Clark, R. 1984

Clark, Reginald M. 1984.Family life and school achievement: Why poor black children succeed or fail. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 249 pages. 0226107698 (hardback); 0226107701 (paperback). Location: Dallas Public Library 370 C594F 1984.

Specifies the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for school success. Describes the types of activities, interactional styles, and support systems found in the homes of successful and unsuccessful students of needy, urban black families.

Research posits it is the quality of life within the home--not class position--that determines family educational competence. Has implications for other minority groups.

Ten case studies support Clark's contention that family socialization processes (not compositional properties) comprise the hidden curriculum of the home and determine the level of a child's preparation for school. Believes the qualities that characterize families of high achievers can be generalized across racial, ethnic, and social groups, whether or not the family includes both parents.

Study does not address cognitive style differences among different ethnic groups, nor the distribution of educationally competent families within the stratification system.

• Bibliography module: Clark, R. 1984
• In overview module: Bibliography (Literacy): C
• In modular book: Bibliography (Literacy), by Doris Gallemore, Trudi C. Hunt, Jeanne Swanson, and Stephen L. Walter
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 May 1999

© 1999 SIL International