On The Uses of a Liberal Education: As a Weapon In the Hands of the Restless Poor

Education is a contested field of study because its purpose relates to associated political implications of either providing curriculum that critiques and analyzes history of the Americas, or, that which emphasizes and promotes a support of the American meritocracy and the righteousness of a representative democracy. Paulo Freire (2000) made the distinction that education is a combative arena, and that there are many different arguments jockeying for power. As a result of the contention, student-centered decisions are not always made and oftentimes the decisions are ones that benefit the political arena far more than the religious or social one.

Deresiewicz believes that “The purpose of education in a neoliberal age is to produce producers.”(1) In his introduction, Deresiewicz compares the ideologies of colleges from the 1920s to today’s thoughts. He concluded that “College is seldom about thinking or learning anymore.”(1) He also believes that there is only one value of education now and that is commercial. The other values are tolerated only when they pertain to commercial value. With the new beliefs in neoliberalism, Deresiewicz determines that “The world is not going to change, so we don’t need young people to imagine how it might.”(3) This leads to education just being about information rather than free thinking. He then goes into discussing how there are others who have come to the realization that not everyone can have high paying jobs as well. Deresiewicz concludes that students only care about the skills needed to start their career not obtaining general knowledge. Colleges teach their students to be leaders for their own benefit not the benefit of others. The neoliberal society, Deresiewicz believes, has begun to give students “a sense of helplessness”(5) so they have no

Andrew Simmons published his article for The Atlantic, “The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility” on January 16, 2014, which raises his concerns that higher education is only being promoted as an opportunity to increase their economic status, when it should be an opportunity to experience an education (Simmons). Through the use of students such as Isabella, Simmons disagrees with the way students now look at higher education and blames the educators through the students’ lives for this view. Instead, Simmons views education as an intellectual opportunity rather than a way to elevate ones economic class which is all people see when they see “higher education.” He believes that education, ambition and work ethic is how you have a satisfying life, not with how much you make. He makes the point that when economics becomes the main goal of education it’s all children begin to think about and they might not pursue something that they are truly passionate about or what they want to learn about, which then does not create an intellectually awakening experience (Simmons).

Sanford Ungar still believes in the liberal arts. He writes this essay with hopes that the reader will begin to understand why he believes this, and maybe choose a liberal arts path for themselves. A degree in the liberal arts may include, but are not limited to, majors in fields such as social sciences, philosophy, history, English, French, and humanities. Ungar is aware of the many misperceptions as he calls them, of society today when it comes to earning a

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale College, and during his time there he was in various political organizations. He also received a degree in government at Harvard University. He wrote this essay to convince the American people that a more general education such as liberal arts has more productive outcomes. He is trying to reach the American population, so that they can change the educational system. He tries to connect to them by giving examples such as Mark Zuckerberg’s success through liberal arts and statistics on countries with a liberal arts education versus those with a skill-based education.

The question at hand is, should all of those who have the academic ability to absorb a college level liberal education get one? Murray’s point through out his essay is not to discredit eduction, it is simply to question if the traditional path of obtaining a degree is necessary for all career paths. He uses the persuasion technique of credibility to back this claim by citing E.D. Hirsch Jr.’s book, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. Hirsch’s book hits three main points which are that full participation in any culture requires familiarity with a core body of knowledge. This core knowledge is an important part of the

“What Is College For” by Andrew Delbanco, shows the need for both a universal college system; one which caters for all of society, and one which provides a liberal education. Delbanco gives many reasoned thoughts on how, and why the college system has become restricted, to purely those of a higher socio-economic background, rather than being exclusive to people of all backgrounds. The idea of college being a platform for people to learn, advance their skills, and become whatever they want to be has seemingly diminished over time. The ideas in favor of such an educational system are put forward, but they are foreshadowed in my opinion, by the notion that people should have the same educational opportunities in life; regardless of their economic or social background. A universal education system is needed for our society to prosper, especially if it provides a liberal education; this is not just for the individuals that make up a community, but for the community, as a whole.

In the article, “Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Education,” by William Cronon, William lists and explains the qualities of an educated person that he admires the most. While reading this article, I related to a lot of the points that he listed. William lists qualities that I value in myself and in others around me. As I read through the article, I also noticed that I am starting to see these qualities in me and that they are growing as I get older and as I complete a higher education.

