Analysis Of Ain 'T No Makin' It By Jay Macleod

In America, a general consensus exists around the idea that education is imperative to a successful future. This idea falls in line with the achievement ideology, the center of the fabled American dream. The achievement ideology states that if you work hard and try your best then the world is your oyster. However, when analyzing Jay MacLeod’s novel “Ain’t No Makin’ It”, the film Rize, and government statistics, it is clear that there are multiple significant flaws within America’s education system and how it plays into the achievement ideology and social reproduction. MacLeod’s novel tells the story of two groups of impoverished teenagers, nicknamed the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers. At their core, these groups could not pose more of a …show more content…
Schools in America bear the burden of preparing the youth to become successful and productive citizens of our society. In an effort to achieve this task, they adopt many different programs and systems that are meant to benefit the students and improve their education. Lincoln High School, the school in “Ain’t No Makin’ It,” seems to put forth a valiant effort to educate the mass amounts of students from all different backgrounds that attend they’re school. One of their most obvious efforts is seen in the large variety of programs meant to specialize the students’ education. Lincoln High School offers numerous programs that vary from vocational education, behavior-based education, and a typical high-school education (MacLeod, 84-85). Despite the effort, in practice there are many flaws which arise in separating the students into such streamlined programs. Most notable is the way in which students get into their respective programs within the high-school. A study by James Rosenbaum is referenced in “Ain’t No Makin’ It” which explains that counselors and teachers within a working-class school “applied subtle and not-so-subtle techniques to channel students into …show more content…
Until these lower-income students are provided an even playing field within the schools, social reproduction cannot be improved upon in any other realms. As the amount of individual education increases throughout the country, so does the urgency to adjust the schooling practices in order to limit social reproduction. With all of its flaws, an education is still the first step to breaking out of the cycle of social reproduction. In fact, one may argue that it is even more essential now than ever in order to succeed. The issue that arises for lower-income individuals is that because of the unbalanced education they are gaining, they step after high school is more of a leap of faith and luck in order to land in the doorway of a respectable