I am writing a research prospectus and arguing that stratification begins at th
e earliest stages of childhood even before a child enters school. I think child-raising behaviors among parents is a very crucial factor in stratification.Anyhow, I think a LOT about these issues. So much so that I am often overwhelmed #1) by my passionate desire to alleviate the unfairness and #2) by my jadedness and lack of confidence that anything would really make a difference. I have that whole "it's-me-against-the-world" feeling. I just feel like I have the weight of the world holdin' me down. Even if child-raising behaviors among parents were standardized or leveled, a new stratifier would emerge in the system. And not even that standardizing the child-raising behaviors among parents is the universal answer, because frankly, I don't believe there is one.
However, I am deeply heartbroken by the fact that not
everyone begins at the same starting line in life. So many people are disadvantaged because of their race, religion, geographical location, socioeconomic status, their parents' educational attainment, etc., etc. Our society claims to be a meritocratic system. But how can it be such when some people don't have the knowledge, access, or resources to be as skilled, etc. as his advantaged counterpart?!One of the overarching questions of my studies has been: "who gets what and why? Who makes these constitutions?" While discussing these and other questions, we've talked about making conditions fair or
equal. Ben has shared with us three different types of 'equality.' First there is the (in)equality of condition. Where does a person come from? How do you separate an individual from his/her context? Second is (in)equality of opportunity. Usually people see education as a vehicle of opportunity. Being educated or trained is a way to provide merit. Finally there is (in)equality of outcome. What is our end-goal for society?I can see several flaws--not to mention the contention--of a society where everyone is given the same outcome/payment/etc. for varying degrees of contribution. Nevertheless, this is similar to the type of society that the Lord is establishing. Regardless of when a person comes to the Master (whether it be from birth or a conversion later down the road) all of His faithful children are promised life eternal [the same outcome]. We still live in an imperfect world, however. Therefore, Susie Mae is stormin' down to human resources when Billy Joe works the same job as her for half the hours and the same exact pay.
As I try to solve the world's problems, I've been seriously contemplating the other equality options. Concerning equality of opportunity, I have thought that this is a really great idea. It certainly has tons of potential. Nevertheless, I see several flaws in this approach to creating a utopian society. Say we did away with tuition costs and all students were allowed an opportunity to study and get an education (or insert other opportunity here). So many people do not understand or know what to do while receiving their education. They are already disadvantaged before they get there. My logic may be very confusing. But the way I see it is that there are those individuals that value education and learning and instill those values into their children. So when babies are at home before they ever go off to pre-school or university, their parents are
reading stories to them and practicing the alphabet and sending them to special day-cares that cost ridiculous amounts of money each month just so their children can have that leg up before they enter school. Also, take away the advantages of education-valuing-parents and financial stability--what about children that are automatically disadvantaged because they have a learning disability or who are categorized by teachers before they are ever given the opportunity to demonstrate or grow in their educational capacities?! Therefore, I am not extremely in favor of equality of opportunity because numerous people already enter the system with advantage...so they are just adding advantage onto advantage and will beat out his/her neighbor who is disadvantaged even if they have the same training. Because this system equalizes merit (if two people have the same educational background), but something else will stratify one above the other. [Sorry this is so confusing...]I also don't see equality of condition as being quite fair either. Though for a long time I felt that this was the way to go. I thought that it would be an excellent idea to just make sure that everyone had the same background (neighborhood, house, vehicle, etc.) and resources (access to scholarships, employment opportunities, etc.). But as we read a few articles on studies which relocated some families from inner city ghettos into predominantly white, suburban areas with wonderful schools and great jobs I came to realize that there is so much that is unethical in these scenarios. #1) How can we, thinking that relocation will be a benefit to these families, only relocate a few and leave the others to continue struggling along?! And on top of that, we make comparisons between those that we've "benefited" with those that we didn't! Isn't that absurd?!?! I cannot even believe that someone thought conducting such a study was a good idea: "Here, we are going to make your life an infinite times better. However, you...I'm sorry...you have to sit here in the dump and figure out your life for yourself. Oh, by the way, can we contact you every other week so that we can publish your failures and rub your struggles in your face...not that you'd understand us anyway because we are arrogant and like to speak with a vocabulary that no one expect he with a Ph.D can
