Not only does lack of sufficient school funding deprive minorities of their freedom but also of the ability to reach fulfillment of ones’ potential. Abraham Maslow created a theory that states “that there are several levels of needs that a person must strive to meet before achieving the highest level of personality fulfillment” (Psych book 352). He arranged these into, what he calls, “the hierarchy of needs” (Psych book 352). Abraham Maslow’s theory is that once each level of needs is met, humans reach self actualization. This is defined as the ability for one to achieve “their full human potential” (Psych book 352). By suppressing minorities and low-income students, the government is holding back these individuals from reaching their full potential. These people are denied the chance of being able to reach their full capability because they are not given the right resources that are needed.
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In Ruth Lupton’s article, “Schools in Disadvantaged Areas: Low Attainment and a Contextualized Policy Response,” he announces that, “A fresh body of work has emerged in the late 1990’s, again indicating that concentrated poverty has an impact on what schools do, as well as directly on what pupils achieve. These studies have highlighted three main issues, resources including staff relationships; and the impact of both resources and relationships on school practice, on curriculum coverage, classroom practice, teachers’ activities and time allocation, and organization and management” (Lupton 657). The resources that are given to individuals in school, directly reflects how they perform. There are many aspects that, together, result in the performances of students and studies have proven this. In Amartya Sen’s “Poverty as Capability Deprivation,” she writes, “It so happens that the enhancement of human capabilities also tends to go with an expansion of productivities and earning power. That connection establishes an important indirect linkage through which capability improvement helps both directly and indirectly in enriching human lives and in making human deprivation rarer and less acute” (Sen 951). If people are given the opportunity to succeed, society will see an improvement in the quality of life. Society will see people breaking out of financial and racial boundaries that are imposed on them by the government. Sen states that, “Poverty must be seen as the deprivation of basic capabilities… Indeed, inadequate income is a strong predisposing condition to an impoverished life” (Sen 949). The government needs to enhance the quality of schools in disadvantaged areas in order for low-income minorities to reach their full potential. Once they reach their best self, they will be able to live an enriched life. As Lupton states, “There is a profoundly close relationship between poverty and attainment, such that the more socially disadvantages the community served by a school, the very much more likely it is that the school will appear to under achieve” (Lupton, 654). Due to the correlation between poverty and performance of the children in the school, it is evident that one has an affect on the other. Hence, the refusal to reform the distribution of school funds, becomes a form of oppression. The government has been oppressing minorities for centuries. [Analogy 1] It is evident in Ralph Ellison 's, The Invisible Man. The narrator is an African-American living in the deep south during the horrid years of segregation. Ellison writes about the journey of the narrator and how he became invisible. The narrator assures us that it is not because of some “biochemical” reaction or due to the fact that he is a “phantom” (Ellison 3). He is invisible because “people refuse to see [him]” (Ellison 3). The same can be said when it comes to the consistent issue of school funding. The kids from disadvantaged areas are not being helped. They are being overlooked and not being supported. The government is well aware of the dilemma of schools that come from the disadvantaged areas not having enough funds. Yet, they turn a blind eye and refuse to see them even though they exist in the same way that the invisible man is “a man of substance” (Ellison 3) and not some existential idea. The notion of minorities being oppressed
In Ruth Lupton’s article, “Schools in Disadvantaged Areas: Low Attainment and a Contextualized Policy Response,” he announces that, “A fresh body of work has emerged in the late 1990’s, again indicating that concentrated poverty has an impact on what schools do, as well as directly on what pupils achieve. These studies have highlighted three main issues, resources including staff relationships; and the impact of both resources and relationships on school practice, on curriculum coverage, classroom practice, teachers’ activities and time allocation, and organization and management” (Lupton 657). The resources that are given to individuals in school, directly reflects how they perform. There are many aspects that, together, result in the performances of students and studies have proven this. In Amartya Sen’s “Poverty as Capability Deprivation,” she writes, “It so happens that the enhancement of human capabilities also tends to go with an expansion of productivities and earning power. That connection establishes an important indirect linkage through which capability improvement helps both directly and indirectly in enriching human lives and in making human deprivation rarer and less acute” (Sen 951). If people are given the opportunity to succeed, society will see an improvement in the quality of life. Society will see people breaking out of financial and racial boundaries that are imposed on them by the government. Sen states that, “Poverty must be seen as the deprivation of basic capabilities… Indeed, inadequate income is a strong predisposing condition to an impoverished life” (Sen 949). The government needs to enhance the quality of schools in disadvantaged areas in order for low-income minorities to reach their full potential. Once they reach their best self, they will be able to live an enriched life. As Lupton states, “There is a profoundly close relationship between poverty and attainment, such that the more socially disadvantages the community served by a school, the very much more likely it is that the school will appear to under achieve” (Lupton, 654). Due to the correlation between poverty and performance of the children in the school, it is evident that one has an affect on the other. Hence, the refusal to reform the distribution of school funds, becomes a form of oppression. The government has been oppressing minorities for centuries. [Analogy 1] It is evident in Ralph Ellison 's, The Invisible Man. The narrator is an African-American living in the deep south during the horrid years of segregation. Ellison writes about the journey of the narrator and how he became invisible. The narrator assures us that it is not because of some “biochemical” reaction or due to the fact that he is a “phantom” (Ellison 3). He is invisible because “people refuse to see [him]” (Ellison 3). The same can be said when it comes to the consistent issue of school funding. The kids from disadvantaged areas are not being helped. They are being overlooked and not being supported. The government is well aware of the dilemma of schools that come from the disadvantaged areas not having enough funds. Yet, they turn a blind eye and refuse to see them even though they exist in the same way that the invisible man is “a man of substance” (Ellison 3) and not some existential idea. The notion of minorities being oppressed