grit and dreams: character strengths, social mobility and the american dream
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Grit and Dreams: Character Strengths, Social Mobility and the American Dream. Richard V. Reeves Policy Director Center on Children & Families The Brookings Institution UNLV, September 22 nd , 2014. What is the American Dream?. Shared prosperity? Rising living standards? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Richard V. Reeves
Policy Director
Center on Children & Families
The Brookings Institution
UNLV, September 22nd, 2014
Grit and Dreams:Character Strengths, Social Mobility
and the American Dream
2
What is the American Dream?• Shared prosperity?
• Rising living standards?
• A strong middle class?
• No poverty?
• Fair treatment?
• Meritocracy?
• High rates of relative mobility?
3
Horatio Alger’s Dream“In this free country poverty in early life is no bar to a man’s advancement. … Save your money, my lad, buy books, and determine to be somebody,” Mr Whitney to ‘Ragged Dick’, 1868
4Pres. Obama (and of course every President before him)…
“I renew my commitment to the basic bargain that built this country – the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from…”
5
“That all men are created equal
6
“That all men are created equal and independent’
7
The State of the American Dream, Using Lego…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2XFh_tD2RA
8
9
The (Mobility) Power of a BA
10
One Factor: Higher EducationFraction of students completing college, projected
Source: Author’s tabulations and Martha J. Bailey and Susan M. Dynarski, “Inequality in Postsecondary Education,” in Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, edited by Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2011), p. 117-132.
Lowest Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile Highest Quartile0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.05
0.14
0.170.09
0.21
0.32
0.24
0.44
1961-1964 birth cohorts
1979-1982 birth cohorts
11
One Factor: Higher EducationFraction of students completing college, actual
Source: Author’s tabulations and Martha J. Bailey and Susan M. Dynarski, “Inequality in Postsecondary Education,” in Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, edited by Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2011), p. 117-132.
Lowest Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile Highest Quartile0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.05
0.14
0.17
0.36
0.09
0.21
0.32
0.54
0.24
0.44
1961-1964 birth cohorts
1979-1982 birth cohorts
12
Prudence
“Men often reach for the nearer good, even though they know it be the less valuable.”
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, 1861
13
Want this? Now, or More Later?
14
Want this now?
15
Or these in 15 minutes?
16
But then, add crayons…
17
‘Grit’Perry Pre-K No Lasting Impact on IQ Scores
18
But Still Improved Outcomes…
19
‘Grit’: The Coding Speed Test
1. If Game = 2715 Chin = 3231 House = 4232
2. House = a) 4232 b) 2715 c) 3231 d) 4563 e) 2864?
Absurdly easy (for vast majority), but spine-crackingly dull.
20
‘Stick-with-it-ness’ & Mobility
21
‘Stick-with-it-ness’, by income
bottom income quintile 2nd income quintile middle income quintile 4th income quintile top income quintile
0%
15%
30%
45%
60%
0.2181
0.3274
0.4079
0.4568
0.5527
Top Third Coding Speed Scorers by Income Quintile
Family Income Quintile in Adolescence
Perc
ent
wit
h T
op T
hir
d C
odin
g S
peed S
core
22
Are there class divides in character strengths?3. 5th Grade Non-Cog. Scores by Family Income
Persistence Self Control2.50
2.60
2.70
2.80
2.90
3.00
3.10
3.20
3.30
3.40
Average Scores by Family Income
$7,500-$12,500$12,500-$17,250$17,250-$22,500$22,500-$27,500$27,500-$32,500$32,500-$37,500$37,500-$45,000$45,000-$67,500$67,500-$87,500
Source: ECLS-K, data supplied by Jason Fletcher
23
Character Strengths: Our Measure ‘Hyperactivity’ subscale of the Behavioral Problems Index in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) 1979: Children and Young Adults
Mother rates statements about her child as “not true,” “sometimes true,” or “often true”:
• Has difficulty concentrating/paying attention
• Is easily confused, seems in a fog
• Is impulsive or acts without thinking
• Has trouble getting mind off certain thoughts
• Is restless, overly active, cannot sit still
We have measures for the early years (5/6) and middle childhood (10/11)
24
Character Strengths (BPI):Breakdown
Low Skills(<1 SD below mean)
Medium Skills(1SD below – 1SD above mean)
High Skills(<1 SD above mean)
Early Childhood
15.61% 59.29% 25.09%
Middle Childhood
16.84% 55.06% 28.10%
Composite Measure
Always Low
Sometimes Low
Always Middle
Sometimes High
Always High
Low/High
6.73% 17.05% 36.88% 23.53% 13.85% 1.95%
25
Are there class divides in character strengths? Very Early BPI Gaps
9 months 24 months
-0.5
-0.45
-0.4
-0.35
-0.3
-0.25
-0.2
-0.15
-0.1
-0.05
0
-0.16
-0.3
Disparities on the Positive Behavior Index Scores between Higher- and Lower-Income Infants at 9 and 24 Months
Sta
ndard
Devia
tion f
rom
the m
ean
score
for
all
above 2
00%
of
povert
y
Source: Halle, Forry, Hari, Perper, Wandner, Wessel, and VIck, 2009
26
Early Years Character Strengths: Key Outcomes
Graduate College
Not pregnant as teen
Not arrested as adolescent
Graduate high school with a GPA greater than 2.5
17%
80%
78%
48%
26%
87%
81%
64%
36%
90%
85%
77%
Low levels of hyperactivity Medium levels of hyperactivityChildren with high levels of hyperactivity
27
Middle Childhood Character Strengths: Key Outcomes
Graduate College
Not pregnant as teen
Not arrested as adolescent
Graduate high school with a GPA greater than 2.5
18%
82%
72%
47%
27%
87%
82%
64%
38%
89%
87%
76%
Low levels of hyperactivity Medium levels of hyperactivity
Children with high levels of hyperactivity
28
Composite Measure Character Strengths: Key Outcomes
Graduate College
Not pregnant as teen
Not arrested as adolescent
Graduate high school with a GPA greater than 2.5
17%
80%
75%
43%
18%
82%
74%
50%
25%
87%
83%
64%
32%
90%
85%
74%
39%
91%
88%
80%
Always Low Levels of Hyperactivity Sometimes LowAlways Medium Sometimes HighAlways High Levels of Hyperactivity
29
Character Strengths v. Smarts: What matters most for HS Graduation?
High n
on-c
ognit
ive s
kills
High m
ath
skills
High re
ading
skil
ls
Low n
on-c
ognit
ive s
kills
Low m
ath
skills
Low re
ading
skil
ls-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
67%
53%
113%
-31% -30%
Change inlikelihood,
compared to middle skilled
Children, with controls
30
Final Thoughts• American Dream based on meritocratic
movement, circulation of elites
• Individualist egalitarianism: born equal, but responsible for own destiny
• US is falling short of its own Dream
• Among the vital skills for mobility are character strengths as well as smarts
• So, equal opportunity policy needs to incorporate these skills into analysis and policy, too
31
Really, Honestly Final ThoughtDoes the individualist egalitarianism underpinning the American ideal of equal opportunity rely not only upon ‘book smarts’, but also on character strengths such as prudence and grit?
OR
Does the American Dream require a certain dose of the Frontier Spirit?