cross cultural insights on the achievement gap

7/29/2019 Cross Cultural Insights on the Achievement Gap

1/15

Cross Cultural

ManagementMedia Case

Closing the AchievementGap without Widening a

Racial One

The New York Times


2/15

History and Background

Most African-Americans are decendants fromcaptive Africans held in the U.S.A from 1619to 1865

1619, the first slaves are brought to Virginiaby a Dutch ship that sells them as servants

1641, Massachusetts is the first colony tolegalize slavery

1700, All colonies had slavery (2% servantsin the North and 25% plantation workers inthe South (around 10% of population)


3/15

History And Background

1775, G. Washington bans furtherrecruitment of Black slaves

1819, there are 11 free and 11 slave

states

1830, there are 319,000 free Blacks in theU.S.A, developing communities andgradualy forming the Black middleclass

1863-65, Lincoln abandons slavery, the13th, 14th and 15th amendments aremade in the constitution


4/15

Closing the Achievement Gap

without Widening a Racial

One The Black population is still facingdetriments in the United States, revealed in

the so called achievement gap

On average, white students outperform black

students (in primary, middle and high

school)

The average grade of a black student is a Cplus, while the average mark of whites is aB plus


5/15


6/15

Closing the Achievement Gap

without Widening a Racial

One 79 percent of black families are in thebottom50 percent financially whereas72 percent of white families in the top 50percent

Researches showed that black families

raise their children less academicallyoriented and own on average less booksthan white families

Dr.Ferguson: Black families need to

build stronger intellectual lives at home.


7/15

Analysis

Some previous Theories about AchievementGap:

John Ogbu (African-born BerkeleyProfessor):

Achievement Gap is caused by culturalbehavior, e.g. black students

mocking fellow hard working black studentsfor acting white

Charles Murray (Co-Author of The BellCurve):

Achievement Gap due to lower inherited


8/15

Lower academic performance of African-Americansis caused mainly by cultural reasons

Iceberg Model:

Achievement

Gap

Differences in upbringinginherent in culture

More collectivistic

culture

Fergusons Theory


9/15

African-Americans had to unite several times

throughout history to achieve equality and banish

slavery, which has led to a more collectivisticculture than the white society


10/15

Dr. Ferguson

Perfect example of the collective culture:

Already in his childhood, he strived to becomesomeone who can help the community, instead

of going for a popular job or a successful career.


11/15

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Due to stereotyping and cultural generalization,the problem of the self-fulfilling prophecy can

arrise

Society expects blacks to be lesssuccessful/ criminal, therefore many young African-

Americans give in to this image

instead o fighting it


12/15

Dr. Ferguson

Fergusons point of view

Writing style

Praising Ferguson Educational background

Economics

Quantify everything Solution

Communication with parents


13/15

Influence on the Society

1. Racial Segregation

Social movement: Toward Excellence with Equity

Strong community with peer cultures

2. African-American Stereotype: New Growth Opportunities

3. Future benefits

Better education

Good quality workforce

4. McKinsey & Company Analysis states: The persistence of

these educational achievement gaps imposes on the United

States the economic equivalent of a permanent national

recession.


14/15

McKinsey & Company

Analysis

If the United States had closed the racial

achievement

gap and black and Latino student performance

had

caught up with that of white students by 1998,

GDP in

2008 would have been between $310 billionand $525

billion higher, or roughly 2 to 4 percent of


15/15

McKinsey & Company

Analysis

cross cultural insights on the achievement gap

Documents