Gender, ethnicity and social class issues in higher education Essay

Gender, ethnicity and social class issues in higher precept - Essay ExampleMost governments emphasize on equal opportunity for all in training attainment and stern actions are taken against those found discriminating students. The question that begs answers is therefore, if there is equal education opportunity, why do issues of gender, ethnicity and social class matter or why do they continue to bog down the education remains? According to globe (2006) such(prenominal) education policies just contri merelye to a meritocratic education system. This view is support by the Virginia university teaching resource center (2004) which believes that such classifications function what we teach, how we teach and how students learn and that gender equality is taken for granted but it is not yet a reality. In view of this, this paper will talk of how socio-economic, national identity, gender and English proficiency affect student behavior or faculty behavior towards students. To start with, the socio-economic factors will be discussed. These include the challenges confront by students from low socio-economic background such as emotional and social challenges, acute and chronic stressors, cognitive lags and health and safety issues that affect participation pass judgment and educational achievement. It will then count at gender issues such as gender stereotyping and their effects on education after which it will look at issues of national identity and language proficiency faced by international students and their effects on students as well as faculty behavior. Lastly, a short summary will be made. Society is divided into various classes of citizens the upper, middle and lower class. These represent the hierarchical ordering of society especially payable to the emergence of the capitalistic mode of production. Karl Marx often criticized this mode of production for many societal problems and for bringing about growing of some people by others, that is, exploitation o f working class by the dominant ruling class or capitalists (Morrison, 2006). Emile Durkheim on the other hand, blamed this system for eroding family values and morals but he believed the division of labor in society was the key to enhance social solidarity which had been dismantled by the system. It helps to move from mechanical to organic solidarity but at the same time division of labor may also result in classification of people into high class and low classes depending on their occupations (Morrison, 2006). For examples, professionals such as accountants or lawyers are considered as from high classes while clerks are in the low social class. Individual identity in modern system is defined by what one does rather than what one is. Paid employment is thus very crucial in defining identity and determining the prox of individuals especially where work ethic is emphasized. Education being the key to employment is thus very vital in society and determines what people become in futur e and can also affect social mobility. This is the reason why issues of equality and equity in education provision are the center of education policies. According to Weis and Dolby (2012) social class determines most aspects of our lives such as which schools to attend and even influences participation in education, academic achievement and student interactions. This view is supported by Jensen (2009) who asserts that students from different socio-economic status bring into the education system their experiences which