In his article “Sponsored & Contest Mobility” (1960), Ralph Turner argues that the education systems in England and the United States reflect and reproduce “the prevailing norms of upward mobility” found within each country. One of the key assumptions that Turner makes in the U.S. is that people start out on relatively equal footing, giving them equal access to this ‘contest’ based mobility system.
A. Drawing on your own educational experience, do you buy Turner’s argument? Explain your stance.
B. Compare and contrast Turner’s discussion of education & mobility with the main theme presented in either the Labaree or Hallinan reading. Identify 1 similarity across readings, as well as 1 difference.
*Be sure to make direct connections to the text in your response.
