There are some complexities within the school system that are widespread. These include race, gender, and social class. These complexities have affected some people's educational opportunities. According to Gaine in 1995 the term "race" is often put in quotation marks because it does not mean what people think it means. The key point Gaine makes is that what are often thought of as “races” – Africans, Europeans, Chinese – are only superficially different from each other. Perhaps a useful working definition is "a group of people who may share some physical characteristics to which social importance is attached." Ergo, "race" is not the skin color, facial features, or type of hair people have, but the social meaning attached to these. Sex and gender are often very difficult to distinguish. The usual distinction here is that sex includes those characteristics that are biologically determined and gender those that are socially determined. The World Health Organization defines gender as “the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.” To put it another way, "male" and "female" are sex categories, while "male" and "female" are gender categories. Sociologists are interested in the idea that the lesson is about your tastes and cultural activities, as well as the types and numbers of people you know. These factors are important when combined with people's economic position. Understanding classes as quantities of different types of “capitals” helps us see classes across a number of dimensions. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu first developed this approach in 1984, suggesting that there are different types of capital that give people a… middle of paper… change has yet to occur. There are numerous stereotypes that must be addressed in order for every single student to experience the same school experience, outcomes, and curriculum regardless of their “race,” gender, or social class. The media contributes enormously to what people perceive as the norm. Therefore, parents should make a conscious effort to protect their children from the enormous influence the media can have on their children at such a young age. From this essay I hope it has been made clear that education is imbued with the complexities of cultural contexts in which issues such as race, gender, and social class are important players in people's educational possibilities, but also that there is plenty of room for improvement so that children can experience their school experiences together as a whole.