Culture of Intolerance

Chauvinism, Class, and Racism in the United States

Mark Nathan Cohen

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Year: 2008
• eBook ISBN: 9780300147537
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Americans increasingly blame the failures of minority individuals in our society on "racial" inferiority. Anthropologist Mark Nathan Cohen argues cogently that the problems are cultural, not "racial," and that they are rooted in the assumptions of mainstream American culture, not in the biological or cultural failings of "others."By summarizing scientific evidence proving that "races" do not exist and that few biological traits actually correlate with the color of one's skin, Cohen shows that differences in ability cannot be linked to "race." The growing gap between rich and poor and the economic subordination of minority groups, he says, are rooted in the arbitrary rules that govern American society. Culture constrains our ability to understand and appreciate the actions of others and often prevents us from seeing the consequences of our own actions or realizing our alternatives. American perceptions of what constitute merit, health, hygiene, freedom, progress, property, economics, justice-and even our own history-are distorted. Our insistence that ours is the best or only view promotes intolerance and racism. Cohen shows that definitions of intelligence, IQ tests, hiring practices, and evaluations of job performance contain many more cultural biases than we recognize and thus restrict the opportunities of minority individuals.By breaking down American cultural assumptions, Cohen offers a strong defense of affirmative action and multicultural education. He concludes with some suggestions for the future-to end the racism and indifference to one another that mark our society.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter One. The Real American Tragedy
• Chapter Two. The Innocent Scapegoat: Human Biological Variation and “Race”
• Chapter Three. Understanding the Rules People Live By: Cultural Systems and Cultural Variation
• Chapter Four. The Real Meaning of Cultural Relativism
• Chapter Five. Some Assumptions of American Culture and the Problems They Generate
• Chapter Six. Justifying Inequality: Cultural Assumptions About Intelligence and o Competence
• Chapter Seven. Affirmative Action and Curriculum Inclusion
• Chapter Eight. Transforming the Culture of o Intolerance
• Suggested Reading
• Index