"Amazing Grace"

Book Review # 118632

"Amazing Grace"

A discussion on how the novel "Amazing Grace" by Jonathon Kozol illuminates the sociological problems currently facing the United States.

2,236 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2010 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at how the novel "Amazing Grace" addresses the sociological issues relevant to a poor neighborhood in the Bronx in New York City. The paper first discusses how social Darwinism is prevalent in the community because of the lack of education that the young people are receiving; only those with money receive a high education and become more fit for survival. The paper then explains the social conflict theory that states that the rich will exploit the poor, and shows how this is happening with regards to healthcare. Finally, the paper explains how symbolic interaction is also present, as people within the community are a product of their environments. The paper highlights the novel's message that those with money are more concerned with their own personal comfort level than the well-being of the less fortunate.

From the Paper:

"Social Darwinism says that the survival of the fittest will reign in a social setting so in this case, those with money will be the fittest creatures. One way that this can be seen is within the education system in the United States. A major issue with the American education system is the fact that different classes get different levels of education. This inequality leads to those who grow up in high class neighborhoods receiving a better level of education than those who grow up in inner cities, or ghettos. This problem also has racial issues, since Hispanics and African-Americans are more likely to attend these inner city schools. Poorer student also continue to score 10% lower on tests that the rest of society, while upper class students score much higher than the other classes."

Sample of Sources Used:

Beatty, Paul. The White Boy Shuffle. New York: Picador. 1996.
Gizlice, Ziya. Herrick, Harry. "Spanish-Speaking Hispanics in North Carolina:Health Status, Access to Health Care, and Quality of Life". NCPH SCHS Studies. July 2004. Viewed 25 November 2006. http://www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/pdf/SCHS143.pdf#search='latino%20access%20to%20health%20care%20north%20carolina'
Rothstein, Richard. Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap. Washington DC: Economic Policy Institute. 2004.