In our society, the notion of education is designed to act as pathways to opportunities that will help us discover a successful career. Considering the military, in order to be commissioned as an officer in the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army, or Coast Guard, one must excel in high school in order to be admitted into one of the respective academies or ROTC units around the nation. It seems as if members of all races who are actively interested in serving in the armed forces as an officer and are well qualified should have an equal opportunity to do so, however that is not the case in our democratic system of education in the United States. As Dr. Pitchford accentuates, “The institution of education often times serves to perpetuate existing inequalities in society, rather than acting as an equalizer” (Pitchford, 2014). Despite this conception that education is ‘supposed’ to help equalize our society, racial inequalities in education have still been a persistent problem in the foreground of our society. In fact, rather than overcoming inequality, the structure of our educational system seems to reinforce it. From a conflict theory perspective, “…educational institutions operate as mechanisms for the social reproduction of inequality” (Boundless, n.d., p. 2). This paper will be addressing the prolonged disadvantages that minorities face (specifically African Americans) in our education system, and how that relationship affects their likelihood of attaining a nomination to a service academy or ROTC unit, and ultimately their commissioning as an officer. Conflict theorists believe that the principle that education promotes equal opportunity is considered a myth, maintained to serve the interests of the dominant classes (Colomy, 2001). Considering this myth, it is one’s own fault for personal success or failure. However this myth doesn’t take into consideration a significant social factor; that individual failure may largely be due to large-scale social forces. These large-scale social components are comprised of communities facing poverty, female-headed households, level of community education, residential instability, and the relative size of the racial group (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). By concentrating on these race-specific inequalities, we can obtain a more fundamental understanding of the relationship between racial differences and the level of education that ultimately translates into a nomination to an Academy or ROTC unit. The most prominent factor that plays into a student’s selection to an Academy or ROTC unit is their academic success and rigor.
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Consequently, one of the primary factors that help determine a student’s quality and level of education is their family’s financial situation in relation to the spectrum of poverty. “Poverty is a central component of community well-being as it pervades all aspects of social life in a community including jobs, housing, health care and education” (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011, p. 396). Extensive poverty in communities almost always leads to feelings of hopelessness, anguish, and dejection. These affects are even worse in communities that are more racially segregated (McDermott, 2006). Specifically, school funding in the United States is predominantly drawn from local property taxes, so communities facing poverty are at an extreme disadvantage to wealthy communities because their schools receive very little support in comparison, which plays a direct role into the inferior quality of education, which serves as a catalyst for creating differences amongst races. In general, communities facing poverty are commonly members of a minority group, mostly comprised of African Americans and Hispanics (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). This alludes to fact that students in these situations are more commonly going to work in order to support their families. To elaborate, “Of the students ages 16 years and older who were employed, higher percentages of Black and Hispanic students reported that they worked more than 20 hours per week (50 and 54 percent, respectively) than White students (30 percent)” (Aud, Fox, & Ramani, 2010, p. vi). Work eventually leaves less time to study and complete assignments, which leads to a racial gap in academic success (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). This exemplifies how educational institutions reinforce the social structures that lead to inequality. In addition, residential instability leads to an increase in high school dropout rates, constantly moving, social disorganization, and academic difficulties (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). It has been shown that students who are able to live in the same location/community and remain in the same school system tend to achieve academic success at a higher rate than those who are constantly changing residential locations (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). This is largely due to their ability to establish connections with teachers and create lasting social relationships. However,
Consequently, one of the primary factors that help determine a student’s quality and level of education is their family’s financial situation in relation to the spectrum of poverty. “Poverty is a central component of community well-being as it pervades all aspects of social life in a community including jobs, housing, health care and education” (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011, p. 396). Extensive poverty in communities almost always leads to feelings of hopelessness, anguish, and dejection. These affects are even worse in communities that are more racially segregated (McDermott, 2006). Specifically, school funding in the United States is predominantly drawn from local property taxes, so communities facing poverty are at an extreme disadvantage to wealthy communities because their schools receive very little support in comparison, which plays a direct role into the inferior quality of education, which serves as a catalyst for creating differences amongst races. In general, communities facing poverty are commonly members of a minority group, mostly comprised of African Americans and Hispanics (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). This alludes to fact that students in these situations are more commonly going to work in order to support their families. To elaborate, “Of the students ages 16 years and older who were employed, higher percentages of Black and Hispanic students reported that they worked more than 20 hours per week (50 and 54 percent, respectively) than White students (30 percent)” (Aud, Fox, & Ramani, 2010, p. vi). Work eventually leaves less time to study and complete assignments, which leads to a racial gap in academic success (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). This exemplifies how educational institutions reinforce the social structures that lead to inequality. In addition, residential instability leads to an increase in high school dropout rates, constantly moving, social disorganization, and academic difficulties (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). It has been shown that students who are able to live in the same location/community and remain in the same school system tend to achieve academic success at a higher rate than those who are constantly changing residential locations (Leventhal-Weiner, 2011). This is largely due to their ability to establish connections with teachers and create lasting social relationships. However,