Harvey Kantor and Robert Lowe
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199982981
- eISBN:
- 9780199346219
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199982981.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Education
Harvey Kantor and Robert Lowe describe how the nation’s approaches to poverty, race, and education have changed over the past half century, with relatively weak compensatory education policies asked ...
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Harvey Kantor and Robert Lowe describe how the nation’s approaches to poverty, race, and education have changed over the past half century, with relatively weak compensatory education policies asked to shoulder the burden created by economic and racial inequalities—problems that our society and our policy makers have overwhelmingly failed to address adequately. These authors help us to understand how over the twentieth century, social policies meant to alleviate poverty have mutated into programs that pose formal education as a panacea. This faith in the power of education historically has justified greater access to schooling for low-income children as well as the investment of additional resources in the schools that serve them. But the idea that inequality and poverty are susceptible to educational correction also has reduced pressure on the state for other social policies that might more directly ameliorate economic distress.Less
Harvey Kantor and Robert Lowe describe how the nation’s approaches to poverty, race, and education have changed over the past half century, with relatively weak compensatory education policies asked to shoulder the burden created by economic and racial inequalities—problems that our society and our policy makers have overwhelmingly failed to address adequately. These authors help us to understand how over the twentieth century, social policies meant to alleviate poverty have mutated into programs that pose formal education as a panacea. This faith in the power of education historically has justified greater access to schooling for low-income children as well as the investment of additional resources in the schools that serve them. But the idea that inequality and poverty are susceptible to educational correction also has reduced pressure on the state for other social policies that might more directly ameliorate economic distress.
