There's always been a certain reaction against smart people, I think.
By that, I mean the "geeks" and "brains" in school systems are usually put on the outside of social groupings. This is because of (both) their usual lack of social skills, and I think, jealousy on the part of those not so obviously bright.
Additionally, and I think this is true during the grade school/high school time more than perhaps any other; there’s intense pressure to conform. Being smarter than “the average bear” is one way to stand out, and it’s as unacceptable to the crowd as any other form of individualism.
There is certainly a trend among “kids today” that being smart and professional is an unacceptable way to be. This trend seems to be more visible in the Black community, as opposed to say, the Asian community (for example, their stereotype is to be “good at math”). This trend in attitude may be more visible because of selective perception, and selected stereotypes that are visible/perpetuated through popular media.
I can’t say it’s overwhelmingly true that black youth, in particular, reject education as an acceptable method of advancement. However, it can be said that some groups of youth are rejecting education as an acceptable thing.
In those selected groups, advancement is only acceptable under the models of: entertainer, sports star, and the like.
If one is focusing on the Black youth community, in particular, there do exist interesting statistics that may point out a rejection, or at least lack of emphasis, on the importance of a formal education.
Such statistics show the most obvious differences about education, and attitudes towards it in this community, when comparing the numbers of Black males perusing advanced education vs. Black females in the same pursuit.
From
http://www.blackcommentator.com/154/..._mecca_pf.html :
“Nationally there are 690 black men with graduate and professional degrees for every 1,000 black women…”
This particular study focused in on Atlanta, GA where, “There are 610 black males with managerial and professional jobs for every 1,000 black women in the Atlanta MSA, and 464 in the city of Atlanta.”
The whole page there is on the disparity between middle-class Black America, and poor Black America, plus a zoom-in on the increasing disparity between Black men and women.
Another snapshot of educational rates from:
http://www.black-collegian.com/issue...001-30th.shtml
“Between 1976 and 1997, there was a sixty-eight percent increase in the number of Black women enrolled in college and a twenty-one percent increase for young Black men.”
If you’d like a bit of reading from Black America’s perspective, you may read here:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...35/ai_n6038858 where the magazine “Essence” discusses how Black Women are dealing with it.
To answer your question, Mr. Bill O’Rights:
I can’t offer solid reasons for the disparity in gender and educational focus, because I haven’t gotten that far in my readings, but it has been suggested that one of the reasons for the lack of emphasis is a general distaste and de-emphasis on education as a concept, and as a method for success in life.
Was your daughter telling the truth when she said being smart isn’t cool? I think it’s very likely she’s being 100% honest in relating her experience.