James S. Coleman
James S. Coleman
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSociologist
Date of Birth12 May 1926
CountryUnited States of America
attitudes change changing complex cultural far system task
For to change the norms, the very foci of attention, of a cultural system is a difficult task - far more complex than that of changing an individual's attitudes and interests.
children school opportunity
It is one thing to take as a given that approximately 70 percent of an entering high school freshman class will not attend college, but to assign a particular child to a curriculum designed for that 70 percent closes off for that child the opportunity to attend college.
class achievement ranking
Grades are almost completely relative, in effect ranking students relative to others in their class. Thus extra achievement by one student not only raises his position, but in effect lowers the position of others.
girl school boys
Particular individuals who might never consider dropping out if they were in a different high school might decide to drop out if they attended a school where many boys and girls did so.
teenager eye data
It is clear from all these data that the interests of teenagers are not focused around studies, and that scholastic achievement is at most of minor importance in giving status or prestige to an adolescent in the eyes of other adolescents.
children school should-have
I'd propose that each central-city child should have an entitlement from the state to attend any school in the metropolitan area outside his own district - with per pupil funds going with him.
children school levels
Children from a given family background, when put in schools of different social compositions, will achieve at quite different levels.
stars school athlete
In every school, more boys wanted to be remembered as a star athlete than as a brilliant student.
sports school years
As an example, one of the schools I have been studying is too small to compete effectively in most sports, but participates with vigor each year in the state music contests.
class achievement students
The higher the social class of other students the higher any given student's achievement.
children school successful
Schools are successful only insofar as they reduce the dependence of a child's opportunities upon his social origins.
children educational school
The educational resources provided by a child's fellow students are more important for his achievement than are the resources provided by the school board.
competition might schools
There are many examples in high schools which show something about the effects such competition might have.