SOC 463/663 (Social Psych of Education) - Race/Ethnicity & Education

1. RACE/ETHNICITY & EDUCATION
MELANIE TANNENBAUM, PH.D.
SPRING 2015
SOC 463/663

2. Activity
What is the cultural group or social class that you most strongly
identify with?
Spend the next 5 minutes quietly reflecting on this identity.
We will go around and each person will mention…
Name
Group identity
Label you would like the class to use for this group
2-3 sentences about how this cultural identification may
have affected your language, behavior, commitments,
values, attitudes, beliefs, etc.

3. How has your race/ethnicity
impacted your education?

4. THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

5. ACHIEVEMENT GAPS START EARLY…
(JENCKS, 1998)

6. COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RATES OVER TIME
KANE (2004) BASED ON U.S. DEPT OF EDUCATION (2000)

7. DIFFERENCES IN COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RATES OVER TIME
KANE (2004) BASED ON U.S. DEPT OF EDUCATION (2000)

8. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
0
25
50
75
100
White African-American Hispanic/Latino(a)
Men
Women

9. 4+ YEARS OF COLLEGE
0
10
20
30
40
50
White African-American Hispanic/Latino(a)
Men
Women

10. Racial Differences
HS & College Dropout Rates
Educational Attainment
Standardized Test Performance

11. Other Causes…Debunked
Poverty/Socioeconomic Differences
The number of affluent Black families has grown since
1960s, but the test score gap has stayed the same
Segregation
Large differences even in desegregated schools
School racial makeup does not impact scores
Inadequate Funding
Black & White districts spend same amount per pupil

12. Other Causes…Debunked
Culture of Poverty
Kids from rich Black families still have lower scores
Single-Parent Families
Mom’s marital status has negligible effect on scores
Genes
Racial environment matters more than genetic race
Even biological siblings raised in the same home
rarely have highly correlated test scores

13. Does No Child Left Behind
close the gap?
National
Assessment of
Educational
Progress (NAEP):
Reading scores
-- Findings inconsistent; but gap largely constant
--Overall upward trend (present before NCLB)
--Better results on state-specific tests than national (NAEP)

14. Does No Child Left Behind
close the gap?

15. Race & Achievement
Performance for minorities under
predicted by usual indicators (e.g., SAT)
“Content reflects white, middle-class
culture, not culture of minority
^^ No longer applies today ^^
(lots of test testing!)
Racial gap shows on culturally charged
as well as on culturally neutral tests.

16. Race Gap: Causes
Over-reliance on standardized tests
Average Black score = 16th percentile of White distribution
If workers are selected based on tests, Black-White
difference is 1 standard deviation
If workers are not selected based on tests, Black-
White difference is only 0.4 standard deviations

17. DQ: Achievement Gap
Is there a learning gap because of the curriculum that schools are
teaching and the type of school that students are going to, or is it
because of the differences between cultures?
If people express the importance of the American Dream, how come
we don’t give everyone an equal opportunity for the best of it?
Because of all of the inequalities that we see today, is it ever
possible to have a school system where we don’t see such large
scholastic gaps between students? Will we ever reach a point in our
education system where all ethnicities test equally and have similar
graduation rates?

18. What do you think of this?
There are individual differences in intelligence
50% of variation in intelligence is passed on genetically
Racial differences in intelligence are largely genetic
Programs aimed at raising the intelligence of the poor
won’t help because intelligence is largely genetic

19. Racial Differences: Causes?
Poverty?
Low SES ! Low academic performance
SES of Blacks lower than the SES of Whites
BUT…
Asian-Americans perform better, even though not higher in SES
Voluntary immigrants are poor, but often excel academically
Cross-cultural perspective; poverty cannot be the only reason

20. Family?
Parents’ educational background
Family structure
Childrearing practices?
Different parental expectations?
Racial Differences: Causes?

21. Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination
Language skills
Culture
“Other groups pulled themselves up. Why can’t you?”
Cultural values and norms
Oppositional identity
Racial Differences: Causes?

22. Attitude-Achievement Paradox
Mickelson (1990)
Abstract attitudes
Mainstream optimistic ideas about education
“Education is the key to success in the future.”
“School success is a clear path to a better life.”
Concrete attitudes
Focus on specific obstacles, pessimistic attitudes
“Although my parents tell me to get a good education in order to get
a good job, they face barriers to job success.”
“Based on their experiences, my parents say people like us are paid
and promoted according to our education.”