Ungar believes that the new Liberal Arts program is powerful because it develops character, lifelong learning, and values. He further explains that creating confidence and developing positive patterns is essential to life. He believes that, “Through immersion in liberal arts, students learn not just to make a living, but also to live a life rich in values and character”.On the other hand, Gitlin believes that learning from history ensures common ground and helps people socially accept their lives as well as those of others. He states that “Students need “chaff detectors.”They need some orientation to philosophy, history, language, literature, music and the arts that have lasted more than 15 minutes”. He does agree with Ungar that Liberal

To discuss the value of liberal education, there should be a mutual understanding that investing in college means to invest in oneself. Furthermore, while some consider this investment to be a critical stepping stone to success, others dismiss it, explaining that school simply cannot prepare someone for the “real world.” Sanford J. Ungar and Robert Reich explore both of these subjective values in their essays “The New Liberal Arts” and “College is a Ludicrous Waste of Money.” Ungar, the president of Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, discusses why a liberal education should be sought after; he does so by introducing common misconceptions about liberal arts and, using argumentative persuasion, proves their insignificance. On the other hand, Reich, the former secretary of labor, argues against the conventional belief of college being the only road to financial wellbeing; rather, he explains why a two-year education may better accommodate many college students, especially those in need of immediate work or those that simply cannot afford a four-year education. In all, although both Reich and Ungar generally discuss liberal education, their perspectives differ when it comes to its practicality in the current economy. Also, to express their different views about liberal arts, the authors use contrasting tones to present their ideas to different intended audiences.

While the term liberal education is heard from the most prestigious university to an inner city community college, the phrase itself has a hazy definition at best. While educators across America struggle with the definition of the phrase, William Cronon uses purpose, structure, and appeals in his essay "Only Connect: The Goals of Liberal education," to define a liberally educated being and the characteristics that such an education should impart. Cronon capitalizes on inductive structuring to lead the reader along, gently building each new statement upon a foundation of previous ideas. This effectively leads the reader to a strange

Anya Kamenetz, the author of A Former Drug Dealer’s Defense of the Liberal Arts Education, fights for the account of Donnell Hughes’ passion for the liberal arts despite his circumstances and the impact of liberal arts. Kamenetz first introduces Hughes as a drug dealer who was destined to go to jail proven by the statistics she provides and cites by saying, “Hughes instead became one of the 1 in 15 black men who are incarcerated.” (paragraph 5) The author conveys her original expectations for a redemption story and then expresses her astonishment when Hughes is more than just a headline story of the underdog. Kamenetz confirms the issue of incarceration being formative versus reformative and verifies that many who finish their sentences often

In the article “Only Connect…The Goals of a Liberal Education” by William Cronon, Cronon discusses what he believes it means to be liberally educated and the benefits to individuals as well as the general public. Cronon opens with the question, “What does it mean to be a liberally educated person?” Then he provides us with background on the true meaning of the word “liberal” using latin terms, clearly up common misconceptions relating to politics. He continues to explain the moral platform on which liberal education was built. Stating that those values consisted of promoting educational growth to benefit our natural born freedoms. He then begins to question if required courses are beneficial to that educational growth. Cronon goes on to explain

Jackylyn Dolendo (1,951 WC) Professor Chavez History-102 23 February 2015 Critique: “Death of the Liberal Class” Chris Hedges a former correspondent for the New York Times, and a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for his work “Death of the Liberal Class” describes in his novel, the downfall of outspoken opinions. Specifically he targets those within the liberal class, whom graciously developed to become none other than a walking corpse, infected by a parasitic virus brought on by the unwillingness to take measures against authoritarianism. Classical liberalism as the author states, began as an amalgamated response from unamused citizens against totalitarianism control, and currently fueled and led by profit making enthusiast, corrupted manipulators,

Much of the literature we have read in this course has been centered around injustice and inequality in society. These ethical questions explored in our literature are inherently tied to public life in that they analyze how communities and societies should handle these injustices. Multiplication is for White People by Lisa Delpit and the episode of the podcast “This American Life: Three Miles” illustrate the systemic inequality ingrained in the educational system of the United States, while Michael J. Sandel’s book Justice explores how communities should deal with the injustice. My service learning as an Adult Homework Helper for the Sumner Library is an attempt to combat the injustice towards disadvantaged people perpetuated by various systems, particularly that of education, in the United States.