Social economic status can broadly be defined as the state of an
individual’s income, education and occupational status. It is fundamentally an
intersection of gender, indigenous status, geographic location and familial
circumstances which, evidence has shown, brings a range of both advantages and
disadvantages to students which is ultimately derivative of their social class.
Social economic status (SES) can be broken down into three main categories that
being; working class, middle class and upper class. Working class is considered
the lowest of social classes whilst middle class represents a comfortable
living environment for those who have experienced a better education and
subsequently, a higher income. The upper class denotes the wealthiest members
of society with the highest income, greatest political power and unrivalled
access to educational resources.
From this simple breaking
down of the classes, one could already recognise that students from these
divergent lifestyles could experience education differently and consequently
represent different educational outcomes. Anna Patty from the Sydney Morning
Herald attests to this, stating that “student performance in tests is based on
their social economic status” (2010) and that “students on the whole performed
only as well as their family background allowed” (2010). This is because of a
range of variables which influence all aspects of an individual’s life. For
instance; a lower SES ascertains a lower income which ultimately has an effect
on a student’s health status and level of cognitive stimulation. Students in
these given circumstances live in homes in which education is, for the most
part, seen as a necessity in regards to a social norm rather than a fundamental
part of growth in cognitive and social functioning. Moreover, there is usually
next to no home based cognitive stimulation and more often than not, a
destructive home and familial environment in which “parents are more likely to
give orders to their children in their interactions” (Lareau, 2003). Students
who experience this lifestyle often envisage education as having no real
purpose and see themselves as burdened with their circumstances, becoming
trapped in an overriding sense of ‘reproductive habitus’ in which they see a
set future in the working class and no alternative, ultimately leading to the
question of; what’s the point?
Contrastingly,
students of middle to upper class SES experience a home environment which
fosters cognitive development. In these circumstances, “parents are more likely
to interact and play with their children….parents take an active role in their
children’s education and development by using controlled activities and
fostering a sense of entitlement” (Lareau, 2003). Students in these conditions
are at an undeniable advantage in regards to social and cognitive development.
Their families higher income allows for a more sustainable and pleasurable way
of life, usually with a vast array of educational resources including; tutors,
text books and higher regarded educational institutions with more facilities
and opportunities for the student to thrive in their chosen field of practice
(private education).
To try an accommodate
for the inequalities experienced by those in lower SES, a number of policies
and initiatives have been introduced such as; Burseries, special needs classes
and development and counselling within schools.
In trying to address and understand this clear inequity in regards to
educational experiences, the NSW Secondary Principles Council:
“Calls for the use of
student data instead of census data to measure social economic
status. It wants a
suspension of comparisons until they can be independently validated and the
public can be assured the similarity is accurate, meaningful and
comprehensible, rather than simply statistical” (2010).
References:
1. Lareau, A. (2003). Unequal
Childhoods: Race, Class, and Family Life. University of
California Press
2.
Patty, A. (2010, March 26). ‘Economic status key to success at school’.
Sydney Morning Herald. Available at:
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