Rural Students Development of the Conception of Economic Inequality.

Autor/inn/en	Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Phillips, Perry D.
Titel	Rural Students Development of the Conception of Economic Inequality.
Quelle	(1988), (34 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Cognitive Development; Concept Formation; Curriculum Development; Economic Status; Elementary Secondary Education; Piagetian Theory; Poverty; Rural Urban Differences; Rural Youth; Social Differences; Social Structure; Social Studies; Socioeconomic Influences; Socioeconomic Status; Student Attitudes + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Kognitive Entwicklung; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Curriculum; Development; Curriculumentwicklung; Lehrplan; Entwicklung; Armut; Stadt-Land-Beziehung; Rural area; Rural areas; Youth; Ländlicher Raum; Jugend; Jugendlicher; Sozialer Unterschied; Sozialstruktur; Gemeinschaftskunde; Sozioökonomischer Faktor; Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status; Schülerverhalten
Abstract	Three socioeconomic classes of rural students ages 6 to 18 were interviewed about their conceptions of the rich and poor and economic inequality. The 114 students in the sample were divided as follows: (1) middle class, 23; (2) working class, 61; and (3) lower class, 30. Responses of the students are analyzed according to Leahy's categories of descriptions of the rich and poor. These categories are (1) peripheral, referring to possessions, appearances, and behaviors; (2) central, referring to traits and thoughts; and (3) sociocentric, referring to life chances and class consciousness. Central characteristics, use of which increased with the respondent's age, were most frequently employed in defining classes of persons. Sociocentric responses were evident in describing the rich, while peripheral responses were used to describe the poor. Subjects seemed unable to explain inequalities in wealth. Both younger and older children viewed personal effort within the existing social structure as the main means of increasing wealth. It is suggested that rural children, though less isolated by socioeconomic class than urban children, may reflect a belief of limited socioeconomic mobility. Findings are interpreted from the perspective of three theoretical systems: cognitive developmental, functionalist, and conflict. Tentative implications for the social studies curriculum of elementary, junior, and senior high schools are presented. Includes 26 references and appendices. (CS)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC