Melvin Thomas - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Melvin Thomas
Research in Race and Ethnic Relations, 2010
ABSTRACT In 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders stated that “Our nation is ... more ABSTRACT In 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders stated that “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal.” Forty years later, the first person of African ancestry was elected to the office of the presidency of the United States of America. Have we reached the post-racial, color-blind society that so many have struggled to attain for over 400 years? Have the racially divided views of blacks and whites finally converged? Does the election of Barack Obama provide proof of this convergence? This chapter addresses two questions: (1) In the Obama era, have racial differences in perceptions of racial inequality and justice converged, widened, or stayed the same and (2) Are differences in perceptions of racial inequality and justice primarily race-based, education-based, or both? Overall, our results suggest that (1) with respect to racial inequality and justice attitudes, race continued to be an important determinant of outlooks; (2) blacks at all educational levels continued to be more similar to other blacks with different educational attainments than to whites with educations similar to their own; (3) the black community did not undergo social and political polarization; and (4) socioeconomic standing did not become more important than race as a determinant of the social and political attitudes and outlooks examined. Because blacks have continued to endure conditions that differ from those of other Americans, they continue to apprehend the world in terms that differ from those of the mainstream even during the Obama era.
Race and Society, 1998
... John Yinger, Estimates of Discrimination Against Blacks and Hispanics: Analysis of Variation ... more ... John Yinger, Estimates of Discrimination Against Blacks and Hispanics: Analysis of Variation in Discrimination Study, Urban Institute/US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington DC (1991). Craig Zwerling and Hilary Silver, Race and Job Dismissals in ...
The Sociological Quarterly, 1992
... and interest in recent years (eg, Campbell, Converse, and Rodgers 1976; Campbell 1981; Clemen... more ... and interest in recent years (eg, Campbell, Converse, and Rodgers 1976; Campbell 1981; Clemente and Sauer 1976; Andrews and Withey 1976). ... well-being andlor whether social class or other factors can account for racial differences in well-being (eg, Thomas and Hughes ...
Journal of Family Issues, 1995
This article examines the relationship between family structure and persisting disadvantage among... more This article examines the relationship between family structure and persisting disadvantage among U.S. blacks. The "article employs data from the 1990 Public Use Microdata Samples to compare the rural African American family to its urban counterpart. Results from the logistic regression analysis reveal that for rural Blacks, family structure is less important than community type and race relative to poverty status. These findings suggest a need for a refinement of the underclass debate."
American Sociological Review, 2000
... Perhaps the primary reason for this omission has been the emphasis on the black middle class ... more ... Perhaps the primary reason for this omission has been the emphasis on the black middle class and the disadvantaged (Collins 1989; Duncan 1968; Feagin and Sikes 1994; Landry 1987). ... Direct all correspondence to Hayward Derrick Horton, Department. ...
American Sociological Review, 1986
There has been a great deal of interest recently in the issue of whether or not race has been dec... more There has been a great deal of interest recently in the issue of whether or not race has been declining in significance relative to social class in American society. The present paper evaluates the significance of race for psychological well-being and quality of life over the years ...
Social Problems, 1994
... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... more ... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... The importance of identifying those theoretical grounds before the visual inspection of the ... unknown "reference" category; 3) MCA does not suffer from the problem of multicollinearity; and ...
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
The effects of race, class, and residential segregation on housing values continue to be a major ... more The effects of race, class, and residential segregation on housing values continue to be a major focus of sociological research. Nevertheless, there has yet to be a study that places these factors in the context of the great recession of 2008 and 2009. Accordingly, the purpose of this work is to assess the extent to which the great recession affected housing values for African Americans and whites relative to the joint effects of race, class, and residential segregation. The following research questions are addressed: (1) How do segregation and socioeconomic status (SES) affect racial differences in housing values? (2) What were the levels of racial disparity in housing values before, during, and after the great recession? and (3) Were the housing values of higher status African Americans insulated from the negative impact of segregation and the great recession compared with their lower status counterparts? Using the Integrated Public Use Micro-data Series, the 2010 metropolitan are...
African American continue to occupy a disadvantaged position in the U. S. While historically, mos... more African American continue to occupy a disadvantaged position in the U. S. While historically, most social scientists emphasize the role that contemporary and historic racism has played in creating and perpetuating the disadvantaged position of African Americans, in recent years, theories that identify other explanations have been growing increasingly popular. They have in common the view that the sources of black disadvantage are characteristics of blacks themselves (e. g. biological, cultural, educational) or some other predominantly non-racial situation or condition. This paper critically examines some prominent theories or perspectives that illustrate the retreat from racism, including: social class, cognitive ability, lack of work ethic or morality, human capital deficits, spatial mismatch, and family structure. While these theories are not exhaustive, they are all “popular” explanations for black disadvantage. Despite their popularity they are all only weakly or incompletely su...
City & Community
Previous research on neighborhood racial composition and housing values has demonstrated that as ... more Previous research on neighborhood racial composition and housing values has demonstrated that as the proportion of Black residents in a neighborhood increases housing values lag. In this paper, we investigate whether there are neighborhood types or locations where racial diversity does not have a negative impact on housing values. This research contributes to the study of residential segregation by focusing on stable integrated neighborhoods. Using metropolitan Philadelphia as a strategic case, we compare stable, integrated neighborhoods to racially transitioning neighborhoods and predominantly White and Black neighborhoods. To do this, we comparatively examine housing prices and rates of home value appreciation from 1990 to 2005. We find that stable integrated neighborhoods have rates of appreciation slightly higher than predominantly White neighborhoods.
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Soc Probl, 1994
... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... more ... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... The importance of identifying those theoretical grounds before the visual inspection of the ... unknown "reference" category; 3) MCA does not suffer from the problem of multicollinearity; and ...
ABSTRACT In this article, we consider the continuation of race gender stereotypes in advertising ... more ABSTRACT In this article, we consider the continuation of race gender stereotypes in advertising images by way of the product's suggestive messages, specifically, connotations of higher or lower social status and promises of intangible social rewards (e.g., friendship, appearance, romance). We examined 1, 709 advertisements in magazines whose primary reading audiences differ by race and/or gender: Life, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, and Essence (1988-1990). For the analysis, we created and then compared three dimensions of status (affluent, trendy, and everyday) and five product promises (celebrity identification, sex romance, appearance, marriage family, and good times) as they are modeled by and presented to male, female, Black, and White readers in the magazines examined. We hypothesized that these status-image portrayals differ by race and gender. We found that most ads make use of positive (i.e., high-status) images of Blacks and Whites and women and men and that differences between magazines are more pronounced than differences between models. Some patterns in the use of status and product promises may be suggestive of continued, though subtle, stereotyping.
American Journal of Sociology, Jun 30, 2005
The authors develop an explicitly sociological variant on human capital theory, emphasizing that ... more The authors develop an explicitly sociological variant on human capital theory, emphasizing that most human capital acquisition is a social product, not an individual investment decision. The authors apply this model to racial earnings inequality, focusing on how exposure to discrimination influences both human capital acquisition and earnings inequalities as they develop across the career. The authors estimate models of career earnings trajectories, which show flatter trajectories for black and Hispanic men relative to ...
Research in Race and Ethnic Relations, 2015
The Review of Black Political Economy, 2015
ABSTRACT This research seeks to understand the degree to which credit scores of new business star... more ABSTRACT This research seeks to understand the degree to which credit scores of new business startups are influenced by racial or gender discrimination. It examines the degree to which access to business credit lines is influenced by racial and gender-related factors that go beyond would-be borrowers’ credit scores. Using credit data from new startups, the analysis finds that, when controlling for firm and human capital characteristics, Black-owned startups receive lower than expected business credit scores. Whites are more favorably treated in credit score determination than are African Americans with the same firm characteristics and owner characteristics. Moreover, Whites are more favorably treated when it comes to access to credit lines than are African Americans, Latinos, and Asians with the same firm characteristics, owner characteristics, and credit scores. Men are more favorably treated when it comes to access to credit lines than are women. A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition suggests that credit lines for Black-owned businesses would more than double, Latino-owned businesses’ lines of credit would nearly triple, Asian-owned businesses’ lines of credit would more than triple, and those where the primary owners are women would be more than twice as large if their business lines of credit were determined in the same way as those for businesses owned primarily by Whites and by men. The implications of these results are discussed.
Sociological Perspectives, 1992
African Americans continue to represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in the United States... more African Americans continue to represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in the United States, lagging behind whites on most measures of well-being. Most explanations for the black-white disparity focus on the continued effects of racial discrimination. Other explanations attribute disadvantage to differences in social class origins or family structures. This study provides a critical test of the “racial discrimination,” “social class,” and “family structure” perspectives in regard to family income using data from the 1968 and 1988 Current Population Surveys. Major findings include: 1) race continued to have a negative effect on family income after controls in both 1968 and 1988; 2) race declined in importance by a very modest amount from 1968 to 1988; 3) in both 1968 and 1988, the negative effect of race was stronger for higher-status African Americans than for lower-status African Americans; and 4) the negative effect of race was greater for married-couple families than for fe...
