ABSTRACT
Emphasizing the crucial importance of research not on individual-level analyses but on "the impact of the social structure of inequality on racial group outcomes. Two research studies by outsiders during the first and last of these controversies surveyed the language attitudes of groups of African American adults and students. In research on such affect-loaded issues as race and racism, the inclusion of these affective influences–even when not part of the original research plan— becomes especially important. Outside the schoolhouse door, there are inequalities in school financing, among states and among districts within them that significantly affect the quality of teacher preparation and the availability of materials such that fewer and lower-quality resources are available for the poor and students of color. In the examples of research on teacher expectations and on attitudes toward language variation, outsider research and insider research both make essential contributions.
