Premium Essay

Myth About American Education

In:

Submitted By erod35
Words 1390
Pages 6
Myth of Education Education in America has always been important and a major topic of discussion. There are myths about education and how it is not all cracked up to what it is supposed to be. When people think of education in America, they think of prestigious universities decked with the latest technology and the students having an amazing time while at school. In all actuality, most people will not even obtain an education after high school, let alone even accomplish high school. The myth of education is not upholding its standards and the way people view it. The myth of education is that education is the engine to the dream. It can work for everyone because we are “created equal” and can be achieved by hard work and not by luck (Learning Power 109-15). In today’s world, life is all about education. Most well paying jobs today require some sort of education past high school; whether it may be your bachelor’s degree or even your Ph. D. In today’s society there are more opportunities for kids to go to school and better their education, but they do not take advantage. People get the idea that schools or universities in America are the most prestigious schools in the world and that we get the best education; but that is not 100% true. Some kids are less fortunate than others to receive an education that will benefit them in the future. Underprivileged kids that are born into low income families maybe not have the funds to afford to go to a big university if they do get accepted. These families are classified as the working class only makes up to $30,000 a year (Wolfson 169-86). Students that study hard in high school are more likely to get into better universities or colleges than students that barely get by in high school. Sometimes a student that comes from a working class family will have the grades to get into a big name university like UCLA or USC, but they

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Model Minority Myth

...the mainstream media representation of model minority myth within the Asian American Community, but the broad scope and definition creates a challenge of conveying a personalize message through digital photography. The revised topic illustrates the mental stress and problems created from the model minority myth and cultural tensions. “[The Model Minority Myth] theory offered a promise of equality that could be achieved, not through political organization and community empowerment, but only through individual effort, cultural assimilation, and political accommodation.” (Robert Lee 268) The stereotypes characteristics of a hardworking immigrants, obedient members of society,...

Words: 1344 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Model Minority

...Although many of them have successfully amalgamated into American culture through hard work and diehard persistence, the idea of this “model minority” trails behind them unceasingly. This stereotype of the model minority characterizes Asians as having everything “figured out”. They are willing and ready to assimilate completely into American culture; they stay of trouble and are submissive, and they dominate in both education and in the work place. Even though this stereotype seemingly praises Asians; in truth, it has a counteractive effect on both the Asian community and other ethnic groups as well. Despite the existence of this model minority stereotype, Asians are not followers of the myth and altogether demonstrate it counterfactual. In Asian American Dreams, Helen Zia introduces the model minority myth through an article titled “Success Story of One Minority Group in the United States” where it explains it as a reasonably form of praise claiming “at a time when Americans are awash in worry over the plight of racial minorities, one such minority, the nation’s 300,000 Chinese Americans, is winning wealth and respect by dint of its own hard work…” (Zia, 46). This quote claims that Asian Americans are achieving a high degree of success solely due to their perseverance and hard work. In addition, they are also receiving the respect of the other racial minorities. Finally, although not mentioned in the article, the myth also claims that Asians not only do well in terms of the...

Words: 1707 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Stereotypes Of Muslims Research Paper

...following excerpt is taken from an interview with Fatima, a female Muslim worshipper after the Friday prayer. “Because I wear the head scarf I usually get the hateful stares. I just cannot stand that. I fear for my life. Muslims are harassed and targeted. I know that many Americans hate Muslims and Muslims are the victims of hate crimes. I am afraid if America get too paranoid...

