A review of the articles, especially the second one, confirms my growing suspicion that while racism has not been defeated in this country, affirmative action programs do not help reduce it and actual hurt by increasing the equally disturbinbg problem of classism (the -ism that Americans don't like to discuss...). One might speculate that as less deserving minority candidates advance, hard feelings and resentment may increase.
"Among high-achieving, low-income students, 6 percent were black, 8percent Latino, 15 percent Asian-American and 69 percent white, the study found..." My working class and poor white students sit in social sciences classes with students of other backgrounds and repeatedly are told that they have "white privilege." If that is true, it surely is not apparent to them. Maybe if we "cleaned them up pretty" like so many Eliza Doolittles we could sneak them into fine restaurants and cultural/educational institutions as guest but that's my point...most people are noticing the trappings of high SES and may in many cases be placing them in front of race or detectable ethnicity/relgious affiliation. People of all ethnicities and races with money and status find doors opening for them in 21st Century American, whatever residual levels of racism may still exist (and that all of us with social consciences strive to eliminate.) Cyndi Lauper sang "Money changes everything..." Not quite. But it makes a lot of things better. We need to do better than this, for all our deserving students.... Nancy Melucci Long Beach City College Long Beach CA -----Original Message----- From: Mike Palij <[email protected]> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) <[email protected]> Cc: Michael Palij <[email protected]> Sent: Sun, Mar 17, 2013 5:53 am Subject: [tips] Talented But Poor Students Fail At The Education Game The NY Times summarizes a report by a couple of Harvard economists who examined the college application patterns of students at different income levels. One of their disturbing conclusions is that students in the bottom quartile of family income and who would qualify for admission to selective colleges (but which may be far from home) apply to such colleges at far lower rates than students in the highest quartile. The following figure captures the main point: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/17/education/How-Top-Students-of-Different-Incomes-Apply-for-College.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130317 The NY Times article can be accessed here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/education/scholarly-poor-often-overlook-better-colleges.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130317&_r=0 The research article that the NY Times article is based on can be accessed here: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18586 NOTE: Abstract is free but the actual paper costs $5. A version of the report is to be published in the Brookings Institution journal "Brookings Papers on Economic Activity"; see: http://www.brookings.edu/about/projects/bpea One unexamined implications of Hixby and Avery's analysis is that "nonselective" and state colleges and universities probably have many more talented students than one would predict because so few talented but poor students apply to selective colleges. An implication that some college professors appreciate. However, there may be significant long-term consequences of not applying to selective colleges if one is qualified for them especially for psychology majors: it will probably affect which graduate program they may be able to get into. And as I have previously pointed out, there is research that shows whether psychology Ph.D.s get jobs after they graduate depends upon where they got their degree; see: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg09706.html -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=12993.aba36cc3760e0b1c6a655f019a68b878&n=T&l=tips&o=24382 or send a blank email to leave-24382-12993.aba36cc3760e0b1c6a655f019a68b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=24385 or send a blank email to leave-24385-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
