Customer Reviews

Keepin' It Real: School Success Beyond Black and White (Transgressing Boundaries)

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I read this book for a class in a graduate school, with the course topic being the sociology of education. I enjoy reading ethnographic work in the realm of education, as it furthers my understanding of theory beyond basic research. I feel that there is a lot of value in actually observing student behavior (and then coding these observations into book form) as a way to inform educators, scholars, and researchers about the "sociology" of academic achievment.

Carter's aim is to debunk some of the myths surrounding poor academic achievement among Blacks by challenging the oppositional culture theory presented by Ogbu (and the numerous forms this theory has taken since it was first introduced). I feel that Carter does a good job of presenting her argument and using her observations to draw conclusions that discredit the oppositional culture theory. If this is your field of interest/research (education/sociology/academic achievement gap between Blacks and Whites), then I also suggest reading Jay MacLeod's famous "Ain't No Makin It" (1995).