Tue, 18 Oct 1994 10:11:12 -0700 for <socgrad@ucsd.edu>
From: blovitts@nsf.gov
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 94 13:10:12 EST
To: socgrad@UCSD.EDU
Subject: "Popular Sociology(?)"
Socgraders --

With all the previous discussion of going "public" with sociology, the 
occasion of archconservative Charles Murray's new book, _The Bell 
Curve_ seems like a good topic for discussion on Socgrad -- not just 
the "popular" nature of the book, but its controversial content.  

I realize that few, if any, Socgradders have had a chance to read it 
(myself included), but reviews of it have appeared in the New York 
Times Magazine and it is the cover story of this week's Newsweek.  It 
has also been mentioned on a few of the Sunday morning political news 
shows.  So, Socgradders, how about a good sociological discussion of 
the book/discussion of the book's sociology/social science -- and even 
biology?

For those who are unfamiliar with the book, Murray essentially argues 
that we have arrived at a point in society in which the social 
barriers that inhibited bright people from advancing and advanced 
dim-wits have fallen and now bright people (i.e., middle and upper 
classes) are breeding with bright people and dumb people (lower 
classes) are breeding with dumb people thereby creating two different 
genetic classes based on intelligence and that there is little that 
can be done for the "dumb," which leads him to the conclusion (one 
among many) that we should get rid of things like remedial education 
because it won't help.  -- This is just a brief sample of the "wisdom" 
contained in the book.

Discuss, argue, critique, snipe away ....

Barbara