Discuss below in a 200 words:
How We're Priming Some Kids for College- And Others for Prison
Watch the named TED Talk
In Alice Goffman's TED Talk, How We're Priming Some Kids for College- And Others for Prison, she states that we are asking kids who live in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, with the least amount of family resources, in the country's worst schools, facing the toughest time in the labor market, and who experience violence in their neighborhoods every day, "to walk the thinnest possible line." With regard to these issues, Goffman wonders if we can envision a criminal justice system that prioritizes recovery, prevention, and civic inclusion over punishment.
What does it mean to live in a 'disadvantaged neighborhood?' What are some examples of lacking 'family resources?' What makes schools the 'worst?' What makes the labor market 'tough'? As a society, what do you think we can do about these shortcomings? What do you think the criminal justice system can do to be just (fair) to those experiencing these forms of social disorganization?
Resonse the below in a 100 words:
To me living in a ‘disadvantaged neighborhood' means to live in a neighborhood where the standards of living and education are much lower, which can be partially due to the increased poverty rate. In these neighborhoods you see decreased rates of success for the people who grow up there, not due to their lack of efforts but due to the lack of resources available to them. Some examples of lacking ‘family resources' would be lacking financial support or even being deprived of family contact. Some families in these neighborhoods may be lacking sufficient funds to help their children get higher education even if the children have succeeded in high school and have the opportunity to go to college or university. Another example of lacking family resources is lacking contact with their own family. Some parents may work multiple jobs trying to provide for their family and therefore are not home a lot to guide their children or some parents or legal guardians may even be incarcerated so the children may not have those important family members in their life.
Schools in these disadvantaged neighborhoods are usually some of the schools with the least amount of funding. This can cause these schools to be considered some of the ‘worst'. Since these kids already do not get enough of support at home they may need the extra resources at school to help them stay on track. However, since these schools are underfunded they lack those extra supplies and resources that could help the students. Many of the schools can be understaffed, do not have money to give out textbooks that are in good condition, and may have little to no elective classes or sports.
The labor market can be ‘tough' in many ways. Firstly, it can be very hard to actually find a job. Many people are constantly looking for jobs and that can make the amount of available jobs scarce. Another way the labor market can be tough is because of lack of education. Many jobs now require some form of higher education whether it be an Associate's degree or higher. This can make it hard to find a decent paying job if you have only gotten a high school diploma or GED.
As a society, I think we can figure out how to better redistribute funds so that schools with low funding will get the money that they need. By giving these schools more funds they will have resources for the students to get a better and more well rounded education. This will help those students to hopefully go on to attain higher education which will in turn help them have an easier time in the job market.
In regards to the criminal justice system, I think they can be more fair to those experience these form of social disorganization by not making them a target. By this I mean that they should not be just patrolling these areas to give out tickets to meet their quotas or they should not stigmatize people in these areas and treat them differently than those in a different area. They should be trying to make all areas safe and equally patrol them.