A recent study suggests that they do not. Sociologists are convinced that sentiments expressed in opinion polls flow from basic beliefs about inequalities in our culture. Opportunity for societal success is available for those willing to work hard.
Individuals are personally and causally responsible for their positions in society.
The overall system of inequalities is, therefore, just and fair. When this system does not reward merit, the cause can be attributed to individual acts of prejudice, not the social structure. For three decades, these opinions have remained stable across the demographic characteristics of race, religion, age, and income, even when such beliefs conflict with the apparent interests of believers, such as socially and economically disadvantaged groups. The Iowa State team undertook the study to determine if these opinions, observed in the general population, were also held by school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, and parents. Since schools are extensions and tools of the larger society, the team reasoned that inequitable conditions in public schools simply reflect the cultural assumptions and attendant inequitable structures of the larger society.