Overview
In this class we have examined historical changes in our economic class structure and how these changes have impacted individuals and their communities. During the period between 1945 and 1977, public policies—including increased opportunities to go to college and/or buy a home—increased opportunities for social mobility—mostly for white Americans. Since the 1980s, however, opportunities for upward mobility have decreased across the board. Nonetheless, people with college degrees have fared much better in the last 40 years compared to those without this resource. Since you are all students at the University of California, Berkeley, this essay asks you to identify and explain key social conditions that facilitated your admission to this prestigious public university. Some of you have had easier journeys to UC Berkeley than others. In most cases, the root cause of these differences is related to the socio-economic conditions and racial/ethnic background of your family and community. Sadly, there is abundant statistical evidence that class as well as race/ethnicity shape the educational opportunities that are available to different communities.
Prompt: In this essay, consider how economic class, modified by race/ethnicity, affects the wider parameters of community resources, including public education. Using your own family history as a case study, what kind of educational opportunities have been available to you? To what extent have these opportunities been embedded within the community/ies where your family lives? In other words, what kind of social policies (think in broad terms) have contributed to your educational opportunities or their absence?
Background:
My family is a middle class African American family. I have a sibling and we both attended private schools K-8th. Then in high school I attended Whitney M. Young Magnet Highschool, while my brother went to a private high school. I'm from Chicago, Illinois. The neighborhood I grew up in my entire life is called Hyde Park, which is a good neighborhood. I have had great educational opportunities my entire life. I do not think that they tie to my neighborhood though. There are some public schools in my neighborhood that are not so good and there are a few private schools that are way better. My neighborhood is incredibly diverse so there are many races of people who are successful. In this case economic status matters more than race/ethnicity because my community is diverse. There are White, Black, Asian, Indian, and Latinos who do well in my community.
Your completed essay should be 1600 +/- 150 words. Your word count should be posted on the top left side of the first page. There will be a penalty for seriously exceeding or shortening your word count limit. he essays should be in docx, doc, or pdf formats. For ease of commenting, double space your essay. You only need to include a “Works Cited” page if you use references outside those assigned in the class.