Empirical Studies in Social Stratification Research on Educational Inequalities—A Case Study of Two High Schools in Detroit

Abstract

This paper is aiming to explore the relationship between social stratification and educational inequality through a case study of two high schools in the Detroit area, where distinct differences between poor communities and the wealthy ones are reflected. Two public high schools, Denby High School and Grosse Pointe South High School, will be examples of two different types of high schools in the U.S. education system. The study collects data to compare their educational qualities and the students’ backgrounds. The results show that the school which has students with a better family background provides higher educational quality. This evidence lends qualified support to the status quo that education is reinforcing the social classes instead of giving low-income family opportunity.