Waiting For Superman

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I am currently enrolled in Introductory Sociology, and we often look at gender, race, and poverty as social institutions.  We watched a documentary, Waiting for Superman, which made the point that failing schools are often blamed on failing neighborhoods, when in reality, the failing neighborhoods may be a result of failing schools.  People living in poverty are often characterized as lazy and unwilling to work, which is why people who attended school in a poor neighborhood often receive a below average education.  This documentary pointed out that children who attend these schools do receive a below average education, and do not have access to many resources, which only serves to exacerbate the problem.  These children, who often have big dreams early on in life, are trapped in an endless cycle of poverty that they cannot escape because of the educational inequalities in our society.  These children want to become doctors, nurses, lawyers, and teachers, but are often times forced to drop out in order to finically support their families.  This film reminded me that it is important to understand people's stories before rushing to a judgement about them, because there are many uncontrollable circumstances that have huge effects on people's lives