Texas is another essential part of the south and more importantly the south’s rise to power, by using economics and analyzing the demographic landscape of this state, it is easy to tell why. In terms of economic success per household, the median household income in Texas is relatively high at 8,157,575 dollars. This is high, due to the percent of people in the workforce at 63.6%, many people have well-paying jobs in Texas. A major part that Texas and the entire nation has struggled with is the percentage of people twenty-five years or older with a high school degree, with Texas with an underwhelming 24.8% and the nation at 28.6%. This makes the percentage that have are active in the workforce that much more impressive.
With all of
On June 23, 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed to the U.S. as a slave state. Foley notes "the annexation of Texas as a slave state…became the great white hope of northern expansionists anxious to emancipate the nation from blacks, who, it was hoped, would find a home among the kindred population of 'colored races' in Mexico."(20) But rather than uniting as kindred races, discord between poor whites, African Americans and Mexicans resulted from competition for farmland as either tenant farmers or sharecroppers.
Appalachia is no longer the land of severe poverty that it was three decades ago, now the poverty rate of one in 15 is close to the national average. The number of adults who have received a high school diploma has also jumped from one out of three to two out of three; and the infant death rate has been cut in half. Comparing the 391 counties in the Appalachian Regional Commission with counties outside the region that were similar to Appalachian counties in the 1960s, researchers found that Appalachian counties grew significantly faster than their counterparts. Specifically, overall income in Appalachia grew 48 percent faster; per capita income grew 17 percent faster; and population grew five percent faster.
University of Texas at Austin. Texas Politics, The legislative Branch. Austin, 2nd Edition-Revision 94 2009, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services.
22 March 2014. Texas Political Culture - "Texas Political Culture" 2009.
Obtaining a good education is probably one of the most sought out dreams in America. Although education is free for all American citizens, there are several obstacles that impact the population from receiving equal education benefits. Two groups that experience a difference when receiving an education are the rich and the poor. Inequality among different social classes in America can make it extremely difficult for the poor to receive the similar education equality as the wealthy. These inequalities can lower the chance of individuals living in poverty stricken communities from receiving a reasonable education. Education can be impacted by location, wealth, and state funding. Each factor plays an important part in the education citizens across America receive.
American depictions of masculinity underwent great changes during and after World War Two. Preston Sturges’s film, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, tells the story of Trudy Kockenlocker, played by Betty Hutton, who unwittingly gets married and pregnant during a farewell party for the soldiers. She then seeks the advice of Eddie Bracken, as Norval Jones, who has secretly been pining for Trudy ever since they were kids. Through a series of oddball scenes in the 1944 film, Preston Sturges is able to create a film that is so funny and timely, that it succeeds despite its unorthodox depiction of a woman who has not one, but six, children out of wedlock. Contrary to other World War Two depictions of masculinity, as seen in films like The Best
The funding of public education has long been an issue for the state government of Texas. Starting before Texas was even a state, public education funding was at the forefront of politicians’ minds. In 1836, one of the reasons Anglo-Texans wanted to become independent from Mexico was Mexico’s lack of a public school system (An Overview of the History of Public Education in Texas, 2016). This drove the desire of President Mirabeau B. Lamar of the Republic of Texas to create legislation that would grant public schools land (A Brief History of Public Education, n.d.). This act set aside four leagues of land per county for the use of free education centers and thus began the funding of public education by the state government (An Overview of the History of Public Education in Texas, 2016). In the last 177 years, the Texas Legislature and the Texas Education Agency have created numerous acts and laws regarding the funding of education, but it has been in the last 50 years that this topic has become highly contested, resulting in several lawsuits and endless efforts (by the school districts) to equalize the distribution of funds to Texas school districts (Texas School Finance History, n.d.). In sum, the complex issues and policies that surround the funding of public education are derived from a combination of the legislature, bureaucratic agencies, and local governments in the form of school districts.
If you live on the rich side of town, you’re gonna go to a well-funded school” (Precious Knowledge, 34:10 – 34:25). Supporting this, an article by business reporter Mike Sunnucks reveals that “In Arizona, incomes for the wealthiest grew by 158 percent from 1979 to 2007 compared with a meager 3 percent for the rest of state’s households” (Sunnucks). These issues of income inequality and unequal school funding are affairs that will not be discussed in a social efficiency-based school. In a school that values social reconstructionism, students have the chance to learn about these controversies and learn how to act. Linda Darling-Hammond reveals that “A number of states that have raised and equalized funding as part of systemic reforms have raised student achievement and reduced the opportunity gap” (Darling-Hammond 95). Social reconstructionism enables these types of learning experiences to be possible, as well as facilitates students to explore injustices in the social
...neth M. Goldstein, and William G. Howell. "Chapter 20 The Social and Economic Milieu of Texas Poltics." Understanding American Politics and Government. Texas ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 690-93. Print.
An important factor that is often overlooked, is the broad border Texas shares with Mexico. Many people with low income are living in areas with poor living conditions, called colonias, near the border. Colonias, or colonies, consist of poorly constructed houses made for people who make 10,000 a year or less. However, these areas lack electricity and water supply; many of the families living have to find their own water throughout the day. The main concern for the people living in these areas are the living conditions: they have limited water supply.. Meaning they are limited to bathing, cooking and drinking water. If we consider the colonias along the Texas and Mexico border, we realize that the population is almost entirely composed of Hispanics living under poor conditions, thus increasing the poverty rate on Hispanics, furthermore increasing the aggregate poverty rates in
In January 2013 a prominent national US newspaper quoted former Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice, “It doesn’t matter where you come from, but where you are going.” However, In “The Land of Opportunity,” James Loewen discusses how significant inequality is in America. The social class that you are born into will influence your outlook on social class and will also be the social class you stay in (Loewen, 1995. 322). Your social class will determine the opportunities available for you including health, fitness, nutrition, education, SAT scores, medical resources and more (Loewen, 1995. 321-322). Loewen also proposes that the education system in America does not incorporate a proper analysis of our social class (Loewen, 1995. 323). It is necessary for students to be realistic about social inequality because it is linked with history. As students, we are socialized from an early age to believe in the American Dream through media and our loved ones. We were raised to believe our merit determines our success. In reality race and ethnicity, class, and gender play vital roles in determining where an individual ends up in life. The following articles raise inconvenient facts that go against the American Dream.
Throughout history, time has created and shaped the ideal type of men, while society chooses what it means to be a real man..The ideal real men needed to be strong, provider of his family, decision maker, economically, educationally, physically, and politically dominant (Myers). The difference between the masculinity of the 20th century and the 21st has changed significantly. The ideal men status in 1900’s was rich, educated, powerful, and successful. In today’s perspectives, men needs to be strong, tall, handsome, capable, and unemotional. The contrast of these two centuries are mostly about men’s social status and appearances. Before, it was all about what a man is capable of doing and how powerful he could be compared to today’s ideal,
Low-income and minority students are the individuals and groups that are the most negatively affected by the United States educational failure. The number of Hispanic students in the United States is expected to grow 33 percent by 2020 and the number of multi-racial students are expected to grow 44 percent, however their educational future does not look bright. Historically, minorities are the most likely to be impoverished. Dozens of policies have been drafted and implemented in order to fix this problem, however the solutions have not worked, since at least 50 percent of elementary school students are now attending schools where the majority of students are low income and minority. The high poverty, educational environment the students are in leads to less high school graduation and college attendance, thus in turn will lead to a large population that will burden the United States economy later on in areas such as healthcare and welfare.
Have you ever had the opportunity to do something great but someone held you back? Also have you ever had someone that tried to control everything you do and everyone around you? If so you can relate to the book “Fences” By August Wilson. Fences is about a African American man Troy that is trying to keep food on the table for his family, and raise his kids as best as he can. Troy has a wife name Rose two sons named Cory, and Lyons and has a brother named Gabe. In Fences expect to see what seems like a happy family on the outside but in the inside everything is not as good as it seems. Masculinity/Manhood is an important theme in Fences because it shows how true takes care of his family but also shows how controlling and arrogant he can be, and it also helps show August Wilson’s way of saying a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
And how can adults operating under the “old southern principals” raise their children to value education and become doctors, lawyers and leaders of corporations. Maybe the parents didn’t teach the children this drive for education? Maybe it’s their peer discussions and television programming showing them that there is an abundance of opportunities outside of being a farmer, beer truck driver or a stay-at-home mother right out of high school. Television has been and continues to be a powerful tool in getting the word out to those underprivileged children living in poverty with seemingly no hope for a better life. Television is also assisting