AAS/SOC 391: RACE, CLASS AND INTELLIGENCE IN AMERICA

Fall, 1996-97

Prof. H. F. Taylor

Room 2N4 Green Hall

Week 1: Introduction

• H. F. Taylor, "Intelligence," Encyclopedia of Sociology, pp. 941 - 949 (packet).
• F. N. Kerlinger, "Constructs, Variables, and Definitions," pp. 28 - 46 (packet).

Week 2: History of Intelligence Testing in America; History and Overview of Standardized Testing (Ability and Achievement Testing)

• Review Taylor, "Intelligence," above (packet).
• L. Kamin, The Science and Politics of IQ, pp. 5 - 13 and 15 - 32 (packet).
• H, F. Taylor, The IQ Game, pp. 1 - 9 (packet and special res.).
• S. J. Gould, The Mismeasure of Man, pp. 19 - 29 and 30 - 72 (packet).
• H. M. Blalock, "The Measurement Problem: A Gap Between The Languages of Theory and Research," pp. 5 - 27.

Week 3: Conceptualization and Measurement of Intelligence; Issues in Validity, Reliability, and Sensitivity; Cultural Fairness; Dimensionality; Other Issues

• R. J. Sternberg, Beyond IQ, pp. 3 - 39 on conceptions of intelligence (packet).
• A. R. Jensen, Bias in Mental Testing, pp. 465 -515 (packet).
• H. F. Taylor, "Biases in 'Bias in Mental Testing'," pp. 172 - 174 (packet).
• J. Mercer, "What Is A Racially and Culturally Nondiscriminatory Test?", in Reynolds and Brown, pp. 293 - 356 (packet).
• B. J. Shade, "Is There An African-American Cognitive Style," in Berlew et al., pp. 256 - 259 (packet).
• M. G. Willis, "Learning Styles in African American Children," in Berlew et al., pp. 260 - 278 (packet).
• Selection on gender bias, on special reserve.

Week 4: Conceptualization and Measurement of Social Class Stratification and Mobility

• M. L. Andersen and H. F. Taylor, "Class Stratification," special reserve.
• K. Davis and W. E. Moore, "Some Principles of Stratification," pp.242 - 247 (packet).
• K. Nakao and J. Treas, "Updating Occupational Prestige and Socioeconomic Scores," in Sociological Methodology 1994, pp. 1 - 72 (packet).
• R. Dahrendorf, Essays in the Theory of Society, chap. 6 (packet).
• P. Blau and O. D. Duncan, The American Occupational Structure, selection (packet).
• R. Kanter, Men and Women of the Corporation, chap. 6 (packet).

Week 5: Conceptualization of Race and Ethnicity

• M. L. Andersen and H. F. Taylor, "Racial and Ethnic Stratification," special reserve.
• D. Y. Wilkinson and G. King, "Conceptual and Methodological Issues in the Use of Race As A Variable: Policy Implications," pp. 56 - 71 (packet).
• H. M. Blalock, "Race Versus Class: Distinguishing Reality From Artifacts," pp. 127 - 142 (packet).
• C. West, Race Matters, selections (packet).

Week 6: Midterm Week (Midterm Examination)

(No new reading assignments).

Week 7: Analyzing "The Bell Curve": The Nature-Nurture Controversy

• R. J. Herrnstein and C. Murray, The Bell Curve, pp. 1 - 24; 25 - 89; and 269 - 315 (ch. 13) (packet and special reserve).
• H. F. Taylor, The IQ Game, pp. 10 - 41 (chap. 2) (packet and special reserve).
• H. F. Taylor, "The Myth of the Separated Twins," in The IQ Game, pp. 75 - 111 (packet and special reserve).
• Review essays Symposium by R. M. Hauser, H. F. Taylor, and T. Duster of The Bell Curve, in Contemporary Sociology, pp. 149 - 161 (packet).
• A. R. Jensen, "How Much Can We Boost IQ and Scholastic Achievement?" pp. 1 - 54 and estp. pp. 78 - 81 (special reserve).
• D. Dorfman, "The Cyril Burt Question: New Findings," pp. 1177-1186 (packet).
• S. J. Gould, The Mismeasure of Man, skim pp. 146 - 233 and pp. 317 - 320 (special reserve).
• L. Hearnshaw, Cyril Burt Psychologist, "Posthumous Controversies," pp. 227 - 261 (packet).

