Several years ago, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at UVA launched a major research project in order to better understand the moral formation of high school students. Researchers went into ten different sectors of schools, from public schools (both urban and rural) to private schools (both religious and non-religious) to homeschools and others. In this interview, sociologist Patricia Maloney talks with CultureFeed editor Joanna Breault about the concept of “grit” and how its application to lower-income students can be unfair and even racist. She also touches on what some schools are doing to help alleviate some of the challenges their students face.