New poll shows Americans view race as of little importance indetermining one’s success in life. But some scholars argue that thesurvey is a `crude’ way to measure such a complex issue.
Almost all Americans consider education and hard work to be themost important factors in achieving succeed in life. Race, according toa new Gallup poll, is considered relatively unimportant — even,perhaps surprisingly, among many African Americans.
The poll, titled “Haves and Have-Nots: Perceptions of Fairness andOpportunity,” asked 5,001 adults a series of thirty-nine questionsabout their economic status and their perceptions about what it takesto succeed in America today.
Ninety-two percent said that hard work, initiative, and getting thefight education or training were very important, compared to 33 percentwho said gender was important and 30 percent who said race or ethnicitywas important. Among Whites, race and ethnicity came out twelfth inimportance, but even among Blacks and Hispanics it was only tenth andeleventh, respectively. Other factors that were considered moreimportant than race but less important than education were parents andfamily, connections and knowing the fight people, good looks, inheritedmoney, and good luck.
Dr. Orlando Patterson, a professor of sociology at HarvardUniversity, says that the Gallup poll results tally with other data.
“African Americans say race is important, but they have it inperspective. They say education is the critical factor. And they arefight,” he says.
Patterson, whose forthcoming book, Rituals of Blood: Consequencesof Slavery in Two American Centuries, explores the role race has playedin America, says that the Gallup poll results should not be surprising.
