Educational ImbalanceSocial class is defined as a stratification system based on access to resources such as wealth, property, power and prestige (Ferris and Stein). The key word in this definition is “access” because in order for different members of society to have the resources mentioned, those members must have “access” to appropriate higher education. Higher education is one of the reasons why, today, the gap between different social classes in America (upper class, middle class, lower class) is getting wider and wider. One of the reasons social class is studied is because sociologists have discovered that human beings need some sort of structural system to function properly. This very stratification of social classes is discriminatory and corrupt as it promotes inequality in terms of social mobility. This stratification system was designed to ensure that the rich get the best share and the poor get the worst share. In other words, this system is designed to ensure that the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich. This may be an unfair assumption, but the truth is that there is a notable lack of opportunity and social mobility in this society. People can see this social inequality in housing and healthcare, but especially in education. Different members of society have different or no chances of obtaining higher education depending on their socioeconomic status. Furthermore, people's socioeconomic status is what ultimately determines their chances of having a higher education in this society. Additionally, lower class societies are less likely to go to college due to their position in society. They also have a different educational perspective and experience. For example, "going...halfway...to get to a complete and balanced society, we should start by changing our education system because that's what causes inequality. Works CitedFerris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. The Real World : An Introduction to Sociology. 3rd Edition: W. W. Norton &, 2012. Print.Parker, Kim. “Yes, Rich People Are Different.” ". The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 12, 2013. Web. January 20, 2014 B. "Educating for Power: How Higher Education Contributes to Social Class Stratification." University of Vermont, n.d. Web, January 20, 2014. "The working-class students go to university 'in hope rather than expectation'" The Huffington Post UK. The Huffington Post, 3 July 2013. Web. 20 January. 2014.