Imagine how things would be perceived if the entire world dressed exactly the same, with no indicator of who we are as individuals. Would it seem as if we were trapped in a prison or free to spread our wings and fly like a bird? In the 1994-95 school year for students in the Long Beach Unified School District things changed drastically. That year would be the starting mark of the history of school uniforms in the U.S. The Long Beach Unified School District was the first public school district to embrace mandatory uniforms. School uniforms then became the main tool in hopes to solve the problem of school violence. But do school uniforms really help solve violence problems or anything other student related problems? School uniforms are a poor
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In York County, Pennsylvania, NBC news reported of students skipping school because their families could not afford the uniforms (School Uniforms). Parents have already have to pay taxes, uniforms add an extra expense that some families simply do not have the money for. While uniforms are expensive for some families, for some companies uniforms are a huge source of profit. It is estimated that Americans spend 1 million dollars for school uniforms annually. JCPenney, Walmart and Lands’ End state that school uniforms are a big part of business for them (School Uniforms). So are uniforms a genuine suggestion or are they driven by the need of business that some companies …show more content…
School uniforms are more forced on poor student population in public schools. Forcing uniforms on the poor population is not an equalizer, it emphasizes a clearer class division distinction. This day and age class distinction cannot be distinguished by clothing because there are too many factors that go into indicating status (Wilkins 5-6). In schools where students are only required to wear certain colors, there is no doubt that kids will have some sort of indicator that distinguishes groups. These indicators can be as simple as the difference between a designer brand and a nameless brand or a piece of jewelry that sets them apart from others. The big point is that kids will find a way to set them apart from others that are not in their group. Uniforms really are no help in trying to equalize students. As well as not being efficient equalizers, uniforms can also create hostility between other schools. While uniforms do create a little sense of belonging within a whole school group, it also creates “us” and “them.” This may cause violence problems with other
In York County, Pennsylvania, NBC news reported of students skipping school because their families could not afford the uniforms (School Uniforms). Parents have already have to pay taxes, uniforms add an extra expense that some families simply do not have the money for. While uniforms are expensive for some families, for some companies uniforms are a huge source of profit. It is estimated that Americans spend 1 million dollars for school uniforms annually. JCPenney, Walmart and Lands’ End state that school uniforms are a big part of business for them (School Uniforms). So are uniforms a genuine suggestion or are they driven by the need of business that some companies …show more content…
School uniforms are more forced on poor student population in public schools. Forcing uniforms on the poor population is not an equalizer, it emphasizes a clearer class division distinction. This day and age class distinction cannot be distinguished by clothing because there are too many factors that go into indicating status (Wilkins 5-6). In schools where students are only required to wear certain colors, there is no doubt that kids will have some sort of indicator that distinguishes groups. These indicators can be as simple as the difference between a designer brand and a nameless brand or a piece of jewelry that sets them apart from others. The big point is that kids will find a way to set them apart from others that are not in their group. Uniforms really are no help in trying to equalize students. As well as not being efficient equalizers, uniforms can also create hostility between other schools. While uniforms do create a little sense of belonging within a whole school group, it also creates “us” and “them.” This may cause violence problems with other