Higher Education: Transformation or Transaction?
To what extent is education transformative rather than transactional? Does an elite higher education really provide unique knowledge and superior skills, or is the name brand simply a ticket to socioeconomic prestige? While education is considered the great equalizer of opportunity, the inaccessibility of today’s higher education simply perpetuates social stratification; those born into privilege generally have access to greater educational opportunity, hence increasing their odds of attaining, or maintaining, high socioeconomic status.
The impacts of education are often explained either through the Socialization or the Allocation Model. The Socialization Model insists that the experience of schooling shapes the values and practices of students, not only instilling academic skills but also social mindsets. The Allocation Model, on the other hand, suggests that education serves as a badge to sort groups of people; the less educated will be excluded from opportunities while those with a higher degree are automatically considered “more qualified.” Education is important. Education does create opportunities. Education can shape a more informed, perhaps even more accepting, population. Yet, so long as higher education remains accessible only to the elite, our system is failing.
Kingston, P. W., Hubbard, R., Lapp, B., Schroeder, P., & Wilson, J. (2003). Why education matters. Sociology of Education, 76(1), 53-70. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.sfuhs.idm.oclc.org/docview/216485118?accountid=46861
