Comparing Steinberg's Ethic America And The Ethnic Myth

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In a society whose dominant narrative revolves around meritocracy, values such as a strong work ethic often take a higher precedence over other factors in describing social mobility. The “American Dream” serves as this narrative, reinforcing the belief that anyone has the capacity to succeed if they work hard enough. Yet disparities regarding social mobility are present between ethnic groups in America, which begs the question— why? Thomas Sowell’s Ethic America and Stephen Steinberg’s The Ethnic Myth attempt to make sense of these ethnic variations of social mobility, but both come to drastically different conclusions. Through comparing the theoretical frameworks, arguments, and conclusions of both Sowell and Steinberg, it becomes clear which …show more content…

Both authors rely on case studies of specific ethnic groups as a platform to push their respective arguments. For the purpose of this essay, only the Jewish and Black ethnic groups will be discussed since conjunctively they reflect the dichotomy of assimilation “success” and “failure”. One of the strengths of Sowell’s work though is how extensive and detailed he goes into ethnic groups. Not only does Sowell cover a large variety of ethnic groups, he also discusses differences within ethnic groups. Steinberg instead groups ethnic groups more …show more content…

This has not been the case for Blacks in America though. When looking at Blacks, the differences in Sowell’s and Steinberg’s arguments become most apparent. Sowell argues that its Black’s lack of values which hinder their abilities to assimilate at the same rate of other ethnic groups. Again, education emerges as a determinate of social mobility for Sowell. He describes Black’s desire for education as “pathetic” and even goes as far as stating that there is “no substitute for the disciplined work or intellectual values that make [education] possible or effective. Educating a people lacking these prerequisites was to prove a sore trial…” (Sowell 203). Furthermore, Sowell points out the high rates of Black unemployment, especially within the youth, which he again attributes to their culture. Surprisingly, Sowell still argues that Blacks are assimilating, despite the majority of the chapter being dedicated to describing their lack of values due to minimal education and being located in ghettos. His whole argument points to Blacks not assimilating, yet he closes the chapter with “…[Blacks] as a whole has moved from a position of utter destitution... to a place alongside other groups emerging in the great struggles of life.” (Sowell

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