Words: 1881 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Myths

...Six Myths About Female Sexuality and Why They're Myths Never underestimate the female libido Published on July 3, 2012 by Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. in Fulfillment at Any Age 0 inShare The year 2012 may be remembered less for apocalyptic endings (we hope) than for the apparent explosion of women’ssexuality in pop media. Magic Mike is becoming the runaway hit movie of the summer, and the book Fifty Shades of Grey is shaping up to rival Harry Potter at the top of all-time best seller lists. Social critics proclaim their surprise at this burst of female libido into popular consciousness. Despite what you may be led to believe, though, the truth is that women and men just aren’t that different when it comes to basic sex drives. Women are flocking to Magic Mike as do bachelorettes to a Chippendale party. However, this isn't the first movie to appeal to women's lustier tastes. Though the story line may be lighter than its 1997 predecessor, The Full Monty, both movies share a fascination with the male body in motion. The Full Monty did exceptionally well in the box office itself, becoming the top grossing film in the UK until the release of Titanic later in the year. Novels with female protagonists demanding that their sexual needs be fulfilled are not new either. We only have to think back to 1928’s Lady Chatterly’s Lover, written by D.H. Lawrence (and banned in its entirety until 1960), to realize that female sexuality has been the driving force behind the success of plenty...

Words: 5053 - Pages: 21

Free Essay

Knowledge

...The purpose of this essay is to describe and analyze the cultural myths and ideologies that surround the knowledge that is being distributed to public schools by examining a history text. A cultural myth refers to “the dominant ideologies of our time” (Chandler). For example, a group of people could have a belief in a myth while another group might believe otherwise. I will analyze a seventh grade history by using the method of semiotics. An examination of the history book shows that children are being deprived from a lot of historical information. In this paper I will argue that the educational system only centers it’s purpose of education and learning on the human capital ideology. This subject is important because like Joel Spring states in “The Knowledge Industry: for many young children these textbook are the only source of knowledge and the information that’s is being distributed to our children is not necessarily true or complete. As a result students are being restricted from learning how to be thoughtful and productive because teachers are being forced to teach according to a strict curriculum. The method of semiotics refers to the study of the way people make meaning. According to Daniel Chandler in “Semiotics For Beginners, a sign is a fundamental unit in the method of semiotics. A sign has two components, a signifier (the carrier of meaning) and a signified (the meaning that has been made). To describe the relationship between the signifier and the signified...

Words: 2699 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Stratification

...39,000. The percentage of Whites that own their own home is between 72%. The percentage of Blacks that own their own home is between 46%. The percentage of Asians that own their own home is between 53%. For Hispanics that own their own home is between 46%. The percentage of Whites (Non-Hispanic) is between 74%. 2. In this reading there are “4 myths” in the United States. The first myth is “The United States is fundamentally a classless society. Class distinctions are largely irrelevant today, and whatever differences do exist in economic standing, they are-for the most part-insignificant. Whether rich or poor, we are all equal in the eyes of the law, and such basic, needs like health care and education, are provided to all regardless of economic standing.” Mantsios disproves this myth by saying, “In fact, the United Stated has by far the most unequal distribution of household income.” If people were equal everyone’s status and race would not matter. Everyone would either be in poverty or wealthy, but in today’s economy many people, live in poverty while others are living in the middle working class to wealthy class. The second myth is, “We are, essentially, a middle-class nation. Despite some variations in...

Words: 2184 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Multicultural Education

...Basement 2 A. The Mixture of Students 2 B. Unfair to Who 2 C. Segregation 3 II. Where We Came From 3 III. Facing a Change In What Is School 4 A. Who are these students? 4 B. Where is the Curriculum Hiding? 5 C. Myth Busters 6 IV. What’s right isn’t always popular, and what’s popular isn’t always right- Gandhi 7 A. Teachers Facing Challenges 7 B. Changes in Solutions to Challenges 8 References 9 A Classroom in the Basement The Mixture of Students Who are these students that are placed in make shift classrooms, a hall storage closets, a portable outside or even the basement? They are the changing face of students according to the National Center for Educational Statistics of the 49,676,964 students nationwide, 55.9 % are White 20.5% are Hispanic , 16.9 % are African American, 4.5 % Asian, 1.2% Native American. (NCES 2004-2005) Ten million students speak a language other than English in the home. (Oakes & Lipton 2007) The previously mentioned statistics, show how student populations have changed to become more ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse. It is important to recognize each and every student as an individual with needs and talents all their own. Creating a need for Multicultural Education, cultural background can have a significant influence on the way in which students receive, respond, and produce information. If we treat everyone the same we end up being exactly the same. This is possible if the student’s culture...

