Does higher education serve as social class ceilling for the person from lower/middle class & average intel?

Question

I have my own thoughts, but I am more interested in what others think.

Some things to consider:
1. many leaders come from political families
2. do the poor and wealth have the same opportunity to
earn a doctorate degree?
3. is a system in place to assist those who can not finance their own post graduate ambitions?

Answer 1

I think it is first necessary to separate the class issue from the intelligence issue, educationally. In general, I feel that intelligence does set an upper limit, dogged determination be damned.

Class is another issue in it entirety. Leaders coming from political families is a given. Leadership is almost always a product of connections, not education or intelligence. The built in connections of a politically entrenched family is a supreme advantage.

Class in relation to education is a bit cloudier. While certainly there is a greater opportunity for the wealthy to end up better educated there is also enough exceptions to that to make it obvious that the slope is not as severe as it is with politics.

There are various systems in place to help with funding. They work to a varying degree of success. The truth is that the systems are all in place to educate every one of us fully (speaking as a U.S. citizen when I say "us") from first grade to doctorate if that is with an individuals reach.

The sadness in front of that happy truth is that society and culture are the true culprits in the hindrance of most. We so often tend to emulate those we are around when we are growing up. In today's world I see the mindset as the thing that sets the ceiling as much as the structure.

Still ... all in all .... pretty good to be born a Kennedy.

:-)

Answer 2

To an extant yes, but again this is America, where if you have the drive, and you have the will you can find a way. Granted kids born with a last name of Hilton, Rockefeller, Kennedy etc will never have to do a thing in life to succeed. They were born in to the easy life. That does not mean that some one can not aspire to beat them. Just because their path is a flat road and yours may be an uphill rock path with a 100 lb ruck on the back means nothing. I worked through high school, my grades suffered for it, I joined the Army, now I am close to my paralegal certificate and my criminal justice major. For getting closer to retirment I am still in the NG. From there after I accomplish my initial educational goals, I will go back to the active duty Army for 4-5 years save up some money, get the ACF and go to law school. Is the route I planned harder than a kid from an upper class family has to do. Yes, way harder, but due to that fact around eight years from now it will mean more to me, every time I accomplish something I will know I did it on my own, I did not have a family name to pull me through. That is whay makes this nation great.

Answer 3

No. If you really want something IE. degree(s) you will find a way to do it no matter what economical background you come from.

I came from a dirt poor background where my family was excited that I finished high school. I joined the Army and finished my AA in less than a year and will finish my Bachelor's in about another 2 years. I'm not vouching for the army for anybody else but I want my 'higher education" bad enough so I'm staying in till I get my Master's paid for and having my GI Bill pay my PhD.

Answer 4

Money, family , and especially connections give you an advantage in achieving any goal, but being above average in intelligence is necessary to do well in higher education. If you are a good student you can get financial support for graduate school which combined with student loans makes it possible for even poor students to get a PhD. There are not really very many really "rich" students in graduate school, because the have many other avenues open to them to succeed.
Many politicians and other successful people in the media and government who are not from political families made a connection with someone powerful who helped them early in their careers.

Answer 5

There are systems that are in place to assist people seeking higher education - they are called merit based scholarships, which, ironically, the liberals in our country want to get rid of and replace with need-based scholarships for minorities because we "need help."

It is true that many leaders come from political families, but just as many come from humble beginnings as well. It is true that the more money you have, the easier it is, but that doesn't mean a poor bloke has any less of a chance of doing great things if he really tries.

Answer 6

I think it can be. There's a lot of great opportunities for people with college degrees, but many are limited to graduates of elite universities. Lower tier state school degrees aren't worth nearly as much, and these are the schools most people go to. Also, with the decline of unions, employers are free to judge people more harshly and workers have become more expendable. Maybe the wealthy and well-connected can succeed anyway, but for regular people times are tough.

I say withdraw from NAFTA, the WTO and GATT, stop outsourcing and unfair trade policies, stop illegal immigration which is costing jobs and driving down wages and strengthen unions because the union slogal "together we bargain divided we beg" is true.

Answer 7

Well I hope not since I'm from lower/middle class and currently working my way up.
It's not about where you come from--it's all about how badly you want something, and how badly you are willing to work for it. There is help for those that are willing to look for it.

Answer 8

it's harder for ppl with little money to reach the top, true, but average intelligence? You don't go to Havard with an average intelligence, you have to be smarter than that. There are student loans and scholarships available.

Answer 9

Sometimes. But not always

Sometimes it is just a matter of one's social circle. And their connections.