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Summary: "America in Black and White" explodes myths, points way.
Review: "America in Black and White" is the definitive book on race in America. A landmark, it will be remembered for years to come. The Thernstroms exhaustively examine race relations from the dark days of Jim Crow to the present. Their conclusion: America has made great strides. Though panned by liberal critics committed to defending the indefensible -- the continued treatment of people according to their skin color -- "America in Black and White" stands tall as the definitive research on, and statement about, race in America.
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Summary: An interesting book.
Review: After reviewing what other readers have said about this book, I feel compelled to provide another view. I recently read this book for a sociology class on race and ethnic relations. It is important to understand that the Thernstroms are writing from an Assimilationist/Integrationist viewpoint. They contend that, though we continue to face problems associated with racism and discrimination, we are continually moving toward a more equitable society. The Thernstroms support their claims by providing a lengthy account of American history and using a plethora of statistics to assert their claims. Now, as any good sociologist will tell you, interpreting history can be very problematic; furthermore, statistics can often be deceptive. As I cannot critically analyze the problems of this book in an in-depth manner, I caution you to just be aware of these two things as you read the book. For example, consider some of their tables. They often include the measurement of "median" in their statistics. Median is very often deceptive. Why not include the mean, as well? And why do they not discuss some possible flaws with the statistics they use? Also, a few of their tables are confusing (e.g. table on p. 542). One other problem I found with this book was a lack of comprehensive definitions. In one part of the book, they discuss problems with defining "racism." I agree that defining racism is difficult. However, though it may have escaped me, I did not find any clear definitions given by the Thernstroms. Also, I think they should have dedicated a portion of their book to a specific discussion of what type of society we are assimilating into. What norms? What values? What culture? Good social science would describe such key elements. In short, this book lacks clarity, but at the same time, I would recommend it to you if you are interested in the hot topic of race relations in America.
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Summary: importanat to understanding race relations
Review: America in black and white is important because it helps to give a good background on the history of race in this country. It deals with problems surrouding race in the past and how race relations have improved vastly in the last half century. Race relations have improved through things like the civil rights movements and through people's attitudes changing to be more accepting of people of different races. The book also deals with contemporary race problems relating to things like affirmative action, racial quotas and a chapter called the "racial climate" dealing with subjects like the O.J simpson trial, voting rights and inter-racial marriages/dating. The book ends with chapter "one nation, indivisible" shows helps to show how much people's attidutes have changed through time and that America's attitudes towards minority groups is actually far better then European country's attidutudes to minority groups.
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Summary: "character is what you do when no one is looking"
Review: As usual the grand "moralists" of the right are shown to be hypocrites.In re Jewett: In March, the Commission filed a complaint against Eugene Jewett alleging that he acted as an unregistered FCM when soliciting funds to trade commodity futures and options on behalf of customers. In May, the ALJ issued an Initial Decision on Default, finding that Jewett had acted as a FCM without being registered with the Commission by soliciting and accepting over $30,000 from customers to open accounts to trade commodity futures and options on the customers' behalf. The ALJ also found Jewett liable for commingling customer funds and failing to provide customers with separate written risk disclosure statements and written monthly account statements. The ALJ ordered Jewett to cease and desist various violations of the Act and to pay a total of $30,500 in restitution to three customers. The ALJ also prohibited Jewett from trading on any contract market for a period of ten years or until he has made full restitution to each of the customers, whichever is longer. In re Jewett, CFTC Docket No. 97-7 (filed Mar. 19, 1997).
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Summary: The authors have an Conservative agenda
Review: I agree with those who point out that the authors have an unstated agenda. They received their funding from conservative think tanks. And guess what! They think affirmative action is unnecessary! Many Americans are racist. Maybe not in Cambridge, but look at black sterotypes in movies and tv. Look at the fact there are no black actors who've won Oscars in so called Liberal Hollywood. Not good social science; a book with an agenda.