Research in Race and Ethnic Relations, 2010
ABSTRACT In 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders stated that “Our nation is ... more ABSTRACT In 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders stated that “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal.” Forty years later, the first person of African ancestry was elected to the office of the presidency of the United States of America. Have we reached the post-racial, color-blind society that so many have struggled to attain for over 400 years? Have the racially divided views of blacks and whites finally converged? Does the election of Barack Obama provide proof of this convergence? This chapter addresses two questions: (1) In the Obama era, have racial differences in perceptions of racial inequality and justice converged, widened, or stayed the same and (2) Are differences in perceptions of racial inequality and justice primarily race-based, education-based, or both? Overall, our results suggest that (1) with respect to racial inequality and justice attitudes, race continued to be an important determinant of outlooks; (2) blacks at all educational levels continued to be more similar to other blacks with different educational attainments than to whites with educations similar to their own; (3) the black community did not undergo social and political polarization; and (4) socioeconomic standing did not become more important than race as a determinant of the social and political attitudes and outlooks examined. Because blacks have continued to endure conditions that differ from those of other Americans, they continue to apprehend the world in terms that differ from those of the mainstream even during the Obama era.
Race and Society, 1998
... John Yinger, Estimates of Discrimination Against Blacks and Hispanics: Analysis of Variation ... more ... John Yinger, Estimates of Discrimination Against Blacks and Hispanics: Analysis of Variation in Discrimination Study, Urban Institute/US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington DC (1991). Craig Zwerling and Hilary Silver, Race and Job Dismissals in ...
The Sociological Quarterly, 1992
... and interest in recent years (eg, Campbell, Converse, and Rodgers 1976; Campbell 1981; Clemen... more ... and interest in recent years (eg, Campbell, Converse, and Rodgers 1976; Campbell 1981; Clemente and Sauer 1976; Andrews and Withey 1976). ... well-being andlor whether social class or other factors can account for racial differences in well-being (eg, Thomas and Hughes ...
Journal of Family Issues, 1995
This article examines the relationship between family structure and persisting disadvantage among... more This article examines the relationship between family structure and persisting disadvantage among U.S. blacks. The "article employs data from the 1990 Public Use Microdata Samples to compare the rural African American family to its urban counterpart. Results from the logistic regression analysis reveal that for rural Blacks, family structure is less important than community type and race relative to poverty status. These findings suggest a need for a refinement of the underclass debate."
American Sociological Review, 2000
... Perhaps the primary reason for this omission has been the emphasis on the black middle class ... more ... Perhaps the primary reason for this omission has been the emphasis on the black middle class and the disadvantaged (Collins 1989; Duncan 1968; Feagin and Sikes 1994; Landry 1987). ... Direct all correspondence to Hayward Derrick Horton, Department. ...
American Sociological Review, 1986
There has been a great deal of interest recently in the issue of whether or not race has been dec... more There has been a great deal of interest recently in the issue of whether or not race has been declining in significance relative to social class in American society. The present paper evaluates the significance of race for psychological well-being and quality of life over the years ...
Social Problems, 1994
... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... more ... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... The importance of identifying those theoretical grounds before the visual inspection of the ... unknown "reference" category; 3) MCA does not suffer from the problem of multicollinearity; and ...
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
The effects of race, class, and residential segregation on housing values continue to be a major ... more The effects of race, class, and residential segregation on housing values continue to be a major focus of sociological research. Nevertheless, there has yet to be a study that places these factors in the context of the great recession of 2008 and 2009. Accordingly, the purpose of this work is to assess the extent to which the great recession affected housing values for African Americans and whites relative to the joint effects of race, class, and residential segregation. The following research questions are addressed: (1) How do segregation and socioeconomic status (SES) affect racial differences in housing values? (2) What were the levels of racial disparity in housing values before, during, and after the great recession? and (3) Were the housing values of higher status African Americans insulated from the negative impact of segregation and the great recession compared with their lower status counterparts? Using the Integrated Public Use Micro-data Series, the 2010 metropolitan are...
African American continue to occupy a disadvantaged position in the U. S. While historically, mos... more African American continue to occupy a disadvantaged position in the U. S. While historically, most social scientists emphasize the role that contemporary and historic racism has played in creating and perpetuating the disadvantaged position of African Americans, in recent years, theories that identify other explanations have been growing increasingly popular. They have in common the view that the sources of black disadvantage are characteristics of blacks themselves (e. g. biological, cultural, educational) or some other predominantly non-racial situation or condition. This paper critically examines some prominent theories or perspectives that illustrate the retreat from racism, including: social class, cognitive ability, lack of work ethic or morality, human capital deficits, spatial mismatch, and family structure. While these theories are not exhaustive, they are all “popular” explanations for black disadvantage. Despite their popularity they are all only weakly or incompletely su...
