I’ve been bouncing around the country lately, and have been sitting on some thoughts about social class. It’s been hard to avoid thinking about this topic, given the current state of the economy and education. Many things have crossed my radar recently, so here’s a quick list to check out, in no particular order. Enjoy… I guess.
1. Dina’s losing sleep. Remember, the whole “accountability” discourse is representative of a larger, framed ideology that’s permeating society.
2. Speaking of which, how’s that whole ideology working out for, you know, the entire world?
2a. Salaries of Hedge Fund managers are in outer space. Paulson made about 1.7 million dollars per hour last year. Mmmm…basic fairness. Awesome.
2b. Greenspan reads Ayn Rand, then plays cut and run. The buck stops…somewhere else.
2c. Global food prices are through the roof. Enter social unrest. Food pantries are running out of food, and reporting that working families can no longer afford even basic staples. Yet again, government helps out the special interests.
2d. Speaking of special interests, gas prices will be well over $4 by this summer. Great regressive poor tax. Having said that, gas is still relatively cheap in this country. The problem is that most of our economy is based on petroleum. Perhaps higher prices might spur some alternative energy development. Still waiting for the “invisible hand” on that one. In the meantime, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still burning carbon. Sigh.
2e. Wages have not kept up with GDP among the working classes. Neighborhoods segregate along class lines. A microcosm. Recipe for social unrest.
3. Kos nails the whole “elitism” and politics issue. What a load of crap. Remember, stay distracted America. Don’t actually focus on things that matter. Your corporate media can be trusted.
4. Bring it home for me Hodgman.
5. Back to schools, the new issue of Educational Leadership has a great new piece by Paul Gorski. Money quote:
This classism is plentiful and well documented (Kozol, 1992). For example, compared with their wealthier peers, poor students are more likely to attend schools that have less funding (Carey, 2005); lower teacher salaries (Karoly, 2001); more limited computer and Internet access (Gorski, 2003); larger class sizes; higher student-to-teacher ratios; a less-rigorous curriculum; and fewer experienced teachers (Barton, 2004). The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (2004) also found that low-income schools were more likely to suffer from cockroach or rat infestation, dirty or inoperative student bathrooms, large numbers of teacher vacancies and substitute teachers, more teachers who are not licensed in their subject areas, insufficient or outdated classroom materials, and inadequate or nonexistent learning facilities, such as science labs.
It seems to me that this is the most salient issue facing social systems right now. My sense is that we’re beginning to enter a time that might finally be right to have the “courageous conversation” about social class. I hope we’re capable of having this conversation… I hope…
[...] 22, 2008 Science (and so much more) blogger Joe Henderson tells it like it is in his link-rich post as he invites us to “enjoy” class matters that have been crossing [...]
As per 2d, from the Economist in 2001: “It is hard not to believe that if the cash thrown at nuclear power [via special interest groups and governmental subsidies] had been put into almost any other technology, even hamster powered flywheels, it would have produced something commercially viable.”
I hope we’re ready too. I’m so disgusted by the class inequity in America today.
p.s. the exploration of nuclear power was not a waste of time and money.
[...] Like I said earlier, increased socioeconomic inequality leads to social unrest. Obviously. I love evidence. Posted In: Social Context on May 7, 2008 [...]