Literacy With An Attitude Reflection

    For this week’s assigned reading, we read Literacy With An Attitude by Patrick Finn, and I have decided to reflect on this work as a whole. In his writing, Finn brings up the idea that education varies for people in differing social classes. The curriculum does not change; however, the way the curriculum is taught is what changes. He describes that people in the affluent or executive social classes receive a more “high-end” education – one filled with creativity and the opportunity to think outside of the box to challenge oneself. However, the middle and working classes get a more restrictive form of the same education – one filled with learning from textbooks and students not being pushed to challenge themselves. 

    I think that in his writing, Finn brings up an excellent point that is multi-faceted. One point that isn’t explicitly stated is that the varying social classes have different financial means. For schools that tend to have more working or middle class families, they are most likely receiving state funding only, which only goes so far. With this, these schools may be limited to teaching with textbooks because they don’t have resources that could take their lessons an extra step forward. In comparison, affluent or executive class families may have the financial ability to send their children to higher-end schools or private schools, which get private funding. With this private funding, they may have the ability to invest in resources that extend their students’ learning opportunities – something that students in lower social classes don’t get. 

    A second point that Finn brings up indirectly is the idea of the varying educational experiences being a power dynamic. Everyone knows that people who hold power can manipulate the system in unimaginable ways, including the educational system. Those in higher social classes are getting a better educational experience than those in lower social classes. This isn’t by chance; rather, the system was created this way. Those in power want to keep the power, and having a quality education is power. So, those in the lower social classes are receiving a lessened, watered-down version of education because those in power know that education is power, so by holding back education, you are holding back power. In the minds of those in power, if the lower social classes get an education, they can speak out against the disparities created by the system as a whole, and those in power would lose the power they hold. In order to keep their power, they do what they can to make sure those lower than them do not get an education, even if it is at the cost of people who may need higher quality education the most. 

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