City & Community
Previous research on neighborhood racial composition and housing values has demonstrated that as ... more Previous research on neighborhood racial composition and housing values has demonstrated that as the proportion of Black residents in a neighborhood increases housing values lag. In this paper, we investigate whether there are neighborhood types or locations where racial diversity does not have a negative impact on housing values. This research contributes to the study of residential segregation by focusing on stable integrated neighborhoods. Using metropolitan Philadelphia as a strategic case, we compare stable, integrated neighborhoods to racially transitioning neighborhoods and predominantly White and Black neighborhoods. To do this, we comparatively examine housing prices and rates of home value appreciation from 1990 to 2005. We find that stable integrated neighborhoods have rates of appreciation slightly higher than predominantly White neighborhoods.
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Soc Probl, 1994
... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... more ... So despite optimistic projections about a color-blind society, proponents of the cumula-tive ... The importance of identifying those theoretical grounds before the visual inspection of the ... unknown "reference" category; 3) MCA does not suffer from the problem of multicollinearity; and ...
ABSTRACT In this article, we consider the continuation of race gender stereotypes in advertising ... more ABSTRACT In this article, we consider the continuation of race gender stereotypes in advertising images by way of the product's suggestive messages, specifically, connotations of higher or lower social status and promises of intangible social rewards (e.g., friendship, appearance, romance). We examined 1, 709 advertisements in magazines whose primary reading audiences differ by race and/or gender: Life, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, and Essence (1988-1990). For the analysis, we created and then compared three dimensions of status (affluent, trendy, and everyday) and five product promises (celebrity identification, sex romance, appearance, marriage family, and good times) as they are modeled by and presented to male, female, Black, and White readers in the magazines examined. We hypothesized that these status-image portrayals differ by race and gender. We found that most ads make use of positive (i.e., high-status) images of Blacks and Whites and women and men and that differences between magazines are more pronounced than differences between models. Some patterns in the use of status and product promises may be suggestive of continued, though subtle, stereotyping.
American Journal of Sociology, Jun 30, 2005
The authors develop an explicitly sociological variant on human capital theory, emphasizing that ... more The authors develop an explicitly sociological variant on human capital theory, emphasizing that most human capital acquisition is a social product, not an individual investment decision. The authors apply this model to racial earnings inequality, focusing on how exposure to discrimination influences both human capital acquisition and earnings inequalities as they develop across the career. The authors estimate models of career earnings trajectories, which show flatter trajectories for black and Hispanic men relative to ...
Research in Race and Ethnic Relations, 2015
The Review of Black Political Economy, 2015
ABSTRACT This research seeks to understand the degree to which credit scores of new business star... more ABSTRACT This research seeks to understand the degree to which credit scores of new business startups are influenced by racial or gender discrimination. It examines the degree to which access to business credit lines is influenced by racial and gender-related factors that go beyond would-be borrowers’ credit scores. Using credit data from new startups, the analysis finds that, when controlling for firm and human capital characteristics, Black-owned startups receive lower than expected business credit scores. Whites are more favorably treated in credit score determination than are African Americans with the same firm characteristics and owner characteristics. Moreover, Whites are more favorably treated when it comes to access to credit lines than are African Americans, Latinos, and Asians with the same firm characteristics, owner characteristics, and credit scores. Men are more favorably treated when it comes to access to credit lines than are women. A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition suggests that credit lines for Black-owned businesses would more than double, Latino-owned businesses’ lines of credit would nearly triple, Asian-owned businesses’ lines of credit would more than triple, and those where the primary owners are women would be more than twice as large if their business lines of credit were determined in the same way as those for businesses owned primarily by Whites and by men. The implications of these results are discussed.
Sociological Perspectives, 1992
African Americans continue to represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in the United States... more African Americans continue to represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in the United States, lagging behind whites on most measures of well-being. Most explanations for the black-white disparity focus on the continued effects of racial discrimination. Other explanations attribute disadvantage to differences in social class origins or family structures. This study provides a critical test of the “racial discrimination,” “social class,” and “family structure” perspectives in regard to family income using data from the 1968 and 1988 Current Population Surveys. Major findings include: 1) race continued to have a negative effect on family income after controls in both 1968 and 1988; 2) race declined in importance by a very modest amount from 1968 to 1988; 3) in both 1968 and 1988, the negative effect of race was stronger for higher-status African Americans than for lower-status African Americans; and 4) the negative effect of race was greater for married-couple families than for fe...