Meritocracy

According to Annette Lareau and Calarco, the social class of parents has the power to shape the life chances of their children, even though Americans tend to oppose this idea (2012: 61). A study conducted by economist Tom Hertz found that forty-two percent of low-income American families remained in the same income class two generations later (Hayes 2012: 61). Economists Daniel Aaronson and Bhashkar Mazumder also found that class mobility has sharply declined since 1980 and can be partially…

Buting had mentioned in episode 6, most people's experience with the cops have the notion that they are the "good" guys. The show may not preach that all cops are evil and corrupt, but it can certainly say that those who are not in power from the meritocracy have little say in what happens…

the color of their skin, should have a fair chance at succeeding based on their skills and efforts. However, as seen in the examples above, the systematic oppression of people of color in the United States grants that we stop calling ourselves a meritocracy and focus on learning how to treat each other with equal respect and dignity…

Sue et al. (2007a) also created a taxonomy of various examples of racial microaggressions, and posited how these could present in the lives of people of color. Some examples include: A) Alien in Own Land, which assumes that people of color are foreign born, B) Ascription of intelligence, which refers to labeling someone’s intelligence based on his or her race, C) Color blindness, which occurs when people deny an individual’s racialized experiences (i.e. “There is only one race; the human race”),…

In The Great Gatsby, there are many conflicting character roles that collide with one another. Almost every individual character conflicts with another one or two characters that cause major drama in the book, which is what the twenties, the “Roaring Twenties” was full of. Since the decade was full of drama, excitement, lies, and occurrences such as the stock market rising, everyone was ready to be their own hero, without ever realizing that they could be a villain. But could the true villain of…

An Example of Functionalism: Education One example of functionalism happening in the world today is public education. In the United States, education is a State and local responsibility. To illustrate, the Department of Education was created “In 1867 to collect information on schools and teaching that would help the States establish effective school systems” (Anon 2012). According to the article of the U.S Department of Education (Anon 2012), it states and communities as well as public and…

conquer. He was an extremely effective fighter, adapting techniques from all over Asia to use in his military. The Mongols had a uniform code of laws, ridding the steppes of theft, kidnapping and petty battles.He established religious toleration and meritocracy. Previously Mongols tribes judged based on birth. He forbid The Mongols to abduct and enslave one another, recognizing the harmful animosity it created. Stealing animals was a capital offense as herding was an essential component of…

own surrounding culture and the "underclass" are allocated the bottom position of the "social hierarchy" for the concept of their deviant nature in functionalists eyes is deserved. Where an individual has been seen to work hard, exceed in future meritocracy, functionalists view those as deserving of a good job with high earnings, when compared to those individuals that are seen as those who have not worked hard to succeed should fully deserve the lower status and less earnings from a weaker job.…

English Creative Task Rationale The American Dream is a complex philosophy that exhibits crucial lifestyles and factors that lead to the success of society. However, it does not recognise the evident tension within its ideology; meritocracy at odds with inherited status. This creative piece, in the form of a prose extract, aims to declare and demonstrate the hardships of this ideology. Focusing on an unnamed Aboriginal girl during the 1950’s when the White Australia Policy was reforming black…

George Will's article "Healthy Inequality" presents a contentious viewpoint that defends inequality as a natural and necessary aspect of society, particularly in the realm of higher education. While Will advocates for a meritocratic system, his argument overlooks the detrimental effects of entrenched inequality on access, equity, and social justice. By critically examining Will's assertions and drawing upon scholarly articles that emphasize the importance of promoting equity and social justice…