Loewen Chapter 7, “The Land of Opportunity” Essay
After reading chapter 7 of “The Land of Opportunity,” written by James W. Loewen, I found many parts that were compelling and, in a way, astonishing.” Lies My Teacher Told Me,” basically shows the reader what is wrong with current-day history textbooks and provides different opinions on several topics. Loewen is a sociologist who studies social behavior within society. Sociologist’s jobs consist of improving issues bases on crime, education, and poverty. Loewen is well-known for his beliefs and contribution to society through teaching and books. In chapter 7, Loewen discusses the lack of information in textbooks regarding social classes and opportunities in the United States. Although …show more content…
In chapter 7, Loewen writes about “Rages to riches”, and explains the lack of truth behind the statement when used in textbooks. Loewen continues to explain why most of society does not have the same story of starting from the bottom and ending at the top. I found it compelling that ninety-five percent of successful executives came from the upper-class and were most wealthy families in the 19th century. Loewen believes that the chances of becoming rich after being born in a poor environment are very unlikely. If you look at statistics, Loewen is correct and his statements regarding the chances of an obtaining upper-class lifestyle are accurate. In my opinion, the chances of an individual starting poor and ending rich is mainly based on luck and determination. I understand where Loewen comes from when he explains the major disadvantages from being poor which include, bad health, poor …show more content…
He talks about the influence your circumstances around you have on your future and mentions the results from those born in different classes. Everyone has an opportunity for greatness. In my opinion, no matter what class you are born in, you can achieve greatness if you work hard enough and put yourself in the right situations. The compelling part of Loewen’s argument is that SAT scores and ACT scores determine whether you go to college. Our society today offers everyone equal chance at success by tests. High test scores are necessary for well-paid jobs and acceptance into college. If someone does not score high on certain tests, they stunt any growth towards wealth. Society offers everyone a path towards success, but without knowledge and experience, life becomes very challenging. (Loewen, paragraph
After reading chapter 7 of “The Land of Opportunity,” written by James W. Loewen, I found many parts that were compelling and, in a way, astonishing.” Lies My Teacher Told Me,” basically shows the reader what is wrong with current-day history textbooks and provides different opinions on several topics. Loewen is a sociologist who studies social behavior within society. Sociologist’s jobs consist of improving issues bases on crime, education, and poverty. Loewen is well-known for his beliefs and contribution to society through teaching and books. In chapter 7, Loewen discusses the lack of information in textbooks regarding social classes and opportunities in the United States. Although …show more content…
In chapter 7, Loewen writes about “Rages to riches”, and explains the lack of truth behind the statement when used in textbooks. Loewen continues to explain why most of society does not have the same story of starting from the bottom and ending at the top. I found it compelling that ninety-five percent of successful executives came from the upper-class and were most wealthy families in the 19th century. Loewen believes that the chances of becoming rich after being born in a poor environment are very unlikely. If you look at statistics, Loewen is correct and his statements regarding the chances of an obtaining upper-class lifestyle are accurate. In my opinion, the chances of an individual starting poor and ending rich is mainly based on luck and determination. I understand where Loewen comes from when he explains the major disadvantages from being poor which include, bad health, poor …show more content…
He talks about the influence your circumstances around you have on your future and mentions the results from those born in different classes. Everyone has an opportunity for greatness. In my opinion, no matter what class you are born in, you can achieve greatness if you work hard enough and put yourself in the right situations. The compelling part of Loewen’s argument is that SAT scores and ACT scores determine whether you go to college. Our society today offers everyone equal chance at success by tests. High test scores are necessary for well-paid jobs and acceptance into college. If someone does not score high on certain tests, they stunt any growth towards wealth. Society offers everyone a path towards success, but without knowledge and experience, life becomes very challenging. (Loewen, paragraph