Heather Mac Donald, a renowned author and fellow at the Manhattan Institute, shares her insights on the effects of wokeness on institutional practices. She critiques the ideology that prioritizes group identity over merit, advocating for merit-based hiring. The discussion explores the implications of cognitive testing on race and emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in young men’s development. Mac Donald challenges contemporary identity politics, arguing for the promotion of bourgeois values as key to societal success and mental health amidst cultural shifts.
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insights INSIGHT
Defining Merit
Merit is defined by a person's ability to perform job tasks.
General cognitive ability tests are strong success predictors in complex jobs.
insights INSIGHT
Equity vs Merit
Differential group representation is seen as evidence of systemic prejudice.
This assumption threatens merit-based systems by promoting equity over merit.
insights INSIGHT
Leftist Views on Merit
The left may argue that objective tests are covertly racist despite their development being unrelated to race.
They may not believe in merit, suggesting a lottery system, yet they still rank within groups by cognitive ability.
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In this book, Heather Mac Donald argues that the current emphasis on achieving racial proportionality in various institutions is leading to a decline in excellence and an erosion of civilizational achievements. She contends that racial disparities are more accurately explained by academic skills gaps and differences in criminal offending rather than systemic racism. The book critiques the 'disparate impact' legal theory and its effects on fields such as medical school admissions, scientific research grants, and law enforcement, arguing that these changes threaten lives and civilizational progress.
The Bell Curve
Charles Murray
The dream and the nightmare
Myron Magnet
In 'The Dream and the Nightmare', Myron Magnet argues that the radical cultural changes of the 1960s led to the formation of the underclass, primarily affecting urban minority communities. He contends that lifestyle experimentation among the middle class resulted in catastrophic changes in attitudes toward marriage, parenting, and work ethic, ultimately closing off opportunities for social mobility for those at the bottom of the social ladder. Magnet suggests that misguided social policies and cultural shifts have entrenched dependency and eroded personal responsibility among the underclass.
The Unheavenly City
Edward Banfield
In 'The Unheavenly City', Edward C. Banfield presents a provocative examination of urban problems, arguing that many issues are not solvable through policy alone. He emphasizes the role of culture and individual behavior in shaping urban outcomes, challenging conventional solutions like urban renewal and mass transit. The book remains a contentious yet insightful work on urban policy.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson and Heather Mac Donald break down her new book, “When Race Trumps Merit,” detailing how the West has bizarrely adopted discriminatory practices in our institutions all in the name of wokeness.
Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor at City Journal, and the 2005 recipient of the Bradley Prize. Mac Donald received a BA from Yale University, an MA from Cambridge University, and a JD from Stanford University. Her work has covered a range of topics, from higher education and immigration to policing and race relations. Mac Donald's writing has appeared in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and New York Times. She is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including “The Diversity Delusion” and the New York Times bestseller “The War on Cops.”
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