Background
Armor, David J. was born on November 11, 1938 in Long Beach, California, United States. Son of John Edward Armor and Marie (Huffine) White.
(School desegregation and "forced" busing first brought pe...)
School desegregation and "forced" busing first brought people to the barricades during the 1960s and 1970s, and the idea continues to spark controversy today whenever it is proposed. A quiet rage smolders in hundreds of public school systems, where court- ordered busing plans have been in place for over twenty years. Intended to remedy the social and educational disadvantages of minorities, desegregation policy has not produced any appreciable educational gains, while its political and social costs have been considerable. Now, on the fortieth anniversary of the Supreme Court's epic decision, Brown v. Board of Education, the legal and social justifications for school desegregation are ripe for reexamination. In Forced Justice, David J. Armor explores the benefits and drawbacks of voluntary and involuntary desegregation plans, especially those in communities with "magnet" schools. He finds that voluntary plans, which let parents decide which school program is best for their children, are just as effective in attaining long-term desegregation as mandatory busing, and that these plans generate far greater community support. Armor concludes by proposing a new policy of "equity" choice, which draws upon the best features of both the desegregation and choice movements. This policy promises both improved desegregation and greater educational choices for all, especially for the disadvantaged minority children in urban systems who now have the fewest educational choices. The debate over desegregation policy and its many consequences needs to move beyond academic journals and courtrooms to a larger audience. In addition to educators and policymakers, Forced Justice will be an important book for social scientists, attorneys and specialists in civil rights issues, and all persons concerned about the state of public education.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195111354/?tag=2022091-20
( The "nature versus nurture" controversy dates back to a...)
The "nature versus nurture" controversy dates back to at least the nineteenth century. How much of a role does genetics or environment play in accounting for reasoning skill and other intellectual aptitudes? At a time when the public school system in the United States is under attack, this debate has taken center stage in arguments about what accounts for differences in academic achievement. Maximizing Intelligence convincingly argues that, while both genetics and environment play a role in a child's intelligence, environmental factors, especially at an early age, are of primary importance. Working from this premise, Armor suggests how intelligence may be heightened. Armor presents four propositions about intelligence. His first is that intelligence exerts a major influence on educational and occupational success, following a chronological sequence, from a child's cognitive skills learned before school, to academic success during the school years, to eligibility for college. His second proposition is that intelligence can be changed, at least within limits. There is ample evidence that a child's intelligence is not fully given at birth, but continues to evolve and change at least through the early elementary school years, although at a declining rate. Proposition three is that intelligence is influenced by a series of "risk factors," and most of the influence occurs before a child reaches school age. Risk factors include parent intelligence and education, family income, family structure and size, nutrition, and specific parenting behaviors. The fourth proposition flows from the second and third--that the most promising avenues for maximizing intelligence come from a child's parents. Armor persuasively argues for a "whole family" approach whereby government programs are modified or created to inform parents of risk factors and to reward behaviors that optimize positive outcomes. Maximizing Intelligence is meticulously researched and reasoned, and will be welcomed by those interested in education, sociology, psychology, social theory, and policy studies.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076580185X/?tag=2022091-20
Armor, David J. was born on November 11, 1938 in Long Beach, California, United States. Son of John Edward Armor and Marie (Huffine) White.
Bachelor with highest honors, University of California, Berkeley, 1961; Doctor of Philosophy, Harvard University, 1966.
Assistant professor sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965-1970; associate professor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1970-1973; senior social scientist, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, California, 1973-1982; president, National Policy Analysts Inc., Santa Monica, 1981-1986; acting assistant secretary, Department Defense, Washington, 1986-1989; research professor, George Mason U., 1992-1995; research professor, George Mason U., since 1995. Visiting professor sociology University of California at Los Angeles, 1972-1973, Rutgers University, 1991-1992. Consultant National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Washington, 1972-1973, Department Defense, Washington, 1982-1983, United States Commision on Civil Rights, Washington, 1984-1986.
(School desegregation and "forced" busing first brought pe...)
(School desegregation and "forced" busing first brought pe...)
( The "nature versus nurture" controversy dates back to a...)
(Book by Armor, David J., Peiser, Brett M.)
Member Los Angeles Board Education, 1985-1986. Associate Pepperdine University, Malibu, 1982-1986. Republican nominee for United States Congress 23d California district, 1982.
Member American Sociological Association.
Married Marilyn Louise Sells, September 7, 1958. Children: Adrienne, Daniel.