Function and Functional Explanation in Social Capital Theory: A Philosophical Appraisal

Social capital is frequently offered up as a variable to explain such educational outcomes as academic attainment, drop-out rates and cognitive development. Yet, despite its popularity amongst social scientists, social capital theory remains the object of some scepticism, particularly in respect of its explanatory ambitions. I provide an account of some explanatory options available to social capital theorists, focussing on the functions ascribed to social capital and on how these are used as explanatory variables in educational theory. Two of the most influential writers in this field are Coleman and Bourdieu. I explore their commonalities and differences, both in respect of their writing and in respect of some of the many theorists they have influenced. I argue that social capital theorists have made substantial progress in responding to sceptically minded critics, but that significant questions remain, especially about the success of the more ambitious explanatory variants as these apply to educational outcomes—functional explanation in particular. Functional explanation, and its association with Bourdieu, is discussed in ‘Bourdieu and functional explanation’; thereafter I discuss the more modest ambition of identifying the functions associated with social capital. In ‘Coleman, intergenerational closure and educational outcomes’ I show how Coleman provides resources for revealing how social structure features in social explanation in an educational context, and in ‘Inequality, class and ethnicity’ I suggest that some of the questions raised in his account are most satisfactorily responded to by educational theorists who adopt Bourdieu’s emphasis on social class and inequality.     

Genetic modification and genetic determinism

In this article we examine four objections to the genetic modification of human beings: the freedom argument, the giftedness argument, the authenticity argument, and the uniqueness argument. We then demonstrate that each of these arguments against genetic modification assumes a strong version of genetic determinism. Since these strong deterministic assumptions are false, the arguments against genetic modification, which assume and depend upon these assumptions, are therefore unsound. Serious discussion of the morality of genetic modification, and the development of sound science policy, should be driven by arguments that address the actual consequences of genetic modification for individuals and society, not by ones propped up by false or misleading biological assumptions.     

Dignity,Capability, and Profound Disability

Martha Nussbaum has sought to establish the significance of disability for liberal theories of justice. She proposes that human dignity can serve as the basis of an entitlement to a set of capabilities that all human beings either possess or have the potential to develop. This article considers whether the concept of human dignity will serve as the justification for basic human capabilities in accounting for the demands of justice for people with profound learning difficulties and disabilities. It examines the relationship between dignity and capabilities, suggesting that Nussbaum fails to distinguish between several conceptions of human dignity, whilst also identifying one of these conceptions as coming close to meeting several of her demands. It is difficult enough, however, to show how dignity is related to just one of our basic entitlements, and even that requires more than the resources available in Nussbaum's approach.     

A Reply to Pugh's “Note on the Vorhaus Configurations of Reading Disability”

Abstract

Beach, H. D. &; Lucas, R. A. (Eds.) Individual and Group Behavior in a Coal Mine Disaster. Disaster Research Group, Study Number 13. National Academy of Sciences — National Research Council, Publication 834. Washington, D. C., 1960. $3.00. 160pp. Reviewed by Albert Eglash

Beck, S. J., Beck, Anne G., Levitt, E. E., and Molish, H. B. Rorschach's Test. I. Basic Processes. Third Ed. Revised. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1961, 237 + X pp. Reviewed by Murray Levine

Carr, A. C., Forer, B. R., Henry, W. E., Hooker, Evelyn, Hutt, Max L., and Piotrowski, Z. A. The Prediction of Overt Behavior Through the Use of Projective Techniques. American Lecture Series Monog. Springfield, III.: Chas. Thomas, Publisher, 1960, Pp. 177. $6.50. Reviewed by Stephanie Z. Dudek

Cattell, R. B. and Scheier, I. H. The Meaning and Measurement of Neuroticism and Anxiety. New York: Ronald Press, 1961, pp. 535. $12.00. Reviewed by Wilson H. Guertin

Fein, L. G., The Three-Dimensional Personality Test. International Universities Press, New York. 1960. pp. xii + 324, $6.75. Reviewed by Theodore H. Blau

Hiltmann, H. Kompendium der Psychodiagnostischen Testen. Berne: Huber, 1960, 252 pps. Reviewed by Fred J. Goldstein

Kaplan, Bert (Ed.) Studying Personality Cross-culturally. Evanston, III.: Row, Peterson and Co., 1961. ix + 687. $8.50. Reviewed by Norman D. Sundberg

Meili, Richard Lehrbuch Der Psychologischen Diagnostik (Textbook of Psychological Diagnostics), 476 pages including index. Bern und Stuttgart: Hans Huber, 1961. $9.50. Reviewed by Z. A. Piotrowski

Peck, Robert F., Havighurst, Robert J., and associates: The Psychology of Character Development. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1960. 267 pp. $6.50. Reviewed by Dale L. Johnson

Symonds, P. M. with Jensen, A. R., From Adolescent to Adult. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961. Pp. x + 413. Reviewed by Murray H. Sherman