Social Inequality And Its Impact On Academic Achievement

The American Dream is built on one thing, social mobility. It is this that allowed one to come here with nothing and go from poor to middle class and beyond. It is what has defined us as a nation for so long and it is what drew so many of millions of immigrants to our shores. But as the social wealth gap grows larger and larger we must ask ourselves where this opportunity has gone for so many. Why is it that so many are failing to achieve this once so imaginable dream? What is causing the decrease in social mobility? Although it is tempting to say, and believe, that social mobility is a separate entity from social equality, statistics have shown otherwise. According to â€Å"The Atlantic,† research done by Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute shows that social inequality is the leading cause in the hindrance of social mobility. Decades of social research has shown that a person’s socioeconomic status has the greatest impact on their academic achievement. We all agree that proper education is one’s greatest tool to social upward mobility. My own grandmother and great grandmother went to school together at night when their store was closed because they knew that education was their greatest asset. Therefore, we must take extra care when it comes to academia and what causes academic success. It is this factor that makes one’s socioeconomic status so important. This is why we can’t say social mobility is the problem and not social inequality, for they are inextricablyShow MoreRelatedSocioeconomic Factors Of A Student s Life And Lower Academic Outcomes1711 Words   |  7 PagesThe current social climate has no small amount of xenophobia, apathy towards the poor and inequality. Much literature has been written on how particular segments of the population are disadvantaged through their identity, limited access to resources and socialization (Ewing, 2013; Grattan, 2014 October). 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