In his essay “ Down with the Four-Year College Degree!” Charles Murray challenges the idea that a college degree is actually able to help young people attain a higher IQ. He argues that this educational system is “implicated in the emergence of a class-riven America” (Murray Par 1). Here, Murray is making the argument that college education is itself a driving factor in the increasingly tenuous class relations that exist within the United States. He argues that a college degree has essentially become a distinguishing class characteristic. While in the past college was seen as something that people attended for a specific purpose, it has now become a source of expectation for many.
In the essay “Real Analysis of Real Education” Anthony P. Carnevale argues against Murray's claims that race plays a profound role in the development of IQ in children. While Murray argued that this is primarily related to the impact that race has on a family's income level and that families largely inherit their capacities from their parents, making the pursuit of education pointless, Carnevale indicates that the pursuit of a college education goes a long way in “making good neighbors and good citizens in an increasingly complex global society” (Par 3). Furthermore, Carnevale argues that status itself within the United States is primarily determined by a person's education. He argues that, while in Murray's opinion university education is perceived as a mode of keeping elites in power, in the modern world it acts to democratize society.
The essay “Socioeconomic Status Modifies Heritability Of IQ In Young Children” by Turkheimer et al. argues that various factors such as income and environment profoundly effect the IQ that children have. The study indicates that is a profound relationship between both biologically inherited intelligence and the environments that children grew up in which significantly impact their cognitive capacities. This demonstrates that “both heritability and shared environment interacted significantly with education” (Turkheimer et al. 623). This demonstrates that Turkheimer et al. were attempting to come to a consensus regarding the importance of both biological and socioeconomic factors in the development of IQ. This indicates that “the developmental forces at work in poor environments are qualitatively different from those at work in adequate one” (Turkheimer et al. 628). A variety of conditions can be seen to enhance the cognitive capacities of students, however, these factors are often limited by income level and access.
The view that makes the most sense is the one posited by Turkheimer et al. while Murray indicates that class is an important aspect of educational values Carnevale challenges his position, indicating that education itself is an important factor in alleviating social tensions. Turkheimer's argument goes further, demonstrating that there is a profound connection between biological inheritance, economic status, and the ability to achieve a better education. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the relationship between biology, sociology, and economics, which can help to provide insight into the most effective methods for ensuring that children are able to receive an education in an equal way. This can help to establish a more cohesive social framework for the consideration of education and its relation to cognitive capacity. In developing these methods a more thorough evaluation of class, education, and IQ can help to provide insight into these relationships.
Works Cited
Carnevale, Anthony P. Real Analysis of Real Education. Liberal Education. Vol. 98. No. 4. 2008. Print.
Murray, Charles. Down With The Four-Year College Degree. Cato Unbound. 2008. Print.
Turkheimer, Eric, Haley, Andreana, Waldron, Mary, D'Onofrio, Brian, Gottesman, Irving I. Socioeconomic Status Modifies Heritability Of IQ In Young Children. Psychological Science. Vol. 14. No. 6. 2003. Print.
