Pwcepttraland MotorSkillz, 1991, 73, 433-434.
O Perceprual and Mocor Skills 1991
NOTE O N EDUCATION AND SELF-WORTH AMONG ANGLOAMERICAN, BLACK AMERICAN, AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN MEN I N SAN ANTONIO ' ALAN ROWE Sun Antonio, Texas Summary.-Data from a secondary analysis of a larger study of machsmo and alcohol drinking of 481 male regular drinkers in San Antonio support the hypothesis that higher education leads to high perception of self-worth among AngloAmericans, black Americans, and Mexican-Americans.
Durkheim (1973) posited that an individual's perception of self-worth was a function of education, because it inculcated who he was in relation to others and how he should act in the ritual of social interaction. Pettigrew (1980) pointed to differences between ethnic groups as artifacts of education. We hypothesize that higher education leads to high perception of self-worth among men, AngloAmericans, black Americans, and Mexican-Americans. Data were taken from a secondary analysis of " 'machismo,' self-esteem, education, and high maximum drinking among AngloAmerican, black, and Mexican-American male drinkers" by Neff, Prihoda, and Hoppe (in press). Data from all 164 AngloAmericans, 168 black Americans, and 149 MexicanAmericans of the household interviews of the original study were examined. The original study dichotomized education into 12 years or less vs 13 or more years. Perceived self-worth was measured on Rosenberg's (1965) 10item self-esteem measure, for which Neff, et al. reported an internal consistency reliability of .83 for the AngloAmerican, .76 for black American, and .83 for Mexican-American respondents. For categorical analysis in the original study, self-esteem was dichotomized at its median (unreported). Simple bivariate relationships between race or ethnicity, education, and perceived self-worth are strlking and significant ( p < .01), using chi squared for all comparisons. Significantly more Mexican-American respondents reported less than 12 years of education (73%) than did AngloAmericans (33%) or black respondents (47%). Also, significantly fewer Mexican-Americans reported high perceived self-worth (34.9%) than did the black (53%) or AngloAmerican respondents (64%); however, an analysis of the association between education and percent of each subgroup who exhibited high perceived self-worth (by recombining categories reported in the original study) supports the hypothesis as indicated by the 71%, 64%, and 68% of the respective AngloAmerican, black, and Mexican-American subgroups with more than
'Address correspondence to Alan Rowe, Ph.D , 800 Babcock Rd. S-6, San Antonio, TX 78201.
434
A. ROWE
high school education and 47%, 41%, and 22% of these groups, respectively, with less education. The percent improvement in perceived self-worth for the three groups, respectively, of 24%, 23%, and 46% associated with more years of education is probably higher for Mexican-American than for black respondents, given the culture of "machismo" (an exaggerated sense of masculinity) which is especially salient for Mexican-Americans (cf. Eshleman, Cashion, & Basirica, 1988; Stevens, 1973), who emphasized not "losing face." Lacking college ostensibly leads to a "loss 06 face" in a credentially oriented society 1974). Education beyond high school may lead, then, to a sense of self-worth because it has led to "cultural capital" in terms of a socialIy valued credential. This gives status in the rituals of social interaction (cf. Durkheim, 1973; Collins & Makowsky, 1989). Those with education beyond high school have a leading edge in "negotiation for the interaction" (cf. Coltins & Makowsky, 1989) which leads to a reinforced sense of self-worth (Durkheim, 1973).
owe,
REFERENCES C o r n s , R., & MAKOWSKY, M. (1989) The discovery of society. New York: Random House. DURKHEIM,E. (1973) Moral education: a study in the theory and application of the sociology of education. (E. K . Wilson & H. Schnurer, Trans.) New York: Free Press. J. R., C A S I ~ O N B., G., & BASIRICA,L. A. (1988) Sociology. Glenview, IL: Scott ESHLEMAN, Foresman. NEFF, J. A,, PRMODA,T. J., & HOPPE, S. K. (in press) "Machismo," self-esteem, education, and high maximum drinking among Anglo, black, and Mexican American male drinkers. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. PETTIGREW,T. (1980) The sociology of race rektions: refictions and reform. New York: Free Press. M. (1965) Society and the adolescent ne[f image. Princeton, N J : Princeton Univer. ROSENBERG, Press. ROWE, A. R. (1974) Residential mobility and powerlessness: a dimension of the American dream. Sociologus, 24, 176-184. STEVENS,E. (1973) Machismo and Marianismo. Society, 10, 57-63.