Words: 1832 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Summary Of Class In America By Gregory Santos

...Santos, it begins with the author talking about how the U.S does not speak of class privileges or class oppression. These words not part of people’s vocabulary in the U.S. Poor people would rarely classify themselves as poor. Instead they prefer to classify themselves based on their race, ethic group, or geographic location. In a study done by Susan Ostrander, she asked wealthy participants they considered their selves in the upper class. Most participants responded that they hated the term “class” because they were just people who were well-born. Although it is unspeakable to talk about the upper and lower class, it is acceptable to talk about the middle class. This is because it seems that the middle class in the U.S, is neither part of the high nor the lower class. They’re four myths that suggests the people in the U.S are ignorant of class differences and how it impacts people daily lives. The first myth is that the rich and...

Words: 428 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Understanding Latino/Hispanic Culture In Law Enforcement

...Latino/Hispanic people are the fastest growing cultural group in the United States in terms of people. The word Hispanic does not define a racial group but it the term refereeing to all Spanish speaking people who reside in the United States . The word Latino however refers to a person of Latin American Origin. Understanding the Latino/Hispanic culture in law enforcement is very important because law enforcement personnel are dealing with people of all ethnic backgrounds and must have an understanding that are not all the same . There are many stereotypes and myths about all cultures and it is also important as a professional law enforcement officer to be able to rise above what are facts and what are just myths based on what movies portray...

Words: 396 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Model Minority Myth

...Asian American organizations filed a complaint against Harvard University for discriminatory admission practices that set a higher bar for admissions for Asian American students than for any other race group (WSJ). Discrimination in college admissions is just one of the many ways that racism still affects Asian Americans today. This contradicts the belief shared by most White Americans that the civil rights movement eradicated racism in America and created equality between Whites and people of color (Sue 2007). Asian Americans are especially believed to experience little to no racism. This is due to the popular belief in the model minority myth: the belief that Asian Americans have succeeded in American society,...

Words: 1643 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Philippine Englishes

...conducted that focussed on the development of teaching strategies and the preparation of instructional materials for teaching in multilingual settings. One area of utmost concern among basic education teachers, and often a source of anxiety to both teachers and parents, is how to approach the teaching of English using the first language (L1). This presentation hopes to address these concerns by proposing a World Englishes (WE) approach to English language teaching (ELT) in the Philippines. Introduction ! Just recently, a college freshman who interviewed me for his research paper on mother-tongue based multilingual education (MTBMLE) asked why I supported its promotion even it meant possibly losing my job as an English teacher. The question did not surprise me as it was something that I often encountered whenever teachers, especially English teachers in Metro Manila, are confronted with this unfamiliar creature that is MTBMLE. ! To many stakeholders of the English language--lawmakers, school administrators, teachers, and parents--MTBMLE is perceived as a threat. It is specifically perceived to be anti-English. These perceptions may be traced to beliefs about English that may largely be considered as myths. Facts about the English language ! What do we know about the English language? Let’s consider some facts. Paper presented at the Panel Presentation on ENGAGING ELT IN THE MTBMLE DISCOURSE 2nd Philippine Conference - Workshop on MTBMLE, 16 February...

Words: 2996 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Standardized Testing

...Standardized Testing: Debunking the Myths Trestin M. Holmes Wiley College ENGL 1302 08 OL-English Composition Dr. Don Lawson November 17, 2014 Abstract The purpose of this research is to thoroughly examine the myths and preconceived notions pertaining to standardized testing and compare it with factual evidence. The criteria that will be used to accurately analyze this study will consist of evaluating the overall effectiveness of standardized testing in terms of student achievement, estimating how much of a financial burden standardized testing has proven to be in past years, and observing the adverse impact that standardized testing has had on children from a statistical & realistic standpoint. This will undoubtedly give insight on how much of a detriment standardized testing is in today’s society. Standardized Testing: Debunking the Myths What is Standardized Testing? A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. Any test in which the same test is given in the same manner to all test takers is a standardized test. Thesis Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800’s and its use has skyrocketed since the induction of 200’2’s “No Child Left Behind Act”...

