...In Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozal addresses the devastating inequalities in the American public education system. He chooses to specifically focus on the massive differences between low and high income areas in New York. The state that low income schools are in is truly dismal, schools are capped at a capacity of 900 students, yet 1,300 kid attend each day. Overcrowding is a massive problem and funding is incredibly low for these students. Due to a lack of space, 63 people are in one room attempting to teach and learn. The average spending per pupil is around $5,000. At one of the schools that Kozal visited, there was a ratio of 930 kids to one computer and approximately only 700 books in the library. These kids share simply one small...
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...Social inequality continues to be evident in society in the present day. Despite court cases, such as Brown vs Board of Education, certain different schools display proof that racial discrimination still occurs throughout the country. In the book Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol describes the differences between schools of two very different areas as well as the different perceptions of the schools and their corresponding students and staff. He demonstrates clear examples of the conflict paradigm in which society is shaped by social inequality. Kozol accentuates how some individuals are at a greater social disadvantage in a poorer society and how their social position affects their beliefs and values. For example, in East St. Louis...
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...Laurel Hughes Professor Sheri Nayeri Sociology 201 15 April 2015 Savage Inequalities Reflection This Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools was written by Jonathan Kozol and published in 1991. The book scrutinizes the American public school system and drastic funding differences between schools in underprivileged urban neighborhoods versus their more affluent suburban counterparts. Kozol visited schools in all parts of the country, including New Jersey, Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Texas, and Missouri. The book takes a dark and contradictory stance than the typical ideas portrayed that everyone receives an unbiased and quality education in the United States. Kozol explores reoccurring themes of privilege, wealth, poverty, racism, injustice, and inequity within the public school system. He focuses on the point that schools in the deprived areas often lack the most basic needs, such as heat/AC, textbooks & supplies, running water, and functioning sewer facilities. Kozol informs his readers to these atrocities by using basic arithmetic, logical conclusions and profoundly thought provoking graphic details about the horrendous conditions of urban children’s schools. In addition he thoroughly examines the driving socioeconomic factors that hinder each school. In order to be most thorough, Kozol observed both schools with the lowest per capita spending on students and the highest per capita spending and found some shocking facts about America’s school system...
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...In Kozol’s article, Savage Inequalities, he discusses the struggle that we face in trying to bring equality in our education system through a comparison of an African American school in an inner city and a white school in the suburban. He found that St. Louis (the inner city school) lacked a lot in their resources as school funding’s are low. For example, in their football field, they were missing a lot of the equipment’s needed to be a foot field like the goalposts. They also could not afford new uniforms, washing machines, installation of the equipment that they have, and had an outdated science lab. There was also sewage problem that they could not fix because of the lack of money. Furthermore, it has gotten to the point that the sewage problem got really bad that they...
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...portrays conflict through two of the main characters, Ralph, leader of the civilized group, and Jack, leader of the savage group. Golding reveals the growing tension between civilization and savagery from when a signal fire is let out, Piggy’s glasses breaking, and the pig hunts by Jack. The adventure that the boys encounter in Lord of the Flies explores the dark side of humanity showing the civilized versus the savage-like nature of human beings. Golding attempts to unearth the flaws of society back to the flaws of the nature of humans. The first key moment in the rising action that shows the growing tension between civilization and savagery is when Jack and his hunters let the fire die out, causing a ship to pass by without a smoke signal showing and allowing the group of boys to miss an opportunity of being rescued. This key moment is important because it marks the first dispute between the antagonist and protagonist in the novel. Ralph’s priorities are to build shelters and keep a signal fire going in order to get rescued, however Jack’s priorities are to hunt meat for the boys and have fun. Tension is shown in this moment when they argue and Jack ends up taking his built frustrations out on innocent Piggy. Golding writes, “he took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach” (71). This event reveals a clear difference between the savage and the civilized as Jack uses violence, whereas Ralph...
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...Abbey Jolliffe Lord of the flies essay This essay is going to show the extent of which Jack and Ralph symbolise the struggle between good and evil. As you read further on you should notice that Jack goes to a much larger extent to represent evil rather than good, however Ralph is the complete opposite. Jack uses his talent and skill to become a hunter and Ralph to try and keep order and rules over the Island. Jack is quite selfish but Ralph is more caring towards the other boys. The essay will compare Jack and Ralph and show some of the few similarities that they have; it will also show the competition between them to try and become leader. My first impression of Jack was that he is used to being the leader and he thinks is better than everyone else, he is self-centred and quite arrogant; however Jack does have some good leadership skills as he was head of the choir. I think this because in the book it says, “kid’s names, why should I be Jack? I’m Merridew.” This suggests that Jack thinks that he is higher in authority than all the other boys because he wants to be called by his surname instead of his first name (Jack). I think Ralph gives a better first impression than Jack because he was immediately thinking about organising the boys on the island in order to get them all rescued. This shows that Ralph...
