Analytical Questions for Writing #2: Loewen, Chapter 7

After reading Chapter 7 in Lies My Teacher Told Me, answer the questions below in the analysis part of your paper:

1. What losses do students face in school and civic life when history books omit terms like class, social stratification, income distribution, or inequality? What is the risk that textbook authors face if they discuss social class? 
2. Why does Loewen take issue with defining everyone as part of the middle class? How would you define middle class?
3. Contrary to the rags-to-riches narratives told in textbooks, Loewen notes that only 3 percent of executives and financiers in America around the turn of the century started as poor immigrants or farm children while 95 percent of them came from upper-class and upper-middle-class backgrounds.
   1. Did this surprise you? Why do you think the rags-to-riches story has persisted despite historical fact? (p. 213).
   2. Each responsive writing must be a MINIMUM 500 words, typed and double-spaced, ANDconform to the format outlined below. You CANNOT use a font that is larger than 12 point (I’d recommend Times Roman). Many students find that they can and want to write much more.
      • If your paper fails to meet this MINIMUM REQUIREMENT, you will receive a 0 for the assignment.
   3. You SHOULD NOT AND CANNOT do any outside research to complete these assignments. Papers will be subject to originality analysis by Turnitin.com. If Turnitin.com shows that you have included outside resources, then you will receive a 0% for that paper.
   4. Paper Format