ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a fourth possibility and then zeroes in on social class as an example of one sociocultural context. It explores all three of the previous contexts become integral to the narrating of sociocultural contexts. The chapter presents several competing cultural narratives that address social class and how they get retold as education narratives. One prominent cultural narrative is the Rags to Riches narrative (RtR), which celebrates the United States as a nation where social class does not really matter very much. The chapter explores educational versions of cultural narratives that are frequently used by parents, teachers, policy-makers, and the media to couch their arguments. All too frequently the actual evidence necessary to develop a strong argument is missing in these discussions; therefore, the use of tropes and ideographs that call forth these cultural narratives often substitutes for real substantive engagement.