Week 8: Analyzing "The Bell Curve": Class, Race, and Gender Inequality in America

• C.S. Fischer, M. Hout, et al., Inequality By Design: Cracking the Bell Curve Myth, selections assigned.
• R. J. Herrnstein and C. Murray, The Bell Curve, skim chaps 5 - 12 and Appendix 4 (special reserve).
• Re-read the review essays by Hauser, Taylor, and Duster, assigned above.
• S. J. Gould, "Curveball," in The New Yorker (11/28/94), pp. 139 - 149 (packet).
• W. J. Wilson The Declining Significance of Race, chap 5 and skim chaps. 1 - 4 (packet and special reserve).
• C. V. Willie, Caste and Class Controversy, chaps 1, 2, 4, 5, and 14 (special reserve).
• J. Hochschild, Race, Class, and The American Dream, selection to be assigned.
• H. L. Gates, "Why Now?", in Fraser, ed., The Bell Curve Wars, (special reserve).

Week 9: Education: Labeling and Expectancy Effects; Tracking Effects; Coaching Effects in Standardized Testing; Direct Impact Manipulation for Race and Gender; Stereotype Activation; and Gender Differences.

• R. Herrnstein and C. Murray, The Bell Curve, pp. 389 - 426 (chap. 17, (packet).
• AAUW (American Association of University Women), Education: Why Women Lose Out, (packet and special reserve).
• R. K. Hackett et al., "Final Report: The Impact Manipulation Study," (special reserve).
• C. Steele, "Stereotype Vunerability and the Intellectual Test Performance of African-Americans," April 1995, (special reserve).
• Article about C. Steele's research in The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, Sept. 17, 1995 (packet).
• S. F. Chipman, "Word Problems: Where [Anti-Female] Bias Creeps In," (packet and special reserve).
• J. Crouse and D. Trusheim, The Case Against the SAT, skim the entire book (special reserve).
• D. Owen, None of the Above: Behind the Myth of the Scholastic Aptitude, pp. xi - xxi and 1 - 60 (special reserve).

Week 10: Occupation: Occupational Testing and Validity

• J. A. Hartigan and A. K. Wigdor, Fairness in Employment Testing [on the GATB -- General Aptitude Test Battery], chap 4 and skim chaps. 6 - 9 and 13 - 13 (special reserve).
• The Bell Curve, pp. assigned (packet).
• One addititonal reading to be assigned.

Week 11: Policy Issues and the Herrnstein-Murray Syllogism (Affirmative Action in Education; Affirmative Action in Jobs; Minority Education; Welfare policy; Immigration Policy) (WEEKS 11 and 12 TOGETHER)

• R. J. Herrnstein, "IQ," The Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 1971, pp. 43 - 64 (packet).
• R. J. Herrnstein, IQ in the Meritocracy, chaps 3 and 5 (packet).
• C. Murray, Losing Ground, selections to be assigned (special reserve).
• R. Herrnstein and C. Murray, The Bell Curve, pp. 447 - 477 (chap. 19) and pp. 479 - 508 (chap. 20) (packet and special reserve).
• B. Devlin, "Wringing The Bell Curve: A Cautionary Tale," Chance magazine (Summer 1995), pp. 27 - 36 (packet).

Week 12: Race, Class, and Public Policy (WEEKS 11 and 12 TOGETHER)

• C. Takagi, The Retreat From Race, selections to be assigned (special reserve).
• G. Jaynes and R. Williams, A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society, selections to be assigned (special reserve).
• One additional policy selection to be assigned.