Perpetuation Theory and the Long-Term Effects of School Desegregation

For the last 30 years, the bulk of research on school desegregation has focused on the short-term effects of this policy on the achievement, self-esteem, and intergroup relations of students in racially mixed versus segregated schools. These research foci reflect a more psychological approach to understanding the goals and purposes of school desegregation, viewing it as a policy designed to save the hearts and minds” of African-American students and teach children of all races to get along. This article brings together, for the first time, a smaller body of literature on the long-term effects of school desegregation on the life chances of African-American students. In this article, we argue from a sociological perspective that the goal of desegregation policy is to break the cycle of segregation and allow nonwhite students access to high-status institutions and the powerful social networks within them. We analyze 21 studies drawing on perpetuation theory, a macro-micro theory of racial segregation.