Introduction
It is important to note that education plays a vital role in the development of individuals as well as societies. In Alexie’s (1997) “Superman and Me,” the author concludes that reading and education, in general, are of the greatest value to open the doors of opportunities, knowledge, wisdom, and other worlds foreign to a reader. Although the criticality of education is already well-acknowledged in modern society, there are still debates and discussions about the importance of higher education. The arguments range from it being practically useless for employment to being overpriced and too costly to being a key determinant of success. Based on my own experience, I believe that education not only provides a means of escape for underprivileged people, but also sustains social equality and mobility across generations.
Discussion
Firstly, one should be aware that higher education always has and still remains to be a social equalizer, which allows a person from the working class to enter the middle class enabling upwards mobility. Alex Bernadotte (2018) explains that the existing problems and debates about higher education are valid with respect to the broken system, but they do not discredit its inherent value as a social ladder. In other words, the speaker uses her own personal experience as well as existing data to showcase how higher education is necessary for people and communities in disadvantaged positions.
Secondly, the uplifting effect of higher education is not limited to a single person because parental education is essentially inherited inter-generationally by their children. Ana Hernández Kent (2019) explains that the vast majority of family heads “follow in their parents’ educational footsteps” (para. 1). Thus, a head of the family’s as well as his or her parents’ education level is in a positive correlation with the household wealth and income (Kent, 2019). The source’s central claim is that intergenerational education is exceptionally persistent, which means it not only enables social mobility but sustains it in the long term.
Thirdly, from my own experience, I can safely state that the education level of my father allowed me to have access to more resources and provided me with opportunities not available to my peers. After analyzing the sources and researching their conclusions, I can see how these findings are true for my friends. My closest friend from school remains in the working class, most likely due to his parents not having higher education diplomas. The simple fact that my father had an experience of what it takes to access higher education and successfully complete it allowed me to avoid major mistakes and focus on what is important. He had given me advice before I understood and appreciated its value, and his income provided me with additional resources to develop academically.
Conclusion
In conclusion, education is not only an escape route for disadvantaged communities but a generational sustainer of social equality and mobility from my personal experience. From my experience and research, others can learn that higher education is significant and worth pursuing its socially uplifting effects, which persist in an intergenerational manner. It is important to note that the existing higher education system is flawed, such as costs and misalignment, but it does not discredit its inherent value. Readers should leave this essay knowing that the topic of higher education is critical if we, as a society, are to bring more equity and social mobility to our society.
References
Alexie, S. (1997). Superman and me [PDF document]. Web.
Bernadotte, A. (2018). What do we really mean when we say college isn’t for everyone? [Video]. TED. Web.
Kent, A. H. (2019). Children of college graduates earn more and are richer. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Web.