Discuss the Coleman Report findings in relation to TheBell Curve work by Herrnstein and Murray. What claims did each research make, and what were its implications? How has sociology responded to these findings?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Correct answer varies but should include a description of the Coleman Report findings. The report shows that there are differences in student learning that reflect inequalities in school quality, and that this quality is not related to school funding or resources. Student achievement was most related to teacher quality and family background, including racial composition of the students attending the school. Family background was the most important predictor. Herrnstein and Murray's research argued that inequalities were mostly due to "natural" differences in intelligence in the human population rather than systematic differences in educational opportunities. Specifically, and most controversially, they argued that innate intelligence differed by racial background. The Bell Curve research and the Coleman Report made opposite arguments about the causes of difference in educational attainment outcomes. After Herrnstein and Murray's research was published, other studies raised doubts about its conclusion. The consensus in the sociological community is that there are no grounds for arguing that innate intelligence differs along racial lines.