Sowell also goes into detail how many of the proposals offered to close disparities have large consequences when put into effect. We attain these misconceptions by coming to conclusions too quickly. He is currently a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He illustrates the way figures propagate errors by omitting certain variables or committing certain fallacies so as to support a particular vision of society. Data that too often get swept under the rug because it does not follow the narrative. and other talking points that I would have dismissed immediately had I heard a Fox News broadcaster talking about then. For one, this book was by far the last of the books by the author that my library had that I was able to read, so there was a bit of a gap between this book and the rest of the books by the author that I was able to find, which probably made this book more fresh given that it has the same approach and perspective of the author's book in general. Book Review: Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell by Walter Williams | May 2, 2019 | Books Sowell shows that socioeconomic outcomes differ vastly among individuals, groups and nations in ways that cannot be easily explained by any one factor, whether it's genetics, sex or race discrimination. A Review of Thomas Sowell’s Discrimination and Disparities Jennifer L. Doleac February 5, 2020 In Discrimination and Disparities, Thomas Sowell describes how economists think about the causes of disparities in socioeconomic outcomes. I liked how he made some of his points at the beginning, so I didn't realize until halfway through that he was setting me up for CHARTER SCHOOLS! Refresh and try again. Are you spending this season bundling up against the chill or enjoying summery southern hemisphere vibes (in which case we are... To see what your friends thought of this book, A disparity does not equal discrimination the same way correlation does not equal causation. At 87 years old, Sowell is a national treasure. He offers a fact based explanation for differences in disparities that is at odds with the prevailing social vision. Start by marking “Discrimination and Disparities” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The result of this is that a distorted view of reality is perpetuated within the society as a whole leading to solutions that tend to make the lives of individuals worse off. “To the anointed,” he explained, “their vision and reality are one and the same.” The anointed live in a world “where reality itself is ‘socially constructed’ and can therefore be ‘deconstructed’ and then reassembled to one’s heart’s desire.”, In Migrations and Cultures (1996), Sowell reviewed the history of migrations of peoples from various countries and demonstrated the persistent influence of culture among groups wherever they settled. He cautions against government intervention to reduce disparities, noting that such interventions often have unintended consequences. Too often do activists look at disparities and immediately assume discrimination is the reason behind it. A quick, easy-ish read about discriminations both man-made and natural and the outcomes. He called this the culmination of his studies that demonstrate that “racial, ethnic, and national groups have their own respective cultures, without which their economic and social histories cannot be understood.”. Economist Thomas Sowell shows the reader how disparities, often large, can manifest without any malicious intervention and can be explained for reasons other than discrimination. A Brief Review of Sowell’s Discrimination and Disparities Despite my interest in race, racial injustice, and racial disparities, I’d put off reading any of the work of Dr. Thomas Sowell, a renowned economist at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute who has written extensively on these questions. I appreciated his logical explanation of disparities but feel he failed in explaining discrimination, or why it might continue to persist. He also seems to lean heavy on the argument that the lack of discrimination against Asians in mortgages means that black people aren't discriminated against in mortgages). Throughout his long and distinguished career Thomas Sowell has been a consistent stickler for truth. BLACK HOOLIGANS! “Discrimination and Disparities demonstrates once again that Sowell is one of America’s and the world’s great public intellectuals.”, The Hoover Institution’s Thomas Sowell specializes in marshaling facts and empirical evidence to test conventional assumptions about public policy. Culture, geography, and individual choice (human nature) have been mostly impervious to “solutions” imposed by the state. Read the 5 star descriptions and equivalencies. He illustrates the way figures propagate errors by omitting certain variables or committing certain fallacies so as to support a particular vision of society. Welcome back. Those who view disparity as proof of racism or discrimination have a hard time dealing with the cultural factors that lead to increased crime and decreased success in life, as these cultural habits are things that work against people but are not the fault of a wider society that (with good reason) finds certain cultural traits and tendencies problematic, particularly those springing from the culture of the south as it relates to prickly senses of honor and dignity and a quick recourse to violence. Sowell is just magnificent. We’d love your help. Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell book review. The big takeaway for me was that public intellectuals are reductionistic, either intentionally or unintentionally, in their advocacy for causes. He quotes Edmund Burke: “In history a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from past errors and infirmities of mankind.”. THE GHETTO THE GHETTO THE GHETTO! 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