Mendoza 1

Willy Mendoza
Professor Mozzini
Sociology 1
17 July 2016
Savage Inequalities Reading and Reflection
Education is an important part of society because it helps an individuals overall
development. Schools are seen as the base of the developing stages of an individual. These
developing stages play an important function in initializing individuals into accountable
members of society.
Institutes such as schools allow individuals to obtain the necessary knowledge to pursuit
their dream. Education sets the way for a good career. It is considered by majority of the
population to be an essential investment in a persons life, not only for the personal benefit of an
individual, but for the progression and development of a society as a whole. It prepares members
of society with the skills necessary for achieving their ambitions. Receiving an education
continuously shows to be worthwhile since the possibilities to acquiring successful career
opportunities is limitless. The more education an individual obtains; the more potentials they are
capable of accomplishing. After all, the working industry engages in employment of individuals
on the foundation of their educational skills.
Education not only sets the path for a successful career, it also helps an individual form a
personality. Education helps people form opinions and viewpoints. It allows individuals to
interpret things and apply their knowledge to daily occurrences. The incorporation of similar
opinions and perspectives is what brings members of society together. One learns the appropriate
etiquettes and performances that are considered to be socially acceptable. Education is

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contemplated as the root of civilization. It is influential in the commencement of forming morals
and virtues. It is the structural aspect of society.
In the excerpt from Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol travels around the United States
to witness the educational systems in poor, middle-class and rich communities. Public schools
are funded by local property taxes; therefore, making the setting crucial to the quality of the
schools. Kozol first travels to East St. Louis, Illinois. East St. Louis appears to be an
underprivileged community. With ninety-eight percent of the community being black, East St.
Louis lacks public services, reliable sewages, available employment, etc. There, he reaches the
school and monitors different classrooms and converses with individuals at the school, including
the history teacher, Irl Solomon. Despite the demoralizing conditions of the school, Solomon
seems to be one of the few up-spirited faculty members that appreciates his profession and tries
to make the best out of it. In my opinion, he represents a figure of hope. He is recognized as
the highlight of the school; therefore, he must have some type of positive impact within the
school.
Kozol then travels to Rye, New York to experience the educational system firsthand.
Entirely opposite from the previous school in East St. Louis, he discovers that the staff and
students are completely different. He describes this school to look like a New England prep
school. This school offers the students with a better educational environment and provides them
with all the necessary supplies. He engages in discussions with students and ends up holding a
conversation with a student named Jennifer. Jennifer, originally from the Bronx in New York
states that her family moved to that community to give her a better form of an education. She
believes that if an individual truly wants to receive an education, they must be willing to make
sacrifices and take action for themselves. When asked whether it would be fair for their

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community to pay more taxes to provide other unfortunate schools, she responds with the notion
of not having any benefit towards her.
Individuals will act differently according to the community they are exposed to. In
Kozols experience, he learns that the priorities of those in East St. Louis differ from those in
Rye, New York. The educational system in my community has changed over the past few years.
Technology plays more of a role and provides students with better opportunities. The working
industry favors those with higher levels of education; therefore, making it a competitive society.
Education gives individuals the fundamentals of being members of society. It is an important
basic need to our involvement with society.