Introduction
The pursuit of education can be considered a veritable right for all Americans, but for some it may be perceived as an elusive dream. For a fraction of American youth the promise of education is more of a challenge to obtain than for others. There are obvious gaps in the achievement levels in school amongst different ethical groups. Many societal reasons serve as the reason for this disparity. Cultural bias, racial discrimination, and marginal educational policies are all often identified as reasons for the disparate achievement levels. However one common denominator in the education system is poverty. Poverty is a variable that serves as a catalyst for these challenges that some students face. Although, America is characterized …show more content…
According to Sen (1995) poverty is the deprivation of personal capabilities. Simple, yet this is a profound statement. In delving deeper one must understand that impoverishment is a dynamic process that is systemic in nature. Poverty can rule from generation to generation. It includes a dominating institutional climate and social structures where the disadvantaged must work to advance their station, but most minorities are not given very many opportunities to do so. The effects of poverty are understood in three major ways. First, poverty can be moderated in that the effects of it vary throughout the family as a whole. This means that if a poor family lacks the proper education or have limited skill sets, it will be challenging for this family to safe guard their offspring from becoming impoverished. Therefore, this creates a generational effect of poverty. Secondly, Poverty can have a mediated effect where its impact is felt through disruptions and the ability to function as a family. In other words the stress of being disadvantage can become debilitating to the children of low income families. Lastly, the transactional effect of poverty implies that parental traits and habits may determine the ability of the children from that household to function. The structure of poverty also includes an individual’s ability to improve education, self-confidence, and assets. In transactional situations, …show more content…
Wright author of Redressing the Imbalance of Minority Groups in the Professions characterizes underrepresented minority groups as: African Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and American Indians (1972). Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans fall into a Latino category because of their Hispanic backgrounds. It is necessary to understand that all underrepresented minority groups are people of color. These minority groups yield a small percentage of the United States Population and yet even a smaller percentage of sustainable jobs and educational opportunities thereby, creating a perpetual instance of low income living. One would assume that if a minority group represents 15% of a population, it would also be employed or at least educated at that same percent. This is not the case, which is why the term “underrepresented” is utilized. Wright also contends that due to systemic racism and marginalization of jobs for those considered underrepresented in America, there are a disproportionate amount of minorities that are low income, compared to American Caucasians. For this reason one can infer that the majority of underrepresented minority students derive from low income
The pursuit of education can be considered a veritable right for all Americans, but for some it may be perceived as an elusive dream. For a fraction of American youth the promise of education is more of a challenge to obtain than for others. There are obvious gaps in the achievement levels in school amongst different ethical groups. Many societal reasons serve as the reason for this disparity. Cultural bias, racial discrimination, and marginal educational policies are all often identified as reasons for the disparate achievement levels. However one common denominator in the education system is poverty. Poverty is a variable that serves as a catalyst for these challenges that some students face. Although, America is characterized …show more content…
According to Sen (1995) poverty is the deprivation of personal capabilities. Simple, yet this is a profound statement. In delving deeper one must understand that impoverishment is a dynamic process that is systemic in nature. Poverty can rule from generation to generation. It includes a dominating institutional climate and social structures where the disadvantaged must work to advance their station, but most minorities are not given very many opportunities to do so. The effects of poverty are understood in three major ways. First, poverty can be moderated in that the effects of it vary throughout the family as a whole. This means that if a poor family lacks the proper education or have limited skill sets, it will be challenging for this family to safe guard their offspring from becoming impoverished. Therefore, this creates a generational effect of poverty. Secondly, Poverty can have a mediated effect where its impact is felt through disruptions and the ability to function as a family. In other words the stress of being disadvantage can become debilitating to the children of low income families. Lastly, the transactional effect of poverty implies that parental traits and habits may determine the ability of the children from that household to function. The structure of poverty also includes an individual’s ability to improve education, self-confidence, and assets. In transactional situations, …show more content…
Wright author of Redressing the Imbalance of Minority Groups in the Professions characterizes underrepresented minority groups as: African Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and American Indians (1972). Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans fall into a Latino category because of their Hispanic backgrounds. It is necessary to understand that all underrepresented minority groups are people of color. These minority groups yield a small percentage of the United States Population and yet even a smaller percentage of sustainable jobs and educational opportunities thereby, creating a perpetual instance of low income living. One would assume that if a minority group represents 15% of a population, it would also be employed or at least educated at that same percent. This is not the case, which is why the term “underrepresented” is utilized. Wright also contends that due to systemic racism and marginalization of jobs for those considered underrepresented in America, there are a disproportionate amount of minorities that are low income, compared to American Caucasians. For this reason one can infer that the majority of underrepresented minority students derive from low income