4 ms·

These findings don't surprise me at all. I've always been baffled as to why some people insist that Race, Culture, Gender, or Religion have no bearing on anythi

These findings don't surprise me at all. I've always been baffled as to why some people insist that Race, Culture, Gender, or Religion have no bearing on anything. The problem is that if you make a statement like "race is a predictor of academic success" you'll get labeled a racist.

Anon84 17y ago
The problem is that people confuse correlation with causation. A being a predictor for B does not mean that A causes B, just that A and B tend to occur together.
- rsheridan6 17y ago
  Correlation doesn't imply causation, but it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing 'look over there'. (From http://xkcd.com/552/ http://xkcd.com/552/)
  - emmett 17y ago
    One might even say, well-controlled correlation implies causation. That's what experiments are for!
  - Anon84 17y ago
    Reread my comment... I never said it did, I just said that people tend to confuse the two.
dkarl 17y ago
if you make a statement like "race is a predictor of academic success" you'll get labeled a racist Not necessarily. Whoever you're talking to will carefully consider your language, tone, and any prior knowledge of you to figure out whether you're going to use your statement to support or attack their political beliefs, and then call you a racist as appropriate.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  The problem is a vast number of people don't bother with the consideration stage. (I attribute that to trash media personally; but that is a vague thought I haven't considered it too much) EDIT: pop psychology. most people are massively influenced by society. Society "on average" would probably judge such a statement as containing racist overtones. Gut jumps in because racism is an issue that we attach strong emotions too (rightly). It takes a strong Head to overcome emotions like that.
kelnos 17y ago
Sure, people like that are deluded. Race, culture, gender, and religion should have no bearing on anything, but in practice, they do. I'm not sure that a statement like the one you suggest would get you labeled racist, at least not among people who are capable of critical thinking. The fact remains that race is a predictor of academic success. It shouldn't be, but it is. To be a bit more socially sensitive, you might prefix that statement with "unfortunately," but I think that's one of the less-inflammatory things you can say that have a racial bent.

Anon84 17y ago

The problem is that people confuse correlation with causation. A being a predictor for B does not mean that A causes B, just that A and B tend to occur together.

rsheridan6 17y ago
Correlation doesn't imply causation, but it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing 'look over there'. (From http://xkcd.com/552/ http://xkcd.com/552/)
- emmett 17y ago
  One might even say, well-controlled correlation implies causation. That's what experiments are for!
- Anon84 17y ago
  Reread my comment... I never said it did, I just said that people tend to confuse the two.

dkarl 17y ago

if you make a statement like "race is a predictor of academic success" you'll get labeled a racist Not necessarily. Whoever you're talking to will carefully consider your language, tone, and any prior knowledge of you to figure out whether you're going to use your statement to support or attack their political beliefs, and then call you a racist as appropriate.

ErrantX 17y ago
The problem is a vast number of people don't bother with the consideration stage. (I attribute that to trash media personally; but that is a vague thought I haven't considered it too much) EDIT: pop psychology. most people are massively influenced by society. Society "on average" would probably judge such a statement as containing racist overtones. Gut jumps in because racism is an issue that we attach strong emotions too (rightly). It takes a strong Head to overcome emotions like that.

kelnos 17y ago

Sure, people like that are deluded. Race, culture, gender, and religion should have no bearing on anything, but in practice, they do. I'm not sure that a statement like the one you suggest would get you labeled racist, at least not among people who are capable of critical thinking. The fact remains that race is a predictor of academic success. It shouldn't be, but it is. To be a bit more socially sensitive, you might prefix that statement with "unfortunately," but I think that's one of the less-inflammatory things you can say that have a racial bent.