Thinking About Diversity: Race, Class, and Gender Schooling in the United States: Savage Inequality

Social Psychology (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Chapter1: Introducing Social Psychology
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I want answers for the "What do you think" part please.

Thinking About Diversity: Race, Class, and Gender
Schooling in the United States: Savage Inequality
Public School 2617 Head down Jerome Avenue and look for responds, "but they know. All these kids see TV. They know what
the mortician's office." Off for a day studying the New York City
schools, Jonathan Kozol parks his car and walks toward PS 261.
Finding PS 261 is not easy because the school has no sign. In fact,
the building is a former roller rink and doesn't look much like a
school at all.
suburban schools are like. Then they look around them their
school. They don't comment on it, but you see it in their eyes. They
understand."
Several months later, Kozol visits PS 24, in the affluent
Riverdale section of New York City. This school is set back from
the road, beyond a lawn planted with magnolia and dogwood
trees, which are now in full bloom. On one side of the building
is a playground for the youngest children; behind the school are
playing fields for the older kids. Many people pay the high price
of a house in Riverdale because the local schools have such an
excellent reputation. There are 825 children here; most are white
and a few are Asian, Hispanic, or African American. The building is
in good repair. It has a large library and even a planetarium. All the
classrooms have windows with bright curtains.
Entering one of the many classes for gifted students, Kozol
asks the children what they are doing today. A young girl answers
confidently, "My name is Laurie, and we're doing problem solving."
A tall, good-natured boy continues, "I'm David. One thing that we
do is logical thinking. Some problems, we find, have more than
one good answer." Kozol asks if such reasoning is innate or if it is
something a child learns. Susan, whose smile reveals her braces,
responds, "You know some things to start with when you enter
school. But we learn some things that other children don't. We
learn certain things that other children don't know because we're
taught them!
The principal explains that this is in a minority area of the
North Bronx, so the population of PS 261 is 90 percent African
American and Hispanic. Officially, the school should serve 900 stu-
dents, but it actually enrolls 1,300. The rules say class size should
not exceed thirty-two, but Kozol observes that it sometimes
approaches forty. Because the school has just one small cafeteria,
the children must eat in three shifts. After lunch, with no place to
play, students squirm in their seats until they are told to return to
their classrooms. Only one classroom in the entire school has a
window to the world outside.
Toward the end of the day, Kozol remarks to a teacher about
the overcrowding and the poor condition of the building. She
sums up her thoughts: "I had an awful room last year. In the winter,
it was 56 degrees. In the summer, it was up to 90." "Do the children
ever comment on the building?" Kozol asks. "They don't say," she
SHA
RIN
16
THEBTON
NA
Si
What Do You Think?
1. Are there differences between schools in your city or town?
Explain.
2. Why do you think there is so little public concern about
schooling inequality?
3. What changes would our society have to make to eliminate
schooling inequality? Would you support such changes?
Why or why not?
Source: Adapted from Kozol (1992:85-88, 92-96).
Transcribed Image Text:Thinking About Diversity: Race, Class, and Gender Schooling in the United States: Savage Inequality Public School 2617 Head down Jerome Avenue and look for responds, "but they know. All these kids see TV. They know what the mortician's office." Off for a day studying the New York City schools, Jonathan Kozol parks his car and walks toward PS 261. Finding PS 261 is not easy because the school has no sign. In fact, the building is a former roller rink and doesn't look much like a school at all. suburban schools are like. Then they look around them their school. They don't comment on it, but you see it in their eyes. They understand." Several months later, Kozol visits PS 24, in the affluent Riverdale section of New York City. This school is set back from the road, beyond a lawn planted with magnolia and dogwood trees, which are now in full bloom. On one side of the building is a playground for the youngest children; behind the school are playing fields for the older kids. Many people pay the high price of a house in Riverdale because the local schools have such an excellent reputation. There are 825 children here; most are white and a few are Asian, Hispanic, or African American. The building is in good repair. It has a large library and even a planetarium. All the classrooms have windows with bright curtains. Entering one of the many classes for gifted students, Kozol asks the children what they are doing today. A young girl answers confidently, "My name is Laurie, and we're doing problem solving." A tall, good-natured boy continues, "I'm David. One thing that we do is logical thinking. Some problems, we find, have more than one good answer." Kozol asks if such reasoning is innate or if it is something a child learns. Susan, whose smile reveals her braces, responds, "You know some things to start with when you enter school. But we learn some things that other children don't. We learn certain things that other children don't know because we're taught them! The principal explains that this is in a minority area of the North Bronx, so the population of PS 261 is 90 percent African American and Hispanic. Officially, the school should serve 900 stu- dents, but it actually enrolls 1,300. The rules say class size should not exceed thirty-two, but Kozol observes that it sometimes approaches forty. Because the school has just one small cafeteria, the children must eat in three shifts. After lunch, with no place to play, students squirm in their seats until they are told to return to their classrooms. Only one classroom in the entire school has a window to the world outside. Toward the end of the day, Kozol remarks to a teacher about the overcrowding and the poor condition of the building. She sums up her thoughts: "I had an awful room last year. In the winter, it was 56 degrees. In the summer, it was up to 90." "Do the children ever comment on the building?" Kozol asks. "They don't say," she SHA RIN 16 THEBTON NA Si What Do You Think? 1. Are there differences between schools in your city or town? Explain. 2. Why do you think there is so little public concern about schooling inequality? 3. What changes would our society have to make to eliminate schooling inequality? Would you support such changes? Why or why not? Source: Adapted from Kozol (1992:85-88, 92-96).
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