More Than Just Race: A Rejoinder

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1 More Than Just Race: A Rejoinder The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Wilson, William Julius More Than Just Race: A Rejoinder. Sociological Forum 25(2): Published Version abstract Citable link Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.instrepos:dash.current.terms-ofuse#laa

2 1 MoreThanJustRace:ARejoinder WilliamJuliusWilson HarvardUniversity IverymuchappreciateMargaretAndersen sinvitationtorespondtothese threechallengingreviewsofmybook,morethanjustrace:beingblackandpoorin theinnercity.itisnotoftenthatanauthorgetsachancetoreplytoreviewsinthe sameissueinwhichtheyappear,includinganopportunitytoexpressboth appreciationforthereviewerscommentsandpointsofdisagreement. IbeginwithKimberlyMcClainDaCosta sthoughtfulreview.shepointsout thatmyworkhasbeenthecenterofagooddealofcontroversy,includingmy discussionofthe culturalaspectsofentrenchpoverty thathavebeen perceived bymanyontheleftas blamingthevictim, andbythoseontherightasevidence thatblackswerelargelyresponsiblefortheirownpoverty. However,Ihastento addthatsuchperceptionsarenotrepresentativethevastmajorityofscholarswho takemyworkseriouslyandreaditcarefully.anditisthislattergroup,notthe ideologuesoftheleftorright,whoreceivemyattention.amongtheseserious scholarsarethosedacostacorrectlyidentifiedasbeingprimarilyconcernedwith whetherihad adequatelytheorizedtheinterrelationshipbetweenculturaland structuraloutcomes inmypreviousbooks. AlthoughIfullyagreewithDaCosta sstatementthatmorethanjustrace focusesmoreexplicitlyonthequestionofculturethanmypreviouswritings,i disagreethatthebookwaswritteninresponsetomycritics.unlikethetruly

3 2 Disadvantaged(1987),whichwasinfactarejoindertothecriticsofTheDeclining SignificanceofRace(1978),IwroteMoreThanJustRacenotasaresponsetomy critics,butasanattempttodevelopacomprehensiveframeworkforunderstanding race,classandurbanpovertyandtherebyencouragescholarstoreexaminetheway theydiscusstotwoimportantfactorsassociatedwithracialinequality structure andculture.intheprocessirevisedsomeofmyearlierviewsontheroleofculture, andiverymuchappreciateprofessordacosta scommentthatmyattempttoengage theculturalsociologyliteratureinmorethanjustrace makesasignificant contributiontotheliteratureonracialinequality. However,DaCostaappropriatelypointsoutthat asatermineveryday discourse, culture...issubjecttoanalyticalconfusion becausethemanyitems includinginabroaddefinitionofculturemake culturalargumentssusceptibleto misreading. InMoreThanJustRaceIfollowUlfHannerz(1969)anddefined culture asthesharingofoutlooksandmodesofbehavioramongindividualswho facesimilarplace basedcircumstances(suchaspoorsegregatedneighborhoods). Therefore,whenindividualsactaccordingtotheirculture,theyarefollowing inclinationsdevelopedfromtheirexposuretotheparticulartraditions,practices, andbeliefsamongthosewholiveandinteractinthesamephysicalandsocial environment. Ipointedoutthatthisdefinitiongoesbeyondthesimpleandtraditional notionsofgroupnorms,values,andattitudestowardfamilyandworkandincludes culturalrepertoires(habits,stylesandskills)andthemicro levelprocessesof meaning makinganddecision making thatis,howindividualsinparticular

