Blacksmythe

When voters in the state of Michigan passed a referendum that would render affirmative action based on race (and gender i think) illegal in contracting and in college admission, I knew that this would happen. Take a look around college campuses–not just historically black colleges and universities–and the gender gap is real. This entire year I’ve taught around 80 kids I think. Of the 80, I believe that only 15 have been men. Now to be fair my classes are self-selected at this point–I don’t teach any introductory classes, and probably because of a belief that my class may be biased against them I might not have a lot of white male students wanting to take my class anyway.

Yet and still I believe that what I am dealing with will soon be the norm.

Here is Amber Arellano’s take.

Although the headline of the article is subtly misleading (hence my change above), she hits all the marks. This is another case of black and latino communities serving as the Miner’s Canary. I wonder how long it’ll be before the referendum gets repealed, or slightly modified?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I was pulling citations about performative aspects of racial identity when I ran across this article. Here’s the abstract:

Although affirmative action programs for minority students form just one of several criteria for preferential admissions to American colleges and universities, little research has compared the impact of other large “affirmative, actions” programs such as those for athletes and legacies. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey, of Freshmen (NLSF), a sample of nearly 4,000 students in 28 elite American colleges and universities, we develop model that test claims about the effects of affirmative action–namely mismatch hypothesis and stereotype threat–on college performance in three groups: minorities, athletes, and legacies. First, we estimate models predicting two direr and indirect effects suggested by stereotype threat: hours studied per week and the degree of psychological performance burden reported by students. Next we include these direct and indirect measures of stereotype threat and the mismatch hypothesis on grades earned through the end of sophomore year and the likelihood of leaving school by spring of junior year. We do not find strong evidence for the mismatch hypothesis as applied to minorities and athletes, although legacies who enjoyed a greater admissions bonus earned lower grades. Minorities attending institutions that practice greater affirmative action were less likely to drop out but did report lower grades. We also find that legacies and athletes who attend a school that practices institutional affirmative action are indeed more likely to drop out of school.

The article was written by Douglas Massey and Margarita Rooney and appeared in the February 2007 issue of Social Forces.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I picked up this story before getting to work this morning. Given the slowly awakening giant that is China, every now and again we get a story comparing Chinese ability in one field or another to European ability in some field or another. Although I’m glad that we’ve improved to the point where we’re not making racial arguments, there are some cultural arguments here that are a problem. And some inconsistent logic as well. The blog entry talks about Asians, but there are differences not just between Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, and China…but there are significant differences between immigrant populations and native populations. Note for example, how the author switches between talking about Chinese practices, and the practices of Chinese immigrants to the US. Or how the author talks about how hard the curriculum is without actually providing details. You wouldn’t know from reading his post for example that Chinese are only required to go to school for nine years, or that there are stark differences between the ability to even provide this level of education for large swaths of rural and urban China.

So when I read this entry, I did some quick reading on the context of the Chinese education system. (more…)

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The first way is here.

The second way?

In an effort to ensure racial diversity, the school system here in northern Westchester County is set up in an unusual way, its six school buildings divided not by neighborhood but by grade level. So all of the second and third graders in the Ossining Union Free School District attend the Brookside School.

But some minority students, the black boys at Brookside, are set apart, in a way, by a special mentoring program that pairs them with black teachers for one-on-one guidance outside class, extra homework help, and cultural activities during the school day. “All the black boys used to end up in the office, so we had to do something,” said Lorraine Richardson, a second-grade teacher and mentor. “We wanted to teach them to help each other” instead of fight each other.

More here.

There used to be a big debate about this and I think in at least one instance the ACLU sued. But it is apparent to me that the gender gap in black communities goes the opposite way, and that policies should be designed to deal with this.

Bookmark It