Discussions about class, work, and culture. See Elizabeth and Orlando Patterson in the Times. Patterson says it’s time to revisit cultural explanations for poverty. The lure of being cool is one major reason that black, urban males remain in poverty, according to Patterson.
I heart knockoffs.
Apt. 11d 
I read Patterson’s book on slavery in college. He made a very complex argument, and I’m not sure I got it all, but it was fascinating. The point I thought was most interesting in his Times piece is his argument that cultural explanations don’t have to be about blaming the victim.
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That Patterson article was a little gem. He considered the competing arguments and ruled them out elegantly, without senseless name dropping and excessive wording. Really well written.
I also liked how he resurrected cultural explanation for poverty. But he also says that it isn’t the whole story.
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His consideration of McWhorter’s ‘acting white’ thesis (and his subsequent fact-based dismissal) was educational.
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I actually didnt like Patterson’s article. It was on the slippery slope of blaming the black males for whom the culture he says creates problems can also be a saving grace. I went to a dinner party with some scholars and we discussed this. One of our conclusions was also that Patterson is in the middle of a mid life crisis and that has severely biased his reading ot the “poverty of the mind” which I found to be a disgusting title for this article.
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I read another unhappy review of the Patterson article by Brad deLong over the weekend.
I thought that Patterson saved himself by saying that cultural variables weren’t the only explanation.
Thanks for the gossip. 🙂
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