DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Schools report finds ‘jaw-dropping’ gap for black boys

**GoodLover** · 11-11-2010, 08:36 AM

Ever since I went to school in Ohio I realized that there is nothing Genetic to it. The Students from the Appalachian region of the US are white and lag significantly behind their white non-appalachian counterparts in Math and reading, on par with other minorities. This is entirely cultural, and is linked to poverty. Appalachian culture places an emphasis on being literate, math does not hold the same type of social reward as reading does.

I suspect that it is the same in some black cultures, where some that are poor have an economic disincentive to perform in Math and reading, then on top of that there is a cultural element that does not reward achievement in Math and Reading.

It strikes me as odd that white Appalachians are never added to the equation when race and intelligence are discussed.

I don't necessarily think it's genetic but my question was more so pertaining to the suggested demonetization of the "cultural" theory when I thought that feeling was more so reserved for the "genetic" theory.

I posted a link to another forum in a similar thread to this one some time ago which has the first 51 pages of The Black-White Test Score Gap (Washington DC: Brookings Institution, 1998). This study supports the cultural theory (not just poverty).

Here's the link to the aforementioned forum which also has the link to the first 51 one pages of the study (I link the forum and not just the study because I believe Frank Sweet gives a concise summary of the findings):

http://thestudyofracialism.org/viewt...it=Black+White

11-11-2010, 08:36 AM	#5
GoodLover Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 362 Senior Member	Ever since I went to school in Ohio I realized that there is nothing Genetic to it. The Students from the Appalachian region of the US are white and lag significantly behind their white non-appalachian counterparts in Math and reading, on par with other minorities. This is entirely cultural, and is linked to poverty. Appalachian culture places an emphasis on being literate, math does not hold the same type of social reward as reading does. I suspect that it is the same in some black cultures, where some that are poor have an economic disincentive to perform in Math and reading, then on top of that there is a cultural element that does not reward achievement in Math and Reading. It strikes me as odd that white Appalachians are never added to the equation when race and intelligence are discussed. I don't necessarily think it's genetic but my question was more so pertaining to the suggested demonetization of the "cultural" theory when I thought that feeling was more so reserved for the "genetic" theory. I posted a link to another forum in a similar thread to this one some time ago which has the first 51 pages of The Black-White Test Score Gap (Washington DC: Brookings Institution, 1998). This study supports the cultural theory (not just poverty). Here's the link to the aforementioned forum which also has the link to the first 51 one pages of the study (I link the forum and not just the study because I believe Frank Sweet gives a concise summary of the findings): http://thestudyofracialism.org/viewt...it=Black+White
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