Sociology 4949: Worksheet--"We Can't We Live Together?"

1. Why was Matteson chosen as the subject of this Dateline special?

2. A black woman asks early in this show, "How many blacks do you (a white person) need to see in your neighborhood before you pick up the phone and call the realtor?" What seems to be the answer?

3. Brokaw says that whites point to the community of Roseland to justify their fears. What happened in Roseland and why?

4. What is "tipping?"

5. How do black families feel about white flight?

6. Do blacks prefer black communities? If they don't want to live in suburbs that are mostly black, why don't they move into the suburbs that are mostly white?

Sociology 3901: Groups--"Why Can't We Live Together?"

1. How do white families justify their decision to leave Matteson? How realistic are the fears they express? Do you think they're being honest about their reasons for moving?

2. Imagine that you have a family, and that you receive a good job offer that makes Matteson a logical place for you to live. What would be YOUR concerns? If you are white, would you be willing to live in a community where whites were a minority? How small a minority? If you are a member of a minority, would you support Matteson's effort to recruit white homebuyers? Why or why not?

3. In The Shape of the River, Bowen and Bok compare the life course of black and white graduates of some of America's elite colleges and universities. Black graduates actually attend professional schools (engineering, medicine, law) in greater percentages than their white classmates, and they do nearly as well on income; they also tend to be active in community organizations. But they report less overall satisfaction with their lives. What do you think might be the reasons? Are there any clues in this video?