The Bell Curve
Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life
Richard Herrnstein, Charles Murray (1996)
Abstract: Intelligence is different for everyone and impacts society in many ways. Over the years, more students went to college, which created a group of highly intelligent people who tend to earn more money. Jobs today often require higher IQs, which affects work opportunities. Intelligence is also linked to social issues like poverty, education, and crime. Understanding intelligence is important for making fair policies that address these challenges in society.
Chapter Summaries:
PART I The Emergence of a Cognitive Elite
Chapter 1 Cognitive Class and Education, 1900-1990
Chapter 2 Cognitive Partitioning by Occupation
Chapter 3 The Economic Pressure to Partition
Chapter 4 Steeper Ladders, Narrower Gates
PART II Cognitive Classes and Social Behavior
Chapter7 Unemployment, Idleness, and Injury
Chapter 12 Civility and Citizenship
PART III The National Context
Chapter 13 Ethnic Differences in Cognitive Ability
Chapter 14 Ethnic Inequalities in Relation to IQ
Chapter 15 The Demography of Intelligence
Chapter 16 Social Behavior and the Prevalence of Low Cognitive Ability
PART IV Living Together
Chapter 17 Raising Cognitive Ability
Chapter 18 The Leveling of American Education
Chapter 19 AffirmativeAction in Higher Education
Chapter 20 Affirmative Action in the Workplace
Chapter 21 The Way We Are Headed
Chapter 22 A Place for Everyone