23. 4
4.5
5
5.5
6
Abstract Attitudes Concrete Attitudes
Black
White
Attitude-Achievement Paradox

24. Types of Minority Status
Voluntary Minority
Moved voluntarily to United States
Wanted more opportunities & freedom
Ex: Chinese, Punjabi Indians
Involuntary Minority
Brought into the United States against their will
Slavery, colonization, conquest, or forced labor
Ex: Native Americans, Black Americans Ogbu, 1992

25. Types of Cultural Differences
Primary Cultural Differences
Existed before groups came into contact
Associated with voluntary minorities
Secondary Cultural Differences
Arose after groups came into contact
Associated with involuntary minorities
Ogbu, 1992

26. Fears & Consequences
Cultural Inversion
Tendency for involuntary minorities to regard certain
behaviors, events, & symbols as “inappropriate” for
them because they are “White” things.
Alternation Strategy
AKA “Accommodation without Assimilation”
AKA “Code-Switching”
More typical of voluntary minorities
Ogbu, 1992

27. Code Switching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO-EwelnvxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzprLDmdRlc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDyO4KzbuiE

28. DQ: “Code-Switching”
Assuming that we want our schools/country to be ethnically
diverse, is “assimilation” a good thing or a bad thing? Are
cultural differences a good thing or a bad thing?
Is there a way education can be taught while preserving
minorities’ cultures or is having an education in and of itself
seen as conforming to the majority culture?
How can we change the way involuntary minority groups view
education?

29. Secondary Strategies
Strategies used by involuntary minority youths who
want to succeed academically
Shields them from peer pressures and other detracting
community forces
Context in which students can practice the
“conventional strategies” of hard work, effort, etc.
Ogbu, 1992

30. Secondary Strategies
1. Cultural Passing (“Acting White”)
2. Accommodation without Assimilation (Code-Switching)
3. Camouflage (e.g., being the “class clown” in public)
4. Involvement in Church
5. Private Schooling
6. Mentorship
7. Protection
8. Remedial/Intervention Programs
9. Encapsulation Ogbu, 1992

31. DQ: Changing Cultural Views
How do we change the culture of schools to not be indicative of a
"White-washing" process? How can we create culturally-aware
schooling that doesn't fall into the pitfalls that Ogbu describes in the
core curriculum and multicultural education movements?
If foreign-language courses, along with activities that encourage
students to work together & don’t necessarily need a shared language
(sports, music, etc.) are the first programs to lose funding when cuts are
made, how can we expect to make a meaningful change?
I could not figure out why Ogbu did not value the benefits of
multicultural education. He seemed to have discounted all of its
benefits by saying that it’s “not an adequate strategy to enhance
academic performance.” While I understand that it may not effectively
target academic performance, why not incorporate those aspects into
the education system? Would it not benefit a lot of people?

32. HISPANIC/LATINO(A) ISSUES

33. Complicating Factors
Diminished expectations from teachers
Different expectations of the role of “school”
Lack of rigor/standards
Different kind of parent-teacher relationship
Language/Cultural barriers
Parents often feel unwelcome/misunderstood

34. DQ: Latino Issues
Would there be a way to formally educate Latino children
while remaining culturally sensitive? If we are able to teach
in a culturally sensitive way, can we also do this without
segregating Latino children from other American children?
What might be the repercussions of Latino children learning
two completely different styles of identity? Would a child
likely have to choose one or the other and then dissociate
from the one deemed as less important?
How do we effectively prevent Latino students from being
erroneously put on vocational tracks closing opportunities
for their college aspirations and readiness?

35. Complicating Factors
Educación
Being moral, responsible, respectful, well-behaved
Values
Individual rights/liberties vs. community focus
US: Self-confidence, self-esteem, questioning authority
Latino(a): Cooperation, interdependence, respect

36. DQ: Educational Values
What would it look like if Americans embraced the system of
educación, which is not only comprised of academic
components, but also encompasses being moral,
responsible, respectful, and well behaved? How would our
academic system be better/worse?

37. DQ: Latino Issues
Might immigration status also play a role? If relevant to a given
family, are undocumented parents nervous about being too
involved in the community? Can public schools integrate students
and parents who are new to the United States without imposing
on their cultures and beliefs?
I think the author (Reyna) loses sight of the bigger picture when
she groups everyone that is Latino into a category in which
parents are immigrants and are not that involved in school are
their white counterparts. She fails to mention that stigma that
comes with being "physically" Latino, which is a stereotype in and
of itself. Racism and classism play a predominant factor that
might deter parents from being as involved as they would like. At
what point should "divide and conquer" cease to be used to
explain or rationalize different ways of life?

38. DQ: Other Issues
Do minorities of different ethnicities suffer more than lower
income white families in the education system? If there
were a mix of African American and White Americans living
under the same roof in a low-income neighborhood, would
all of the kids suffer academically?

39. “MODEL MINORITIES”

40. Racial Achievement Gap
Asian Americans outscore all other ethnic groups
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP)
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

41. Race/Ethnicity in College Admissions
California
1995: UC Board of Regents votes to stop considering race/ethnicity
1996: Proposition 209 passed by California electorate
1997: Following legal disputes courts resolve that Proposition 209 is lawful
1998: Proposition 209 implemented

42. The Pool
24%
1%
6%
9%
60%
White
Asian
Black
Native American
Latino
Ethnic-Racial Composition of California, 2000
Source: http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2003-03/SC-EST2003-03-06.xls

43. The Pool
19%
1%
6%
23%
51%
White
Asian
Black
Native American
Latino
Composition of 1997 California high school graduates eligible for
admission to the UC system
Source: S. Herzog (2002). Chronicle of Higher Education

44. Prior to Proposition 209
15%1%
8%
45%
31% White
Asian
Black
Native American
Latino
Composition of Fall 1997 admits to the University of California Berkeley
19%
1%
6%
23%
51%
High school pool
Source: S. Herzog (2002). Chronicle of Higher Education
UC Berkeley admits
less than 25% of all applicants.

