Notes on racial gaps

Of three possible narratives, a focus on cultural factors seems best

These are notes for a much longer essay. The outline:

1. Life outcomes differ on average between blacks and whites in America. These are the racial gaps.

2. There are three narratives for explaining racial gaps: genetic differences; cultural differences; and white supremacy

3. I prefer the cultural differences narrative.

4. We should hope to improve culture for everyone and not focus on any one race.

Racial Gaps Exist

—One Brookings study from last year found that in 2016 the median net worth of white families was $170,000 and the median net worth of black families was $17,000.

—A PEW study found that in 2018 the incarceration rate for black males was 1.5 percent, while for white males it was 0.27 percent.

—The CDC reported that the death rate for blacks from COVID-19 was twice that of whites.

Three Narratives

One narrative is that racial gaps come from differences in average IQ, and these differences are genetic. Charles Murray has provided data in support of this narrative. It implies that there is little that public policy can do to close racial gaps.

Another narrative is that racial gaps come from systemic racism in our society. Ordinary public policy can do little to close racial gaps. Closing the gaps requires revolutionary change.

A third narrative is that racial gaps reflect cultural differences. Black children are more likely to live in single-parent households. Black students are less likely to be dedicated in school.

Which narrative to believe?

Any one of the narratives, or all three, could be valid. The mere existence of gaps is not evidence in favor of any one narrative. One should not point to racial gaps as proving that genetic differences are the explanation, yet proponents of the genetic differences narrative sometimes will do that. One should not point to racial gaps as proving that society is systemically racist, yet some proponents of the systemic racism narrative will do that.

I see two reasons to focus on the cultural narrative. One reason is that we can turn to public policy and incentives to try to influence culture. We cannot influence genes or systemic racism by changing tax policy, education, or public health. While culture is complex, and our interventions may take a long time to work, may not work at all, or might even have unintended adverse consequences, at least there is the potential for success.

The second reason is that some studies show that racial gaps disappear if we control for cultural factors.

—One Brookings study claims that the school achievement gap is caused by different exposures to poverty. That is, having more poor children in one’s school decreases a student’s achievement, and black children are more likely to go to schools that have higher numbers of poor children.

—Another Brooking study found that black students spend half the time on homework as their white counterparts.

—Crime rates vary considerably across groups and over time. Indeed, the Pew study cites earlier showed a significant drop in black male incarceration between 2006 and 2018.

—Although an individual’s place in the IQ distribution is relatively stable over his or her lifetime, population averages for IQ in some countries have changed markedly over one or two generations. We may suspect that nutrition, public health, or other cultural factors play a role in cognitive development.

—Some researchers point to the “success sequence” as sufficient for avoiding poverty. The sequence is to graduate high school, later get married, and later have children.

If differences in life outcomes shrink when we control for these sorts of cultural variables, then this refutes anyone who believes that only the genetic narrative or only the systemic racism narrative is correct. Black incarceration rates did not decline because of changes in genes. Black students do not spend less time on homework because of systemic racism.

Conclusion

It would appear that we can close racial gaps by paying attention to culture. It may take a long time to figure out which policies work, and then it may take time for the policies to have an effect, but we need not adopt the attitude of hopelessness implied by the genetic narrative nor adopt the revolutionary stance implied by the systemic racism narrative.

A focus on culture does not mean a focus on black culture. If better outcomes arise from two-parent households, then this is true for all races. If spending sufficient time on homework improves school performance, then this is true for all races.

In short, I favor generic policies to promote behavior that leads to better outcomes. Contrary to what has been in vogue lately, particularly since the death of George Floyd, race should not be the focus. Get the cultural propensities right, and the racial gaps will close by themselves.