Ezra Oliver
Dr. Wright
EG 111-05
11 Oct 2017
Myths about White People
What are some myths about White people? Let’s start by stating the exact definition of myth according to the Merriam Webster dictionary a myth is a “popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone”. Many people think of these myths as facts, just like I did before I got to researching into these myths. The first one is, Working-class whites are more religious than upper-class whites, Next Elite colleges are bastions of white upper-middle-class privilege, and lastly White working-class men have a strong work ethic. There are many myths but these are just a few myths that are I thought was facts, today I’m going to inform you on how these are myths.
The first myth that I am going to be talking about is that working-class whites are more religious than upper class whites. Out of these three myths that I am talking about this is one I figured was a fact, however many people think different. The facts actually prove that is a myth, according to the Washington Post, Murray States “in 2010, 32 percent of upper-middle-class whites ages 30 to 49 attended church regularly, compared with 25 percent of the white working class in the same age group”. Since then white America has become more secular overall, but the drop has been much greater in the working classes. That just being a certain age group this holds true for all age groups. The upper-class whites are more religious than the working-class whites.
The second myth is Elite colleges are bastions of white upper-middle class people and they get the edge over everyone else. It’s easy to assume that the upper class are the only people who go to Ivy League Colleges and Private High Schools. Many people don’t understand that most of the time the reason people go to these certain schools is because a tradition behind the family. According to the Washington Post Murray Stated“most scholars have had a hard time demonstrating that attending fancy elementary and secondary schools raises students’ academic performance”. Murray also states that it “might boost your ACT score by maybe a couple points but most of the time it doesn’t affect the score at all”. Most of the time good grades don’t have anything to do with your last name or where you go to school but has to do with your work ethic behind the person. Good grades equal getting accepted Ivy League colleges and invited to private High Schools. This is most definitely a myth that many people like me didn’t understand.
The third and final myth is that white working-class men have a strong work ethic. They used to but not as much anymore, according to Washington post Murray states“1967, 97 percent of white males who had at most a high school diploma were in the labor force”. Which meant they either had a job or was seeking one. Then by 2012 the number had dropped to 88 percent, and also many men are not looking for full time jobs now, they are just searching to find part time jobs. The Washington Post also states “in the early 21st century, compared with 1985, such men spent less time on job searches, education and training, household work, or civic and religious activities and more time watching TV and sleeping”. The change in economy and the great repression may have played a role, the working-class men have a strong work ethic but not as strong as it used to be.
There are many myths about white people that are truly myths, I just told you about a few that I thought might have been the most popular in today’s society. The first myth being that Working-class whites are more religious than upper-class whites, second myth that Elite colleges are bastions of white upper-middle-class privilege, and the third and final myth that White working-class men have a strong work ethic. These three myths are believed to be true by most of the people in today’s society. Today I have informed you on how these are myths are truly myths. I hope understand them better now and I challenge you to see other individuals in different ways.
Work Cited
Fullwood , Sam III. “An All-American Myth About the White Working Class.” American Progress, 30 Mar. 2017, www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2017/03/30/429599/american-myth-white-working-class/. 24 Oct 2017
Murray, Charels. “Five Myths About White People.” Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-white-people/2012/01/20/gIQAmlu53Q_story.html?utm_term=.9b891961faa4. 24 Oct 2017
“Myth.” Merriam Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019180/White-Americans-record-20-times-wealthier-blacks.html (picture)