Class in America-2003 by Gregory Mantsios
In America, a person’s social class plays a huge part in the type of education they will receive. This, in turn, determines how well they will succeed in their adult lives. A study done in 1999 found that on average there was a direct correlation showing the higher the family’s income, the better the student did on their SATs (710). This paper will examine the different educational experiences each social class undergoes. It will also look more in depth into the lives of three individuals who represent each of the social classes, and examine their educational background up to their present day careers and assets. Children who are born into upper-class families are given the opportunity of going to the best schools and getting the best tutors. During school they don’t have to worry about having an after school job or figure out how they are going to balance work and school. They are free to concentrate on getting a good education. They also have the means to continue their education at the top universities. During their school years they also have the ability to make good contacts for future well-paying jobs that will help keep their family in the upper-class. A good example of this is the American profile of Harold S. Browning. Browning was the child of an upper-class family in Manhattan, New York. He attended private schools that were known for providing the finest education. He had tutors in both French and mathematics. During high school he attended a preparatory school. The school was very prestigious and his “classmates included the sons of ambassadors, doctors, attorneys, television personalities, and well-known business leaders” (703). He then went on to an Ivy League college and majored in economics and political science. Today he is an executive vice president of SmithBond and Co. He has an annual salary of $315,000, a professionally decorated condominium on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and a farm in northwest Connecticut which he uses for weekend
Cited: Mantsios, Gregory. “Class in America – 2003.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing With Readings. Ed. Marilyn Moller. London: Norton & Company Ltd,. 2010. 699-717. Print.