4 3 groups,communitiesorsocietiesdevelopanunderstandingofhowtheworldworks andmakedecisionsbasedonthatunderstanding.theprocessesofmeaningmakinganddecision makingarereflectedinculturalframes(sharedgroup constructionsofreality).inmybook,iusethegenericconceptofculturaltraitsto refertooneormoreofthesedifferentbutrelatedcomponentsofculture.iagree withdacostathatthisisabroaddefinitionofculture,butitistheoreticallyderived fromargumentsthataredesignedtoexplainsocialoutcomesemergingfrom processesofintra andintergroupinteraction(hannerz,1969,swidler1990, Wilson,1987and1996,Patterson,2004,andLamonteandSmall2008). Finally,IshouldliketorespondtoDaCostaargumentthatinmydiscussionof framingimay havemisreadthepoliticalmoment andthatiofferfewspecificsto addressthepracticalchallengesof thetimehonoredtraditionofrace baiting whenpublicpolicyoptionsareproposed.tooffsetorminimizetheproblemofrace baiting,iproposedatypeofpoliticalframing,withappropriateexamples,that,as suggestedbyresponsestonationalpublicopinionsurveys,willlikelytoresonate withtheamericanpopulation;namely,thehighlightingofprogramsthatfocuson opportunityenhancement thatis,helpingpeopletohelpthemselves. However,GregoryD.Squire scommentthati nolongerendorse universalisticapproachedtoracialinequality makesmerealizethatididnotfully clarifymypositiononframing.mystatementthatweshouldnotshyawayfroman explicitdiscussionofthespecificissueofraceandpovertyinframingpublicpolicy didnotmeanthatirejectuniversalprograms,suchasthestimuluspackage,which includesprogramstoaddresstheneedsofthepoor,includingpoorpeopleofcolor.

5 4 AlthoughInolongersupportaframingthatisspecificallyandexpresslydesignedto beraceneutralorcolorblind,ifullysupportbothracespecificanduniversal programstoaddressracialinequality. Squiresalsodiscussed color blindness inadifferentcontext.hestates: OnoccasionWilsonseescolor blindnesswherecolorclearlymatters.herefersto Katrinaasanaturaldisasterwhere devastation...wasbroadlyvisiteduponthe residentsofneworleans blackandwhite,richandpoor,propertyownerand publichousingtenantalike. Hethendevotesthenextfourparagraphstoargue againstthisposition,andconcludes: Katrinahasnotbeenthecolorblind phenomenonthatwilsonsuggests. Readersofmybookwillseethatthisisagross distortionofmydiscussionofkatrina(seechaptertwo),andthatmyargumentwas clearlytakenoutofcontext.thisiswhatiactuallysaid: Whentelevisioncameras focusedontheflooding,thepeopletrappedinhousesandapartments,andthevast devastation,manyamericanswereshockedtoseethesqualidlivingconditionsof thepoor.ofcourse,thedevastationofkatrinawasbroadlyvisiteduponthe residentsofneworleans,blackandwhite,richandpoor,propertyownerandpublic housingtenantalike.butwhilemanyresidentswereabletoflee,theverypoor, lackingautomobilesormoneyfortransportationandlodging,stayedtowaitoutthe stormwithtragicresults.andthroughkatrina,thenation sattentionbecame rivetedtothesepoorurbanneighborhoods. Ithenfurtherelaborateonthisissue inthenextfiveparagraphs,includingadiscussionofmyresearchonthelackof accesstoautomobilesinpoorblackinner cityneighborhoods.itistherefore

6 5 ludicrousforsquirestosay, Katrinahasnotbeenthecolorblindphenomenonthat Wilsonsuggest. Squirespointsoutthatinadditiontotheframingofanargument,weneedactionto translateitintopublicpolicyandheraisesthequestionof howmuchinfluencethisbook willhavewhenitsprimary policy recommendationisacallformoreeffectiveframing. Thisisalegitimatepoint.Butyouhavetoconsiderthepurposeofthisbook,namelyto addresstheculturevs.structuredisputewithacomprehensiveframeworkandtodevelop argumentsabouttheframingofpublicpolicythatflowfromthatdiscussion.framingis priortoanyeffectivepublicpolicy. Nonetheless,MoreThanJustRacedoessuggestaholisticpublicpolicyperspective wherebythecomplexwebofstructuralandculturalfactorsthatcreateandreinforceracial inequalityarerecognizedandappreciated.andsincemyargumentswereinformedby empiricalresearch,iregretthatthespectacularresultsofarigorouspreliminary evaluationoftheharlemchildren szone(hcz),whichepitomizesthetypeofholistic approachihaveinmind,werereleasedaftermybookwaspublished(dobbieandfryer 2009).TheHCZwouldhavebeenanaptexampleofprogramsthatintegratestructuraland culturalinterventionsbecausepresidentbarackobamaandhispolicyadvisorsare currentlydesigningwhattheycall promisedneighborhoods, patternedafterthehcz, whichwillbefeaturedintwentycitiesacrossthecountry. Finally,itisdifficulttorespondtoDeirdreRoyster scritiquebecauseherreviewis notfocusedanditstraysawayfromthecentralthemeofmorethanjustrace the structurevs.culturedispute andreflectsherownresearchinterestsandpolicyagenda, muchofitunrelatedtomycentralarguments.shechastisesmeformyfailuretoincludea

