Specifically, where I say that "Sometimes people manage to acquire the necessary values and thus the skills necessary to do well, despite starting off in adverse conditions. But they're the exceptions, and were psychologically and sociologically positioned to be that way." When some folks try to deny that there are any serious psychological and sociological barriers to success by pointing to those rare individuals who overcome socioeconomic adversity, they are ignoring the very phenomena these researchers are talking about. Some individuals are simply better positioned than their peers when it comes to dealing with the same conditions.
Thankfully, the research also has the effect of helping us to figure out how to overcome debilitating stereotypes, but one can hardly expect someone who grew up in the inner city to be reading SciAm.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=144616
Specifically, where I say that "Sometimes people manage to acquire the necessary values and thus the skills necessary to do well, despite starting off in adverse conditions. But they're the exceptions, and were psychologically and sociologically positioned to be that way." When some folks try to deny that there are any serious psychological and sociological barriers to success by pointing to those rare individuals who overcome socioeconomic adversity, they are ignoring the very phenomena these researchers are talking about. Some individuals are simply better positioned than their peers when it comes to dealing with the same conditions.
Thankfully, the research also has the effect of helping us to figure out how to overcome debilitating stereotypes, but one can hardly expect someone who grew up in the inner city to be reading SciAm.