Table of ContentsIntroductionEducational Inequality and the American DreamAnalyzing Experiences of Educational InequalitySocial Stratification as PrivilegeConclusionReferencesIntroductionSocial stratification occurs everywhere and in all aspects of life. Sometimes we simply do not notice its presence, including the presence of social stratification in the American education system. According to the article Inequality slows down economies. Education could be part of this, American education is portrayed as not being equally accessible to students from different classes. Students whose parents are wealthy have a greater chance of earning a better degree and career than low-income students who suffer from educational inequality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayEducational Inequalities and the American DreamEven though the ideal culture in the United States is that everyone deserves an equal chance to climb the ranks of the classroom social, Americans experience unequal access to the education system. According to a survey by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, about 90 percent of top-performing high school graduates enroll in college, while only 60 percent of students from low-income households enroll. enroll in university. Therefore, the American dream may be dead because of educational inequality. The article illustrates how American education tends toward inequality by contrasting two students who grew up in two opposing backgrounds. Greenberg, who is now a music teacher, grew up in a wealthy family. Growing up, he had many options when it came to choosing a private high school and college he wanted to go to. He chose Brown University and his tuition was paid entirely by his parents. He didn't even think too much when he decided to major in music. He earned his two master’s degrees debt-free. In contrast, Jackson was raised by a single mother in a black neighborhood. He received no help applying to colleges and ended up attending a community college. While studying, he also worked in a restaurant and commuted for an hour and a half every day to get to work. He then dropped out of school and was $2,000 in debt. This opposite shows that students from low-income households are likely to have difficulty accessing higher education. Analyzing Experiences of Educational Inequality So why are Jason and Greenberg's educational experiences so different? Their education and success are strongly linked to the social stratification of their family. In terms of sociological concepts, social stratification is caused by many factors and perceived differently according to each sociological theory. In this essay, I will analyze four concepts to explain the existence of social stratification. These are ideology, structural functionalism, power and prestige. First, the social ideology of the working class results from its perception of what is right and what is wrong. Even if working class people like Jason's mother have unpleasant working conditions, she is likely to believe that her social status is fair. The fact that she and her son live in a black neighborhood is right for her. People above her deserve wealth. This thought makes him easily accept his social status and suppresses his hope and efforts to work harder to progress. As a result, social stratification becomes even more.