Throughout pages 71-100, Wax brings up a number of novel points and makes some very thoughtful arguments regarding education, employment, family disintegration, and victimization, among others. One of the most interesting sections of the reading was the one regarding employment remedies. Wax asserts that the largest issue in employment is not race discrimination. Wax actually claims that race based discrimination accounts for a negligible portion of the disadvantages that blacks suffer. Instead of racial discrimination, the biggest issue is actually shortfalls in cognitive and noncognitive attributes. Wax even goes so far to assert that “even after controlling for standard influences on human capital formation (such as parental income and years of schooling), there are still significant differences by race in the capabilities employers seek”. In regards to remedies for this issue, Wax dispels one of the ideas that many would probably propose as the first solution: job training. Wax says these programs are often famously expensive and not efficient, and have not been shown to make much difference to labor market outcomes. In defense of these points, Wax asserts that “the evidence suggests that the foundations for good work skills are established early in childhood, well before formal schooling begins. Later interventions such as on-the-job training are too little too late”. This point is actually very interesting, and does make sense after further thought. A lot of skills that people need to succeed in the world are soft skills, the skills such as hard work or leadership which are rather intrinsic and hard to teach someone through something such as job training. The best option for remedy that Wax points out is behavioral reform in young children of only a few years of age. Wax claims that this reform is largely up to communities and individuals. Although Wax makes many solid points and backs them up, I really wonder if it would be possible to get whole communities of thousands of people on the same page in regard to instilling soft skills within their children from a young age.
One reply on “ERA (Race, pp. 71-100)”
I agree with all of your points and thought you did a good job summarizing the main points of the reading. I found it very interesting how the only reasonable solution to the main behavioral reform issue that Wax discusses it to start at a very basic level with children. Is there really no other way that as a society we can work towards greater equality? While I do agree that starting the process of behavioral reform while children are still young would be advantageous, are all other age groups today already lost causes? Regardless, the reform needs to be strived for by all members of society in order for any real change to occur. No few individuals on their own will be able to instigate change and need the backing of their communities to bring about reform.