Is Your Education Affecting Your Social Life?

Author: Emilia Triola

            Equal access to education is a basic human right. Every human being on earth should be provided the same opportunity and access to education. However this is not the case as there is marked inequality in access to education worldwide. Lack of access to education can impact the life of an individual in several ways.

            Globally there are education gaps in both developed and developing countries. In the United States of America, the education gap is growing larger with a disparity in education levels between the rich and the poor (Kelly, 2005). Less and less of the poor are represented as each stage of education furthers due to affordability being a barrier. In Africa gaps in education are continually reducing as more and more people are having access to education and the notion of only educating the boy child is dying away. However the disparity in those who are educated and have access to education is still wide. We can see that gaps in the educated and uneducated are present worldwide and this has a variety of impacts.

            How education is related to a wide range of outcomes is called the education effect (Kuppens et al, 2015). Education can affect the identity of an individual and their level of self esteem. The level to which a person is educated is incorporated into their identity. There is a large difference as to how highly educated people and poorly educated people identify with their education level. Highly educated people identify with their education level to a degree that is comparable with ethnicity and nationality. Those with lower levels of education identify less with their level of education and have a negative social identity around their level of education and exhibit low levels of self esteem. This difference in how people identify with their level of education can be attributed to social constraints. Higher levels of education are regarded as a reflection of individual merit and there are negative connotations associated with not being educated (Kuppens et al, 2015). Thus it is easier to identify with being highly educated.

There is social inequality between the educated and those with poor education. Educated individuals are members of high status group which provide them with positive identity which boosts their self esteem. The poorly educated belong to a low status social group that is associated with a negative identity and therefore is harmful to self esteem. Lower levels of education threaten social cohesion, leads to lack of interest in politics and a lack of trust in others, all which are attributes which lead to a lower social standing (Kuppens et al, 2015). People with lower levels of education do not find satisfaction in their level of education which affects their self esteem.

            Low levels of education are also associated with lower life expectancy. Education is a determinant of occupation, living conditions, access and use of healthcare, personal well being, obesity, alcohol consumption and other lifestyle choices (Bohacek et al, 2015). Educated people have higher incomes, better lifestyles’ and living conditions and better access to healthcare, all which are factors which contribute to a higher life expectancy. In the USA it was seen that educated people had a life expectancy of fifty-seven years whilst those with poor education levels had a life expectancy of below fifty years (Meara et al, 2008).

            Income and education are locked within a cycle that is difficult to stop. Lower levels of education result in individuals earning low levels of income. Access to a high quality of education and being able to afford further levels of education requires income. Lower income levels leads to under investment in education therefore poor children end up in low quality schools and are unable to pursue higher education (Dabla-Norris et al, 2015). The earnings of parents can determine the future of a child through the level of education they are able to supply that child. Therefore the poor and uneducated are locked in a cycle which they need income and education to stop but do not have access to both.

            Gaps in education result in income inequality. Education is a one of the major factors which affects income inequality. Education is often suggested by policy makers as a means of wealth redistribution (Gregorio & Lee, 2002). Equal distribution of education is a builder in assets such as human capital and improves the social and economic well being of people through the spillover effect (Thomas et al, 1999).

            Differences in the level of education a person attains affect how they are viewed by society. There is social stigma against people with lower levels of education. Society associates being poorly educated with negative things such as theft, prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse. People with low levels of education are expected to by society to be unemployed and partake in crime and illegal vices. Individuals with low levels of education are viewed to have a low social standing in society relative to those who have higher levels of education. There is therefore a presence of social stigma towards the poorly educated as this is associated with negative connotations and implications by society.

            Gaps in education are therefore seen to have an impact on individuals, their lives and their outcomes. The level of a person’s education can affect how they identify, their self esteem, how society views them, their life expectancy, their income levels and their social status. The inequality in education should be reduced and equal opportunities and access to education offered globally so as to reduce the social, economic and political disparities between people.

References

Bohacek, R., Crespo, L., Mira, P., & Pijoan-Mas, J. (2015). 29 The educational gradient in life expectancy in Europe: preliminary evidence from SHARE. Ageing in Europe-Supporting Policies for an Inclusive Society, 321.

Dabla-Norris, M. E., Kochhar, M. K., Suphaphiphat, M. N., Ricka, M. F., & Tsounta, E. (2015). Causes and consequences of income inequality: a global perspective. International Monetary Fund.

Gregorio, J. D., & Lee, J. W. (2002). Education and income inequality: new evidence from cross‐country data. Review of income and wealth, 48(3), 395-416.

Kelly, P. J. (2005). As America becomes more diverse: The impact of state higher education inequality.

Kuppens, T., Easterbrook, M. J., Spears, R., & Manstead, A. S. (2015). Life at both ends of the ladder: Education-based identification and its association with well-being and social attitudes. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 41(9), 1260-1275.

Meara, E. R., Richards, S., & Cutler, D. M. (2008). The gap gets bigger: changes in mortality and life expectancy, by education, 1981–2000. Health Affairs, 27(2), 350-360.

Thomas, V., Wang, Y., & Fan, X. (1999). Measuring education inequality: Gini coefficients of education. The World Bank.