comprehend?" And #2) for those that we are supposedly "benefiting"...who says that forcing someone to live within and conform to a white, middle-class, suburban lifestyle is a benefit? Or equality? Is this ethical?!?! Holy cow! [Now my thoughts have turned into a rant...] How ashamed we ought to be for our ethnocentricity and self-centeredness!So sometimes I have these really liberal ideas. Actually, I don't think that they are that liberal at all...that is just in comparison to my environment of extreme conservatives. Since I've taken Lance Erickson's Sociology of Family Issues class and we've discussed taxes, insurance, employment, and risk-pooling...I have been super gungho about risk pooling. I think I would be more than content to live in a society where money did not even exist. For example, say that I needed some gas in my car. So I go to the gas station and the pumper man fills my car up because I am a teacher and I teach his children at the local school. And his kids have a newspaper route which delivers to the local doctor who delivers my sister's baby because she's the veterinarian of his dog. Etc., etc. Wouldn't that be a great society? Where we all do what we love doing and have the talent of doing and just served each other?! That's my idea of utopia. Well, it doesn't currently exist and we are still living in a society that LOVES money. Anyhow, back to the idea of risk pooling: I think it would be super great if I (and we in general) were to just work and work and the government (or someone probably more competent in finances) took my money and distributed it to where it needed to go in society. (This implying that the needs of me and my family would also be met.) Now this is a very liberal and extreme idea of risk-pooling. Most risk pooling ideas are as simple as health insurance or any other type of insurance. Yeah, there are a few who take advantage of the system and suck it up for the rest of everyone else who is honest and hard-working...but all in all, it's a great deal because everyone is a winner. However, not everyone has the knowledge, access, or ability to join in the risk-pooling fun. And so they are solely and completely responsible for their health, life, vehicle, etc. without any help from a group that is pooling together (as insurance does...or is suppose to do). And that just breaks my heart.
We were having a discussion a little while back at the dinner table about these issues. I shared a lot of the same feelings and ideas that I have above. I brought up the example of little children who for whatever reason do not have medical or dental insurance
(which happened to be me most of my childhood...except when my dad was active duty in the military...I first visited a dentist when I was 18 years old...and we NEVER went to the doctor when we were sick because we couldn't afford it...and my dad was a medic so he could usually inspect us and suggest solutions/cures/etc.). I do not think that little children should have to suffer not having food, insurance, education, whatever because their parents either can't, won't, or don't know how to supply these things. I was rebutted with a very conservative answer: "that's what they get!" WHAT?!?! According to these commentators, the sins of the parents (and even transgressions) should be and will be answers on the heads of the children! In other words, if a single mother working part-time to make ends meet is not employed with someone who provides a decent medical insurance package...then the kids just have to suck it up and be sick when the flu bug (or whatever else) comes around. They have to deal with abscessed teeth and exposed nerves because they can't afford the $88.00 it costs to get the tooth pulled...much less get the tooth fixed (which costs substantially more if you don't have dental insurance).
Is this fair?!?! Is life supposed to be this way? Do people deserve to be discriminated against because of their skin color, bank account, or education level? Do children deserve to go hungry for a week because they were born to parents who do not have the skills necessary to get such-and-such a job because no one ever invested in them either? ...The list of fairness questions goes on and on and on.
I've been thinking about how to make it all more fair. How to make a contribution so that society will be a better place not only for the advantaged but especially for those that are sorely disadvantaged. I'm actually consumed by this. I tear up just thinking about whether any effort really matters, would it make a difference? Does anyone else even care at all? I lie in bed at night thinking about these things when I can't sleep. It is a guidance as I determine what career path I will choose and how I will live out the rest of my days upon this earth.
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