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Summary: Interesting, with lots of stats
Review: I appreciated this book especially for the historical treatment
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Summary: Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Review: I read this book with the explicit purpose of exposing the flaws that I expected to find for an article I was writing about racial myths. Instead, I found myself convinced by the statistics and arguments, notwithstanding intensive and prolonged scrutiny of the data. It proved two things. First, I'm not as much a closed-minded leftist as my critics like to claim and, second, that the Thernstroms are not as susceptible to error as people like me like to claim. (and it was interesting being labeled as gullible by my ever so fickle fans) This is an extremely important voice in the race-relations conversation. Give the Thernstroms credit for a job well done.
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Summary: A very important book for the always hot topic of race.
Review: I was impressed by the honesty of this book. The use of vast statistical data was both helpful and annoying. The authors did not question the sometimes obvious shortcomings of self-reports on racial attitudes. Though Abigail and Stephan rightly pointed out the negative implications of crime in the black community and unwed mothers, their "solution" seemed so insensitive and rather optimistic. However, I was very disturbed by the authors failure to note how public policies can have both salutary and adverse effects. To argue that black economic progress took place prior to affirmative action programs does not clear govt and society of its responsibility for having created conditions of black poverty. The Thernstroms are so adamant about their belief in limited govt that they hardly see any public policies that have helped blacks in the last 30 years. Furthermore, the title is mistaken. The contents of the book undermine the notion of a unified and inseparable nation. In fact, the Thernstroms are simply mistaken in their belief in America's (i.e., the American people) will to deal with its most enduring sin--race. But I do commend them for being candid enough to air our dirty laundry. We are in desperate need of solutions!
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Summary: No gray areas?
Review: In contrast to the title of the book - AMERICA IN BLACK AND WHITE, it is rare that the subject of race relations can be discussed in such black and white terms. There is definitely a gray area on most issues. The Thernstroms however, argue otherwise. On one hand are their views and on the other is the opinion of the "chattering classes." Whites who are in favor of affirmative action, in their view, support "policies built on deference to black victimization through which they can display their racial virtue." The book however is not vitriol, and it does have a central argument. Two of the main points developed on are: (1) Black progress has been substantial; progress began post WWII, long before the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement therefore, has been given too much credit for the progress blacks have made in this century. (2) Affirmative action is a mistake and it is "manifestly absurb" that these programs have improved conditions for blacks. The Thernstroms use a wealth of polling data to support their points, and seemingly present a solid case for progress. For instance: > "In 1958, 44% of whites said they would move if a black family became their next door neighbor; today, the figure is 1%" > By 1997, "a Gallup Poll found 83% of whites aged 18 to 34 approved of interracial marriage. (The figure for blacks in the same bracket was 86%)." Yet, there are other data sets that show conflicting views. How do we reconcile data from AMERICAN APARTHEID by Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton with that of this book? Massey and Denton show that there is a high degree of residential segregation still existing with whites having "little tolerance" for residential racial mixture beyond 20% black. Other studies, using data in Stanley Lieberson's and Mary Waters' FROM MANY STRANDS go beyond calculating residential segregation to indicating marital isolation. Orlando Patterson has calculated that the odds that an African-American woman will marry an African-American man are 27,444 times greater than that a non African-American woman will marry an African-American man. Lastly, a statewide special election was held in Alabama last November. The purpose being overturning the state's anti-miscegnation law which was still on the books. Over 40% of Alabamans voted to keep the ban in place; obviously there are still a lot of people that think blacks and whites should not mix blood. AMERICA IN BLACK AND WHITE fully endorses the civil rights acts - the quarrel is with affirmative action. However, while stating that "too much remains" of white racism, they contradict themselves when saying that "haters have become a tiny remnant with no influence in any important sphere of American life." Perhaps this ambiguity, and the Thernstroms inability to speak with certainty, only serves to underline the reality that in race relations in general, and policy prescriptions in particular, there remains a vast gray area. Other contributions are needed.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: Mr. Lehman seems to be more concerned with who funded the Thernstrom's work, rather than focusing on the validity of their thesis. A tour de force, sure to be the most important book on the subject of race
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