Spare_change
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- Jun 27, 2011
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Some time ago, Amy L. Wax, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania wrote an op-ed, for which she was attacked and vilified by the academic community. Ms. Wax has a BS from Yale, an MD from Harvard Medical School, and a JD from Columbia Law School, and is a former assistant to the US solicitor General.
I’m not going to discuss the attacks on Ms Wax – rather, I want to publish some excerpts from her op-ed. The question for you today is ---- Is she right or is she wrong? Here’s what she said (some paraphrased):
The Ills of American Society:
“Too few Americans are qualified for the jobs available. Male working age labor-force participation is at Depression-era lows. Opioid abuse is widespread. Homicidal violence plagues inner cities. Almost half of all children are born out of wedlock, and even more are raised by single mothers. Many college students lack basic skills, and high school students rank below those from two dozen other countries.”
The Cultural Script endorsed between the end of WWII and the mid-1960s:
“Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake. Get the education you need for gainful employment, work hard, and avoid idleness. Go the extra mile for your employer or client. Be a patriot, ready to serve the country. Be neighborly, civic minded and charitable. Avoid coarse language in public. Be respectful of authority. Eschew substance abuse and crime.”
These norms defined a concept of adult responsibility that was “a major contributor to the productivity, educational gains, and social coherence of that period.”
The Contributor
“Cultures are not equal in terms of preparing people to be productive citizens in a modern technological society. For example, “The culture of the Plains Indians was designed for nomadic hunters, but is not suited to a First World, 21st century environment. Nor are the single-parent, antisocial habits prevalent among work-class whites; the “anti-acting white” rap culture of inner-city blacks; the anti-assimilation ideas gaining ground among some Hispanic immigrants.”
Is she right or is she wrong?
I’m not going to discuss the attacks on Ms Wax – rather, I want to publish some excerpts from her op-ed. The question for you today is ---- Is she right or is she wrong? Here’s what she said (some paraphrased):
The Ills of American Society:
“Too few Americans are qualified for the jobs available. Male working age labor-force participation is at Depression-era lows. Opioid abuse is widespread. Homicidal violence plagues inner cities. Almost half of all children are born out of wedlock, and even more are raised by single mothers. Many college students lack basic skills, and high school students rank below those from two dozen other countries.”
The Cultural Script endorsed between the end of WWII and the mid-1960s:
“Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake. Get the education you need for gainful employment, work hard, and avoid idleness. Go the extra mile for your employer or client. Be a patriot, ready to serve the country. Be neighborly, civic minded and charitable. Avoid coarse language in public. Be respectful of authority. Eschew substance abuse and crime.”
These norms defined a concept of adult responsibility that was “a major contributor to the productivity, educational gains, and social coherence of that period.”
The Contributor
“Cultures are not equal in terms of preparing people to be productive citizens in a modern technological society. For example, “The culture of the Plains Indians was designed for nomadic hunters, but is not suited to a First World, 21st century environment. Nor are the single-parent, antisocial habits prevalent among work-class whites; the “anti-acting white” rap culture of inner-city blacks; the anti-assimilation ideas gaining ground among some Hispanic immigrants.”
Is she right or is she wrong?
