tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post551888974420569925..comments2024-03-09T03:28:44.216-05:00Comments on Thoughts on Education Policy: Today's Random ThoughtsCorey Bunje Bowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09764159604965707919noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post-7224711548017722622009-05-16T09:51:00.000-04:002009-05-16T09:51:00.000-04:00Forty-one (!) years ago, Edward Banfield published...Forty-one (!) years ago, Edward Banfield published "The Unheavenly City." In it, he argued that all the popular explanations for poverty were relatively unimportant, and that the urban programs and anti-poverty programs based on them would have limited success.<br /><br />Those explanations were things like racism, over-crowding, bad housing, bad schools, cultural deprivation, crime, and poverty (poverty causes poverty). The major determinant of poverty, he argued, was "short time horizon." People who planned and deferred gratification succeeded. People who didn't, didn't.<br /><br />The book got a lot of attention, most of it critical. However, its prediction is holding up pretty well.Roger Sweenyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12734128265493099062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post-23557939257641965212009-05-15T14:51:00.000-04:002009-05-15T14:51:00.000-04:00The ability to delay gratification has long been w...The ability to delay gratification has long been written about as a predictor of both educational and eventual career success - and it makes perfect sense to me. I was discussing this with my honors English students the other day - they have a lifestyle in terms of academics that is very much related to delayed gratification. The avoid the urge to cut class or blow off an assignment based on the long term expectation of a better education, a better career, and, subsequently, a better life - and then, of course, they can relax and reward themselves now.<br /><br />I told them they will delay cutting class to go to Jamba Juice on the expectation that they don't want to end up working at Jamba Juice but would rather own a Jamba Juice or be successful enough to go to Jamba Juice any time they want when they are older.<br /><br />It makes a lot of sense.mmazenkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06602797515366983639noreply@blogger.com