One aspect of academic achievement which has always fascinated me is the tried-and-true narrative of meritocracy. The United States believes firmly in our myth of the American Dream, the idea that enough hard work and 'grit' will result in the ability to overcome any obstacle. This plays out in the academic sphere as well; with the notion that demographics, privilege, and environment shouldn't affect a child's ultimate success or failure. With the right attitude, any child in any school with any home life should be capable of "pulling themselves up by the bootstraps" and "getting out."
This narrative has been largely debunked - especially in the classrooms at the Sociology of Education department. But the feeling persists. Most insidious about this expectation is the acknowledgement that if a student fails, it was due their own lack of effort. If a person in the United States is poor or disadvantaged or powerless, the flipside of the American Dream states that they are somehow lazy, incompetent, and ultimately undeserving.
I thought of this debate often during our studies in London. The United Kingdom relies heavily on a social system rooted in class hierarchies. A British friend once told me that they can't help but make snap judgments when they hear "lower class" or "lower education" accents. The way someone speaks is often the most powerful and immediate impression they can make. In the UK, an accent often a badge showcasing your background, opportunities, past communities.
In the United States, we labor under the expectation that anyone can change their circumstances for the better. In England, with even stricter social delineations, that narrative of mobility doesn't exist in the same way. In schools, this translates to an idea that American children should see past their circumstances to strive for better. In the UK, an acknowledgment exists that students will perform to the standard measured by their situation.
So what is better? For America as a society to continue enforcing a false sense of hope? Or for the UK to acknowledge and accept their static reality?