The real problem of U.S. society is not the gap between rural and urban cultures, but rather a gulf in those who have wealth and access to education versus those who do not, said a professor of public policy in a recent Financial Times article.
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, a professor at the University of Southern California, believes that education and wealth reinforce inequality -- "those who can afford elite education often secure higher-paying jobs, reproducing privilege for generations."
Currid-Halkett said that school choice policies from kindergarten through secondary school, often seen as solutions to residential segregation by race and income, have "exacerbated exclusion" in the United States.
Since the cost of a college degree has been rising and so has the share of high-paying jobs that require a degree, those who have received better education are likely to own more social wealth and accordingly pass on some privileges to their children, she explained.
On the other hand, those relatively poorly educated, meanwhile owning fewer assets, can have different day-to-day life styles with their counterparts regarding food choice and housing ownership, and remain in the same social positions along generations, she added.
In order to interrupt this loop, government policies should make post-secondary education, public resources such as libraries and museums more accessible and affordable, the author wrote.