Accepred August 28, 199 1.
O Perceprual and Mocor Skills 1991
NOTE O N EDUCATION AND SELF-WORTH AMONG ANGLOAMERICAN, BLACK AMERICAN, AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN MEN I N SAN ANTONIO ' ALAN ROWE Sun Antonio, Texas Summary.-Data from a secondary analysis of a larger study of machsmo and alcohol drinking of 481 male regular drinkers in San Antonio support the hypothesis that higher education leads to high perception of self-worth among AngloAmericans, black Americans, and Mexican-Americans.
Durkheim (1973) posited that an individual's perception of self-worth was a function of education, because it inculcated who he was in relation to others and how he should act in the ritual of social interaction. Pettigrew (1980) pointed to differences between ethnic groups as artifacts of education. We hypothesize that higher education leads to high perception of self-worth among men, AngloAmericans, black Americans, and Mexican-Americans. Data were taken from a secondary analysis of " 'machismo,' self-esteem, education, and high maximum drinking among AngloAmerican, black, and Mexican-American male drinkers" by Neff, Prihoda, and Hoppe (in press). Data from all 164 AngloAmericans, 168 black Americans, and 149 MexicanAmericans of the household interviews of the original study were examined. The original study dichotomized education into 12 years or less vs 13 or more years. Perceived self-worth was measured on Rosenberg's (1965) 10item self-esteem measure, for which Neff, et al. reported an internal consistency reliability of .83 for the AngloAmerican, .76 for black American, and .83 for Mexican-American respondents. For categorical analysis in the original study, self-esteem was dichotomized at its median (unreported). Simple bivariate relationships between race or ethnicity, education, and perceived self-worth are strlking and significant ( p < .01), using chi squared for all comparisons. Significantly more Mexican-American respondents reported less than 12 years of education (73%) than did AngloAmericans (33%) or black respondents (47%). Also, significantly fewer Mexican-Americans reported high perceived self-worth (34.9%) than did the black (53%) or AngloAmerican respondents (64%); however, an analysis of the association between education and percent of each subgroup who exhibited high perceived self-worth (by recombining categories reported in the original study) supports the hypothesis as indicated by the 71%, 64%, and 68% of the respective AngloAmerican, black, and Mexican-American subgroups with more than
'Address correspondence to Alan Rowe, Ph.D , 800 Babcock Rd. S-6, San Antonio, TX 78201.
434
A. ROWE
high school education and 47%, 41%, and 22% of these groups, respectively, with less education. The percent improvement in perceived self-worth for the three groups, respectively, of 24%, 23%, and 46% associated with more years of education is probably higher for Mexican-American than for black respondents, given the culture of "machismo" (an exaggerated sense of masculinity) which is especially salient for Mexican-Americans (cf. Eshleman, Cashion, & Basirica, 1988; Stevens, 1973), who emphasized not "losing face." Lacking college ostensibly leads to a "loss 06 face" in a credentially oriented society 1974). Education beyond high school may lead, then, to a sense of self-worth because it has led to "cultural capital" in terms of a socialIy valued credential. This gives status in the rituals of social interaction (cf. Durkheim, 1973; Collins & Makowsky, 1989). Those with education beyond high school have a leading edge in "negotiation for the interaction" (cf. Coltins & Makowsky, 1989) which leads to a reinforced sense of self-worth (Durkheim, 1973).
owe,
REFERENCES C o r n s , R., & MAKOWSKY, M. (1989) The discovery of society. New York: Random House. DURKHEIM,E. (1973) Moral education: a study in the theory and application of the sociology of education. (E. K . Wilson & H. Schnurer, Trans.) New York: Free Press. J. R., C A S I ~ O N B., G., & BASIRICA,L. A. (1988) Sociology. Glenview, IL: Scott ESHLEMAN, Foresman. NEFF, J. A,, PRMODA,T. J., & HOPPE, S. K. (in press) "Machismo," self-esteem, education, and high maximum drinking among Anglo, black, and Mexican American male drinkers. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. PETTIGREW,T. (1980) The sociology of race rektions: refictions and reform. New York: Free Press. M. (1965) Society and the adolescent ne[f image. Princeton, N J : Princeton Univer. ROSENBERG, Press. ROWE, A. R. (1974) Residential mobility and powerlessness: a dimension of the American dream. Sociologus, 24, 176-184. STEVENS,E. (1973) Machismo and Marianismo. Society, 10, 57-63.
Accepred August 28, 199 1.