7 6 discussionoffeministstudiesofmasculinityandthemediaastheyrelatetoculturalissues andfornotdiscussing hostileinstitutionalculturesthatblackslivingonthemarginsin inner citiesconfrontdaily. Severespaceconstraintsprecludeadetailedreactionto Royster sclaims.manyofthemamounttoexcathedraassertionsbackedbylittlemore thanherassuredprivateconvictions Forexample,herblanketassertionsthattheculture oftheghettoisareflectionofthelargeramericanculture withoutadvancinganyspecific researchevidencefortheclaim. Andwhenshedoesdirectlyaddressargumentsrelevanttomywork,shegoesover groundthaticoveredinmorethanjustrace,especiallychapter3.forexample,she discussesastudybydevahpagerandstatesthatshe showsthatblackandwhitemenwho seekentry levelservicesectorjobsandwhoareidenticalonpaperandtrainedtoselfpresentsimilarly,aresimplynotreceivedsimilarlybyemployers. Onthebasisof Royster sreview,readerswhohavenotreadmybookwouldassumethatiignoredthe researchonemployerbiasagainstblackmales,includingtheexcellentstudybydevah Pager(2003).However,Inotonlyprovideadetaileddiscussionofthisverysubjectin chapter3,ialsopointedoutthat Pagersresearchrevealedthatawhiteapplicantwitha felonyconvictionwasmorelikelytoreceiveacallbackorjobofferthanwasablack applicantwithacleanrecord. Roysterconcludesherramblingreviewwiththisquestion: Giventheoutcomes experiencedbythenon poorandwell behavedblackmenpagerandistudied,iwouldlike Wilsontoexplainpreciselywhatculturalimprovementspoorinner cityblackscanmake thatwillassureimprovedlifechances? Formyanswer,Isuggestthatshegobackand rereadpage23ofmorethanjustrace,whereiemphaticallyarguethatprogramsfocusing

8 7 onculturalproblems, withoutconfrontingthebroaderandmorefundamentalissuesof restrictedeconomicopportunities,havelimitedchancestosucceed. References Dobbie,WillandRolandG.Fryer,Jr AreHigh QualitySchoolsEnoughto ClosetheAchievementGap?EvidencefromaBoldSocialExperimentin Harlem. NBER,WorkingPaper,CambridgeMA. Hannerz,Ulf.1969.Soulside:InquiriesintoGhettoCultureandCommunity.New York:ColumbiaUniversityPress. Lamont,Michèle,andMarioLuisSmall HowCultureMattersforthe UnderstandingofPoverty:EnrichingOurUnderstanding, inthecolorof Poverty:WhyRacialandEthnicDisparitiesExist,eds.DavidHarrisandAnn Lin.NewYork:RussellSageFoundation. Pager,Devah TheMarkofaCriminalRecord. AmericanJournalofSociology 108(5): Patterson,Orlando CultureandContinuity:CausalStructuresinSocio CulturalPersistence, inmattersofculture:culturalsociologyinpractice. NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress. Swidler,Ann CultureinAction:SymbolsandStrategies. American SociologicalReview51: Wilson,WilliamJulius.1978.TheDecliningSignificanceofRace:BlacksandChanging AmericanInstitutions.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress. Wilson,WilliamJulius.1987.TheTrulyDisadvantaged:TheInnerCity,theUnderclass

9 8 andpublicpolicy.chicago:universityofchicagopress. Wilson,WilliamJulius.1996.WhenWorkDisappears:TheWorldoftheNewUrban Poor.NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf.