Elda Espinoza
May 9, 2016
Sociology 101
Outliers
By Malcolm Gladwell
The Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell attempts to explain the reasons why people become successful in both controlled and uncontrolled environment. He uses different stories and studies to explain what makes a person who there are. For example, in chapter one Gladwell says that successful hockey players if born early in the calendar year this will make them stand out physically among other boys who are several months younger than they are. Gladwell says that over time, the opportunities that these players have has help them build up to make them better players. So, Gladwell uses a sociological perspective to try to explain the reasons for people's success.
Gladwell’s primary objective in Outliers is to show that assumptions like these are often wrong. Gladwell argues that achievement and expertise don’t just happen, but rather they result from a combination of various things and sometimes seemingly superficial factors. For instance, he points out those athletes born in certain months, is older and bigger, receive more attention as kids, and therefore tend to achieve more success in sports. So if their born in January or July it can dramatically impact the chances of going on to play professional hockey, be a professional baseball, or a successful soccer player any where in the world. This can also be seen in a classroom setting, where the older kids in the class often test better than younger students. The older students then receive more attention, praise, and opportunity in class as a result. As younger student you’re not expected to do well since they are consider not mature enough to understand the material. So there for they don’t get has much attention and our not push to succeed in school. Galdwell also believed the kids should be in school more time then they do now. He believes by