45. After Proposition 209
9%
1%
4%
51%
35% White
Asian
Black
Native American
Latino
Composition of Fall 1998 admits to the University of California system
19%
1%
6%
23%
51%
High school pool
Source: S. Herzog (2002). Chronicle of Higher Education

46. Asian Americans
Educational success story
Immigration to the U.S.
Involuntary Minorities (Ogbu)
Prejudices
Restriction of immigration
Internment of Japanese Americans, WWII
Stereotypes
Achievement domain
“Model minority”

47. Why are Asian Americans so successful?
Socioeconomic Status / Social Class
“Immigrant mentality”
…sometimes achievement in 2nd generation drops
“Americanization”
Genes / Innate Intelligence??
…..?
(Probably not.)

48. Why are Asian Americans so successful?
Cultural beliefs
Folk theories of “intelligence”
“It’s all effort.”
Compliance with authority in school
Homework
Parenting styles
Firm/authoritarian vs. permissive
Parental expectations (Thernstroms)
When are you in trouble?

49. Why are Asian Americans so successful?
Belief in educational payoff
“If I study hard, I can be successful in life because education is key.”
Relative functionalism
Opportunity structure determines which paths are viewed as successful
Insufficient knowledge of English ! focus on ‘language free’ fields of study
Limited opportunity in non-educational fields
Restricted mobility (e.g., prejudice) ! having to be extremely qualified

50. DQ: Miscellaneous
There was a quote I read that stated, "the only way to stop
racism is to stop talking about it." Do you think this is true?
If something is talked about constantly it's clearly still going
to be an issue, so if everyone just stopped making it an
issue, would it just end?
Would more positive minority role models help children
brush off some of the expectations placed on them?

51. STEREOTYPES &
ATTRIBUTIONS

52. DQ: Moving Forward
Should we focus on avoiding stereotype threat or on
teaching teachers how to properly offer help to children?
There was a quote I read that stated, "the only way to stop
racism is to stop talking about it." Do you think this is true?
If something is talked about constantly it's clearly still going
to be an issue, so if everyone just stopped making it an
issue, would it just end?

53. Internal
Stable
Controllable
Guilt
Anger from others
Pride
Competence beliefs
Trust from others
Punishment from others;
denial of help/resources
from others; frustration
& task withdrawal
Rewards from others;
access to help/
resources from others;
motivation & task
valuation
Negative Outcome
Positive Outcome
Emotions Behaviors
Emotions Behaviors

54. Internal
Stable
Uncontrollable
Shame
Embarrassment
Low self-esteem
Pity from others
Pride
Competence beliefs
Trust from others
Short-term help/long-
term denial of resources
from others; lower
confidence; task
withdrawal
Rewards from others;
access to help/
resources from others;
motivation & task
valuation
Negative Outcome
Positive Outcome
Emotions Behaviors
Emotions Behaviors

55. External
Stable
Uncontrollable
Anger
Self-esteem maintained
Sympathy from others
Trust environment
No credit from others for
achievements
Receives support/avoids
blame from others; may
withdraw from task;
perceives environment
as harmful
Greater involvement in
trustworthy
environment; no
particular social
consequences
Negative Outcome
Positive Outcome
Emotions Behaviors
Emotions Behaviors

56. Effects of Racial Composition
Conditional effects of the proportion of
Latinos in the classroom
If % low (less than 1/3), presence of
Latinos lowers everybody’s
achievement
If % high (greater than 2/3), presence
of Latinos increases everybody’s
achievement

57. DQ: Cross-Race Feedback
How can we encourage useful cross-race feedback?
Ruscher explains that this leads to minority students being
unable to distinguish between actual, helpful criticism/
praise and unhelpful criticism/praise, leading to a uniform
suspicion of critique from the majority. This seems a much
more deeply-engrained tradition to fix, for there are issues
on both parties – when there is a difference between power
and status in a majority teacher and minority student, there
is likely some suspicion (whether conscious or unconscious)
on the part of the student. Is it on teachers, then, to create a
culturally-aware classroom and give background-free,
helpful criticism?

58. DQ: Handling Stereotypes
Should teachers be educated about the importance of
stereotypes and how much they can affect a child’s
outcome?
Do you think once a stereotype has been formed, it is hard
for a teacher to view the student any other way, even if the
student has proved that stereotype to be false?
It seems that the biggest lesson and the easiest action we
can take out of the research is to teach children that
whatever they do is unstable…what if we consistently told
parents & teachers this one action is very important every
chance we got?

59. DQ: Handling Stereotypes
Can teachers be trained to ignore stereotypes when
teaching?