Write an essay in which you analyze the ways “social class” often puts us in a group or community of people who share similar experiences of wealth and power. Education factors into issues of wealth and power in complicated ways, and our location in a particular social class often shapes our expectations for schooling, its importance, and potential for getting us to our goals for personal and professional success. Draw on two of the assigned readings.
In what ways does our experience of social class help to define or shape our expectations for education, its potential, and its power? What are the limits and dangers to this relationship between social class and education, and what are the benefits? Why does it matter to explore and understand this dynamic?
assigned readings:
“blue collar brilliance” Mike Rose
“Hidden Intellectualism” Gerald Graff
“The Sanctuary of School” Lynda barry
“Why Colleges Shower Students With A’s” Brent Staples

Category: Essays