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...What way does Golding present the boys build up to savagery? The main build up to savagery in the book could be the choir. The choir began as boys who accept the discipline of a choir school and acknowledge Jack's position as head choir boy, The boys become hunters, when Jack forces this role upon them. Then, as Jack releases his savage instincts by creating his mask, they become savages. They used to wear identical cloaks and caps, a uniform designed to promote their group identity and hide individuality to make them all the same apart from Jack who was shown to be the 'Leader'. Jack orders the choir to 'take off' their 'togs' this symbolises the stripping away of civilisation. Now their identities are hidden by masks and paint, and they turn into a tribe of savage killers, living in fear of their cruel chief. Earlier into the book when they build shelter on the beach Jack description of a hunter makes him seems like an animal himself. We see him crouching, 'dog-like', and sniffing the air, 'like a sprinter, his nose only a few inches from the humid earth'. He's almost naked, apart from his 'tattered shorts' and he carries a 'sharpened stick' which he uses as a spear. Every time they kill they take a step further down the road to savagery. In the next chapter 'Painted Faces and Long Hair' Jack paints his face with clay and charcoal for camouflage when hunting, but the mask he creates has a powerful psychological effect as well. The sight of his mask...
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...Lord of the Flies In the book Lord of the Flies the boys are stranded on an island all alone. They need to make some kind of system to keep order amongst the group. A utopia is formed quite early on, within the first few chapters in fact. The island seems wonderful with no parents around to boss the kids. The island itself is beautiful and free, to them it is like a vacation of some kind. The leader, Ralph, does a great job of keeping all of the kids very happy. He assures everyone that someone will indeed look and search for them. He does this to keep them from being hopeless, and depressed, for he knows that there might not be escape. In the mean time while waiting Ralph tells everyone to have fun and enjoy what they have on the island. They have a bathing pool and they can build huts and play around. At this early stage, a definite utopia is formed within the novel. Of course the kids will stay happy knowing their parents aren’t there to cause stress and bark orders, but the fact that they are stranded is terrible. Ralph does play it very good in keeping order and telling the kids that rescue will come for them. Order is eventually lost when Jack turns rogue on Ralph and decides to do his own thing. There is a constant fight for leadership in the middle section of the book. Both Jack and Ralph go at it nonstop verbally testing each other. This is where the book becomes dystopian, because things are not good at all and tensions...
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...Collaboration is when a group (two or more people) comes together and works on a project or idea together as a team. During the process of attending school, collaboration could be very useful for you the student, and your peers (classmates). When you are working with a group, you have different ideas, opinions, and views on a variety of topics. Not to mention, you have someone readily available to help you if needed. When you are working within a group, it is up to you to be responsible and do your part. There is no “I” in team, therefore each person needs to contribute equally and fairly. A couple ways to show personal responsibility would be to organize time efficiently and complete tasks on time. If you are working together and doing your part in the team, you may influence others to contribute their part. Failure to be responsible will result in failure as a team. However, if all members of the group work together then everyone can be successful. When working with your classmates, it’s very important to utilize all means of communication as necessary. For instance, when you are attending school online, everyone has different time zones, schedules, needs, and agendas. You may not always be able to reach someone when you need them. This is why it is very important to use all communication resources. Some of the available ways would include email, online chat (through the online classroom or other service, phone, and discussion boards within the online classroom. All of...
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...Old Yeller Recently, my class and I read a book called Old Yeller written by Fred Gipson, and also watched the movie version produced by Disney. In it’s simplest description — Old Yeller is a story about a teenage boy and his new dog. To me, though the movie was somewhat different from the book, they were also alike in many ways. I’m going to tell you all about these differences and similarities. Now, when you make a movie based on a book, it should stick to the plot line for a great majority of the time. I could say that this is a necessity, but sometimes, the movie goes so far off from it’s book, that it seems like the screenplay writer just took the characters and wrote a new story, or in some cases, the movie is actually better than the book. Well, I think that the movie version of Old Yeller stuck to the plot line very well. They kept the setting (which I will get to in a few sentences), the kept the characters and they kept basically the whole theme. Which I think was good, because despite what some of my classmates thought — I enjoyed this book a lot. The setting of the book was pretty much dead on. It took place in Salt Licks, Texas, during the time period of the late 1860's. it also kept Birdsong Creek, the name of the place the Coates live. The house still has hills around it, it still has the pastures where the cows, pigs and old Jumper, the family’s mule, live. Though it was not what I had thought of when I read the book, it was a perfect setting. The...
