Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum

By: Lan Lam

            In Sociology Class we learnt about the hidden curriculum in education.  According to “Sociology Matters”, hidden curriculum refers to standards of behavior that are deemed proper by society and are taught subtly in schools.  In each school district every child are being taught the general skills like Math, Science, English, and History, but what makes them different from one another is the way the skills are taught in each social class. The inequality of education among social class gives little mobility to lower class because wealthy communities are known to have better education, which helps them to prepare for their future career, rather than poor communities learning how to behave and learn simple instructions.

            I read an essay from English class called “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon, where the meaning of work is learning. This essay discusses examples of work tasks and interaction in five elementary schools contrasting in social class communities. The examples illustrate the differences in classroom experience amongest the schools. The students work in each social setting in the light of a theoretical approach to social class analysis. It is suggested that there is a "hidden curriculum" in school work that has profound implication for practice in education.  

           Here is a link to the essay that I have read in English class, it may be a little long but you might be surprised by the information given.

                                 http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~cac/nlu/fnd504/anyon.htm
          We can’t face the fact that we are born in a society where the rich gets richer while poor schools get poorer. It’s a shame that we have to think of education that way as if there’s no hope. Good thing for fundraising and alumni giving us hope to our new generations that mobility can exist. Although we have some help, WE as a society should stand up to the Board of Education ask for more resources to children’s in need so they have a fair education like anyone else.

In case if the essay is to long to read here is a video that also gives an example of social class in education.