Extinction or Survival

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews R. Dawkins' concept of the "meme," sociobiology, and its relationship to education reform. The paper first reviews ten articles about sociobiology and education reform. It then discusses Dawkins' evidence for the evolution of animal behavior through natural selection of the selfish gene. It relates the meme concept to the inequalities in educational resources and looks at the cultural value changes that would have to occur if an evolution of value memes would take place.

Table of Contents:
Literature Review
The Selfish Gene? (Marxist 2007)
Against Sociobiology (Bethell 2001)
Reform Math Education (Reys 2002)
Selfish Genes and Social Darwinism (Midgely 1981)
Sociobiology(Holcomb, Sociobiology 2005)
Memes: Marketing in the 21st Century (Meyerson 2007)
Third World Traveler--Jonathan Kozol (Kozol 2007)
International Conference on Secondary Education (Mulford 2002)
Education Programs Constitutional; Growth Steady (CER 2007)
Early Education Shows No Benefit (HSLDA 2007)
Discussion
Dawkins' Arguments for the Selfish Gene
The Concept of "Meme" and Kozol's Concerns about Education
Cultural Evolution through Meme Changes in order to Reform Education
What Cultural Changes Need to Take Place to Reform Education?
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"A black student who graduates from high school has the same lifetime income as a white or Asian graduating from high school. He or she is also just as likely to obtain a college degree. The problem is that half of blacks and Hispanics fail to graduate from high school. While one can blame a series of factors for this dismal performance, the result is incontrovertible. One quarter of black males has been incarcerated before the age of 30. The increasing competitiveness of the global labor force has taken many of the low-education, low-skilled jobs away from those who have no education. As a result, this underclass of the uneducated will never be able to catch up."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bethell, T. "Against Sociobiology." First Things. 2001. http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=2126 (accessed November 20, 2007).
• CER. "Education Programs Constitutional; Growth Steady." EdReform. com. July 26, 2007. http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=document&documentID=2691&sectionID=122&NEWSYEAR=2007 (accessed November 20, 2007).
• Crawford, C. B. and Krebs, D. L. Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology: Ideas, Issues, and Applications. Mahwah: Lawrence Eribaum, 1998.
• Crawford, C. B. and Sheib, J. The Essence of Evolutionary Society: An Introduction. 2004.
• Darwin, C. On the Origin of the Species by means of Natural Selection. London: John Murray, 1859.

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