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...Written Assignment 4.1: Old Yeller Lisa Hannigan The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Abstract When people think of the book or the movie, Old Yeller is a great book (and movie) that is often thought of as a story about the bond a boy and his dog, a common topic in many TV shows and books, like Lassie. However, Old Yeller, as it turns out, proves to be much more than that; it is a true coming-of-age story. At 14 years old, Travis Coates lives with his mother and little brother, Arliss, in the hill country of Texas during the 1860s when his father must leave home to work on a cattle drive. He leaves Travis to “act a man’s part” and take care of the family. While working in a cornfield one day, Travis come across Old Yeller and tries to drive him away, but his younger brother, Arliss likes Old Yeller and stands up for him to Travis. When Old Yeller saves Arliss from a black bear, he wins the affection of the family, especially Travis with whom he forms a strong bond. Later on, the family notices signs of rabies in their cow, Spot. As a precaution, Old Yeller must be put in a pen as a precaution in case he develops any signs of rabies. By this time, the reader (or moviegoer) has formed such a strong bond with Old Yeller, that, when Old Yeller does get rabies, Travis is forced to shoot him to end his suffering and learns firsthand one of the most difficult virtues of true manhood-- sacrifice. Keywords: bond, manhood, family, love, sacrifice. Most people remember...
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...Old Yeller by Fred Gibson. Old Yeller is a hero because he saved Arliss, Travis, Mama and Lisbeth. He is a real hero because without him they could have all died. That would be bad so Old Yeller is very brave, strong and heroic this means he is a good dog and he is . Old Yeller saved little Arliss by tackling the she bear and biting it before it bit and probably killed little Arliss. Old Yeller did not let go eathire till Travis,Mama and Arliss was in the cabin, then he flead for the cabin and got in all safe and sound. I wonder still how Old Yeller could keep the she bear of Arliss that long and still survive that shows how strong and heroic Old Yeller really is. Old Yeller also saved Travis. Travis was marking the hogs when the sand slap...
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...Savagery vs. Civilization The civil and savage nature lies in all human beings, each instinct dominant when the other is not. This is the overall theme of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies. William Golding was a British poet, playwright, and novelist, most famous for Lord of the Flies. This novel is about the internal struggles of young boys marooned on a tropical deserted island. They fight to maintain their civil ways, in which each boy learned, isn’t all that easy. When civilization isn’t present in a person’s life, the savage beast inside them takes over. Roger, Ralph, and Simon all have entirely different struggles with the opposing forces within them. Some succumb easier than others. Roger lost the civilized life he was used to and because of that the natural savage instinct inside of him took over, and a bully and eventual murderer was created. In this quote, the sadistic Roger is beginning to blossom, but he still has a stronger civil instinct in control. “Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space around Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of old life Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law” (Golding 56). Roger is so tempted to throw these rocks at Henry, a younger boy, but his socially acceptable standards at home are still burned into his mind, for he reluctantly backs down. The invisible...
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...birth to this new movement taking place. One in particular being Augusta Savage. She was an African American artist and arts educator. She was born Augusta Christine Fells on February 29, 1892,in Green Cove Springs, Florida. As a child began to make art by using the natural clay found in her community. She would sculpt animals and other small objects she could find. Though she loved to sculpt her father greatly disapproved. He tried hi best to stop her from sculpting and focus on something more productive. But despite her father's objections, she continued to make sculptures. In 1915 after her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida Savage found it difficult to make sculptures due to the lack of clay. She then started to use other materials from the local potter in order to make sculptures. She then created a group of figures that she entered in a local county fair. Her work was well-received, winning a prize and the support of the fair's organizer, George Graham Currie. He encouraged her to study art. Savage moved to New York City during the early 1920s to better establish herself as a sculptor. She studied art at Cooper Union College and after one year at school she recieved a full scholarship which helped with living expenses. She excelled tremendously while there, and was able to finish her course work and graduate in three years instead of four. In 1923, while still attending Cooper Union College, Savage had applied to a special summer program to study art in France, but was...
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...Stacy is a very interesting person. She is my sister so i've know her a long time. I talked to Stacy and I asked her some questions that relate to her coming of age. Im very glad I get to talk about my sister Stacy with people. I think that you will like her just as much as I do when i'm done. The first question that I asked Stacy was, what was an advantage and disadvantage of being the oldest child? She said that one of the advantages of being the oldest child is was it helped her to become a more independent leader and also taught her to take care of younger children. One disadvantage that Stacy had was she was the experimental child so she had to go through things first and I had to go through it second and got through things easier. I asked Stacy, What was a time in your life that made you come of age? Stacy told me how when she moved in an apartment it made her realize that she was younger then what she thought she was. Also moving away from her parents made her realize that she can choose her own faith and opinion on everything that helps her to evolve into her “true authentic core being”. Stacy played soccer for a number of years in high school so I asked her to explain how soccer was a influence on her life. Her response was “Soccer gave me copious amounts of sisters.” She explained how is was a bond that can be formed with like minded individuals creates a passion Within you that you never knew you had.Soccer has helped her in social aspects as well as her ability to...
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