Class and the Transition to Adulthood / Cause of Death: Inequality / Why Are Droves of Unqualified, Unprepared Kids Getting Into Our Top Colleges? Because Their Dads Are Alumni

     In this article by Annette Lareau and Elliot Weininger, social class and it's long-term implications are discussed. The authors essentially break the class system into two basic systems: the lower/working class and the upper class. They review several different examples of parenting techniques and how they differ from class to class. For example, upper class parents tend to engage children in conversation and challenge them to communicate on higher levels; whereas lower/working class parents tend to give mostly directives to their children who are expected to follow. Similarly, lower/working class parents tend to let their kids learn through free play and leisure time whereas upper class parents may enroll their children in sports or activities meant to enrich their children. These parenting choices have long-term consequences they lead to both advantages and disadvantages later in life for both classes.
     Alejandro Reuss discusses statistics surrounding inequality in the United States, and around the world. There are many statistics demonstrating the benefits of higher education, having upper class background and living in certain areas. It's no surprise that people with more years of education behind them tend to have better health and experience far fewer health problems later in life. Likewise, these same people tend to make better decisions and die from fewer preventable accidents each year. What's interesting is that when you compare some of these statistics to the rest of the world, the US does not give people a leg-up in every instance. For example, you would think that a lower class US citizen would have it better health-wise than a similar lower class citizen in a European country because of the idea that US citizens have all the benefits in the world. Unfortunately, this is inaccurate and lower class US citizens are typically unhealthier than their European counterparts. What's interesting is that in contrast, upper class US citizens are better off healthwise than their European counterparts.
     John Larew discusses the bias involved with accepting kids into colleges. Harvard, one of the most selective colleges in the world, is three times more likely to accept a student if one of their parents attended previously. These "legacies," receive special treatment because of their lineage and the people that came before them - this is what makes them stand out. These statistics weren't exclusive to Harvard, Larew had statistics from most of the ivy league and they were all similar enough to indicate a wide-spread discrepency. Not only does this make the entrance process unfair because it's not based on merit, but it also creates a lineage of accepted people and keeps the unaccepted away.
     These articles all deal with benefits people receive early on in life. Whatever shape these may take, acceptance to college, wealthy background or an enriched childhood, they all lead to long-term differences later in life. In a way it's a bit discouraging because it basically means that whatever your lot in life, you're likely going to end up a product of that environment. This is not to say that things couldn't get exceptionally better or worse, just that this is what will happen to the majority of people. This can be frustrating as none of us can choose the way we're raised, so many people are left with a lot more ground to make-up in life, leaving them disadvantaged in so many ways.