Racism is a kind of prejudice that holds that people of different racial categories are different from one another and that, as a consequence, certain racial groupings are less valuable than others. Despite decades of educational reform and social policies designed to address educational inequality, the racial achievement gap persists in the United States education system. Moreover, the paper evaluates a particular issue impacting a client group via an integrated approach integrating knowledge, values, and skills from the social work program. It will analyze the topic from human behavior, practice, research, and policy viewpoints. In addition, it will evaluate the social circumstances impacting marginalized people and communities, committed to applying the most recent study in the field to guide evidence-based remedies and competently, methodically, and professionally address practice issues associated with social issues and policies.
Since racism directly aligns with the underlying beliefs and goals of social workers, the racial success gap is an important issue within the social work profession. Social workers are firmly committed to equality and social justice (“Role of social work in addressing systemic racism,” 2023). Since this disparity is an obvious illustration of inequality in the educational system, closing it is imperative. Social workers are committed to providing justice and equality for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity, by recognizing and addressing the racial achievement gap.
Furthermore, social workers are committed to solving bigger challenges, and the racial achievement gap has significant consequences for these issues. Education has long been known to be a potent instrument for ending the cycle of poverty. Racial differences in educational attainment have the potential to exacerbate socioeconomic divides by making it more difficult for vulnerable populations to escape poverty. Social workers are front-line combatants of poverty, and part of their job to bring people out of impoverished settings includes tackling the racial achievement gap.
The racial achievement gap can affect community quality of life and individual and family well-being. The vibrancy and profitability of communities may be negatively impacted when certain racial or ethnic groups encounter persistent barriers to educational attainment since education is a fundamental component of community development (“Role of social work in addressing systemic racism,” 2023). To create comprehensive policies that may strengthen communities as a whole, social workers must thus go deep into understanding the underlying reasons for this disparity.
Moreover, social workers can push for significant change when they thoroughly understand the racial success gap’s nuances. They have the power to significantly influence educational interventions and policies that are tailored to the unique requirements of pupils of color. Encouraging others to advocate for policies and programs that will lessen educational achievement gaps will help create a more just and equal society in the long run. In conclusion, the racial performance gap is crucial to social work because it is consistent with their core beliefs, tackles pressing problems like poverty and community development, and allows them to push for constructive reforms in the educational system.
According to Racial Discrimination in the United States (2023), racism is a serious and widespread societal issue in both the U.S. and the rest of the world. Racial inequality has an impact on many facets of society, and the racial achievement gap is one prominent example of how it manifests itself. This difference in educational achievements is a serious problem as it plays a vital role in maintaining racial and socioeconomic inequality, eventually impeding access to opportunities and critical resources for disadvantaged populations. This problem must be addressed for the benefit of all nations, not just the United States.
The disparity in academic performance across races is not a unique problem exclusive to the U.S. It exists in other countries as well, such as the UK, Canada, and Australia, where racial and ethnic groupings exhibit comparable differences in academic attainment (“Racial discrimination in the United States,” 2023). This global aspect highlights the pervasive and systematic issue, underscoring the need for a worldwide commitment to reducing these inequalities and advancing fair educational opportunities.
Moreover, there is an inherent connection between a complex network of socioeconomic problems and the attainment gap across races. It interacts with issues including unequal access to healthcare, disproportionate rates of imprisonment, and segregated housing. For instance, Black people and other ethnic minorities have long been victims of crimes and brutalities committed around the world. “Black Lives Matter” is a recognition that society ought to give our lives equal weight and that they should matter more than they currently do (“Racial discrimination in the United States,” 2023). Because of this, the response to BLM from “White” or “All” Lives Matter is not comparable or pertinent. This interconnectedness shows that closing the achievement gap between races is not a stand-alone endeavor but rather an essential part of a larger campaign against institutional racism and its detrimental effects on both people and communities.
It is important to remember that the racial achievement gap has existed for many years and is not a new phenomenon. However, its ongoing existence highlights how complicated and unsolvable the problem is, calling for constant attention, investigation, and action. Even if it has been an issue for a while, it is still urgently needed to identify its underlying causes and put into practice practical solutions to close the gaps in educational performance.
The research results emphasize how important it is for teachers to have high-quality training to close the achievement gap across races. Several research investigations have shown a noteworthy association between the caliber of educators and the presence of this disparity. Research has repeatedly shown that, in comparison to their white peers, kids of color are more likely to be taught by less qualified and experienced teachers. The achievement gap is significant partly because of the difference in teacher quality, which may impede the academic advancement of kids from underprivileged backgrounds and perpetuate uneven learning chances.
Access to technology and educational resources also seems to influence the achievement gap across races significantly. The lack of funds and resources that lower-income communities and schools often face directly affects the quality of education they can provide. Students of color may be disadvantaged by inadequate access to technology, current materials, and educational resources, which might hinder their capacity to participate fully in contemporary learning settings and develop critical 21st-century skills. This resource disparity further highlights the underlying injustices that underlie the accomplishment gap. However, according to Just a Moment.., (n.d.), we contend that the primary mechanism by which racism impacts health is structural racism. While acknowledging that there are several other types of institutional racism in society, we draw attention to data showing the negative effects of residential segregation on health. For instance, there are many ways that systemic racism in the criminal justice system (84, 130) might hurt health (38, 66, 130)
Parental support and engagement is another important aspect of this problem since it has been shown to impact academic progress. Studies indicate that parents of kids from certain ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds may show differing degrees of support and engagement in their children’s education. There are many reasons for this disparity in parental involvement, such as financial limitations, communication difficulties in other languages, and restricted availability of educational resources. Because of this, some kids may not get the same degree of support and encouragement for their education at home, which can lead to differences in academic performance. Generally, the racial success gap in the U.S. educational system is still a complex issue that requires constant attention and coordinated action from all of us.
References
Just a moment… (n.d.). Just a moment… https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-043750
Racial discrimination in the United States. (2023, March 27). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/08/08/racial-discrimination-united-states/human-rights-watch/aclu-joint-submission
Racial inequality in the United States. (n.d.). U.S. Department of the Treasury. https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/racial-inequality-in-the-united-states
The role of social work in addressing systemic racism. (2023, November 14). Social Work Degrees. https://www.socialworkdegrees.org/the-role-of-social-work-in-addressing-systemic-racism
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