Notes from study session 1) Compare Kozols argument with that of Ogbus in explaining school success/failure of minority groups.

Whose arguments do you find more convincing and why? Kozol: STRUCTURAL; minorities are delegated to schools in which they are educated to be the governed while whites are educated to be governors; education is an attainment of skills that cannot be repaid if denied, having major consequences on the circle of minority injustice; schools are more segregated now than before, districts with higher paid tax payers have a higher per student spending Ogbu: CULTURAL; the white education system is not adapted to distinctive and different minorities that have a different understanding/perspective of the world, cultural practices, degree of trust in the white system, and attitudes in pursuit of education that have been instilled historically; community and societal forces determine success/failure; involuntary minorities fail to assimilate and submit to a system that they distrust Kozol focuses on the impact of the school system itself and attributes success/failure to the districting of schools; Ogbu views success/failure as external and that it is minorities own models that are disjunctive from the white system that hinders their success 2) What are the pros and cons of busing? How are busing and tracking connected? Highlight two negative consequences of tracking. (Ogbu and Black cultural cap) Pros: counters and redresses segregation still present in American society which cause major discrepancies in education, creates a more pluralistic and egalitarian society where access to education is not based solely on geographic location, provides minorities with greater mobility and breaks the vicious circle of poverty Cons: families are angered over the inconveniences created by such a distance and their lack of familiarity with the neighborhood, destroys neighborhood schools and camaraderie, creates discipline problems, makes racial segregation lines explicit Tracking and busing are connected because both categorize students based on certain qualities and can exacerbate the level of segregation and difference between minorities. Tracking starts early (and is racialized) and busing is associated with elementary schools, thus early placement can funnel students into low quality education that can reduce self esteem and contribute to a lower socioeconomic status later in life. Curricula vary too greatly between tracks with the lower track curriculum lacking engagement and comprehensiveness; the best teachers and resources can be reserved for upper track students while lower track students are marginalized; influences peer groups and attitudes of students toward others with stigma surrounding lower track students 5. Documentary: Place Matters 1. Place determines chemical and physical agents, 2. social interactions you are exposed to 3. how easy it is to take a walk 4. how easy it is to buy and how accessible healthy food is 5. increased risk to asthma 6. high crime rates 7. determines overall stress levels 8. availability of fast food, and alcohol stores

9. poverty tax on healthy foods White thing to dump into black areas- since blacks are concentrated into these grounds. Blacks dont have trust in officials because government officials know that these things are going on, yet they dont stop it, or help fund resources to 6. Three historical factors that produced structured inequalities 1- Reconstruction homestead act geared towards redistributing wealth but fails to allow blacks into land owners therefore not able to build wealth; Jim crow laws 2- Suburbanization- a) taxation b) transportation c) housing o Financed through federal government through taxation policy o Transportation- cheap fuel allowed for subsidization o Cheap housing, suburban homes more affordable to rent than in the city (Levitt town) o Provided incentives for businesses to move to subsidize o Excluding whites 3- Contemporary Institutional Racism- access to mortgage. o Red lining, FHA marking out certain place as least desirable, white disparity in mortgage lending practices o Poorest white applicant was more likely to get a loan the a black in the highest income bracket o Historical discrimination has caused this wealth gap and continues because of the continuation of policies