Words: 1500 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Meow

...Kylie Murphy C.C.C. Annotated Bibliography “Five myths about gun control” By Robert J. Spitzer, December 21, 2012 1. I like this article because it states specific facts about gun control and not just opinions. It talks about all the myths about gun control, one myth is that gun control is a losing battle for Democrats. But, that is false because many democrats have voiced their opinion on the topic. Another myth is that guns are deadliest as murder weapons which has been also proven false because statistics show that gun suicide is more common than gun homocide. Another myth is that American schools have become shooting galleries. Horrible incidents like Sandy Hook and Columbine have happened but schools are still a safe place. Schools are starting to take a lot of precautions like lock down drills, metal detectors, and the presense of a resource officer. “…the odds of a child dying from a violent attack at school are about one in a million.”which may be very comforting to you but unfortunetely not to the families in connecticut and elsewhere. Another myth Robert talks about in this article is that gun regulations are incompatible with America’s gun heritage, but today four states have completely elimintated permits for handgun ownership and carrying. The last myth that Robert talks about is that the Second Amendment was intended to protect the right of Americans to raise up against a tyrannical government. If that was true it would defeat the whole purpose of the Bill...

Words: 1769 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sociology Essay

...Gurinder K. Fnu  Soc&101  The Culture Of Poverty and the theory of Functionalism Background: In 1959 a sociologist, Oscar Lewis investigated poverty and its trends amongst society. Lewis came up with a theory commonly known as the ‘Cycle of Poverty’. The cycle of poverty is the term used to refer to the phenomenon in which poor families become trapped in poverty for generations. This is because they have no access to long-term education and no long-term financial guarantees. The cycle of poverty suggests young children who are born into poverty will remain in poverty because they lack the ability to go to school and receive no education, their families are not financially stable (no clean clothing, a poor diet, lack of hygiene, etc.). The ability for them to break out of this cycle is limited, and in some cases simply not possible.  The structural-functionalist approach to stratification asks the question: what function or purpose does stratification serve? The theory's answer is that all parts of society, even poverty, contribute in some way or another to the larger system's stability.   Structural-functionalists maintain that stratification and inequality are inevitable and beneficial to society: the layering is useful because it ensures that the best people are at the top of the hierarchy and those who are less worthy are at the bottom. Those at the top are given power and rewards because of high abilities, and the high rewards exist to provide incentive for qualified...

Words: 1697 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Miss Emily

...knows you well (one of your parents, a family member, a friend, a former teacher, etc.) and interview them about your topic. You may quote your interviewee in your paper. Therefore, your proposal should include basic information about who you are interviewing. Make sure that your proposal clearly answers the following: (Integrate these answers in your paragraphs; don't make a list of your questions and answers.) What are you going to write about? Why did you choose this topic? Based on your topic, what are the main issues you will explore? What is the thesis (or the tentative thesis) of your final paper? Who are you interviewing for your paper? Why? What are your other sources? (Remember that there should be at least two sources in addition to your interview.) What do you intend to prove with this paper? What, in your view, is the relevance of your topic? I am going to write about being Asian and more specifically being Chinese in a particular part of the United States in the 21st century. I will explore the perception that some non-Chinese people have of Chinese people in the US and also explore the pros and cons, in terms of public perception, of being Chinese. I chose this topic because this would be a good study of stereotypes, as well as a venue to express the truth about my identity. The ttentative thesis of my final paper is to find the truth about my identity, it includes three parts, the first part is the perception that some non-Chinese people...

Words: 2287 - Pages: 10