
administrators & professionals
• What causes class? Why poverty?
Determining factors:
• Income: annual wages & salary– Hard work= higher wages (meritocracy, p.88)
• What’s your reaction?
• Wealth: net worth (salaries, investments, inheritance
etc.); guarantees future income
• Occupation: Determines income & wealth
• Education- Best predicator of income, hence.. (p.
92)…give the a “Boot”
• Power- Family among others
Research on class
• Cultural values of White & upper-middle class
are the norm/standard
– It costs $1.50 each way to ride the bus between home
and work. The weekly pass is $16.00. Which is the
better deal, paying the daily fare or buying the weekly
pass? (Rasool, p. 145)
Research on class
• Class mobility is largely considered
possible due to educational success &
hard work- meritocracy
• Hence inability to move to upper class is
considered a choice or deficiency- blaming
the victim (Rasool p. 39; Chideya pg. 3 & 63
Research on Class
• No one wants to be poor… (Rassol, p.43; Michie, p.53).
– Poverty is a factor of unjust systems, internalized oppression,
powerlessness & ignorance
• Money can’t make you happy.. What’s your reaction?
• Ruby Payne’s Work
On Ruby Payne’s article
• Who is R. Payne (p. 13)
• Who is her target (p. 15)
• What’s your position on her cultural hidden
rules (p. 14)
• Reflect on her claim that poor people are
not able to think abstractly
• What’s your reaction to:
– Dangerous message & what we need to know
(p. 15)
On Ruby’s article
• The truth:
– Poverty is a product of systemic barriers that make class mobility
a daunting task (What does this mean?)
Systemic Barriers
• Prejudice, discrimination, resistance, rejection &
isolation- Poor and homeless (p. 95)
– Poverty is a construct that serves a critical role in
societal order (handout)
• Race/Gender/ethnicity (p.103)
• Age- Both young & old
• Education- considered the solution to class
– Has barriers too.
Educational Barriers
• Teacher expectation- Based on class
membership (low/high)- p. 111
• Tracking- Curriculum that favors children from
middle/upper class. P.113
– Detracking …p. 115
• Financial support- Schools in high income
neighborhoods (p.116)
Other Barriers
• Family support- all families care about
education (Rassol, p. 254)
– Affluent families have more positive involvement
– Single parents, parents employed outside the home,
parents living far from school and fathers are less
involved
• At all levels of class and schooling,
children want their families involved
Family involvement
• Lack of family involvement is a factor of:
– Fear of school culture
– Prior negative school experiences
– Language barriers
– Time
– Helplessness
• Identify steps you’ll take to increase family
involvement.
Family Involvement (Fawcett, 1995)
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Recruit a parent volunteer
Let parents determine their children’s goals
Give specific options (time) for volunteers
Use technology to get parents excited
Share a meal
Plan special sessions for parents
Explain school routines
Make your routines & instructions clear
Stick with a good thing
Team up with a parent at work
Make a special effort to say thank you
Become culturally responsive (pg. 360)
Gender (Chap. 4)
What is gender?
–What do you know now about gender
that you did not know before?
–How has this chapter helped you
become a better person?
– How will the knowledge gained about
gender help you promote social justice in
your classroom or community?
–What’s the “big picture?”.. your opinion,
reflection, connection, etc. on gender?