| Popis: |
This introductory chapter explains the study’s development, and what led to understanding and theorizing the culture trap. It situates the culture trap among key cultural explanations of racial and ethnic inequality. The chapter points out the importance of troubling long-standing perceptions of Black Caribbeans in the United States as Blacks with ‘good culture’ and Black Caribbean in Britain as Blacks with ‘bad culture.’ Such historically dominant perspectives motivate inferential judgments of Black Caribbean young people’s achievement and behavioral potential in schools. The chapter suggests that in both London and New York City, Black Caribbean students experience casual commentary about their potential and performance, perspectives which shape their day-to-day experiences in schools. These assumptions about students’ prospects for achievement based on their cultural heritage are referred to as ethnic expectations—consequential expressions of the culture trap. |
