Summary Of Hidden Intellectualism By Gerald Graff

The issue being debated in the article “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff is street smarts versus book smarts. Gerald Graff is an English professor at the University of Illinois and has written many books. The author claims that people are better off if they are more street smart than book smart. The authors is very persuasive using real life examples. I although disagree with this claim. I think that you need an equal mix of both street and book smarts.

are“street smart” rather than book smart (Graff 198). He speaks of how it is ridiculous that

Many intelligent kids are being overlooked because of the stigma of being a “nerd,” as well as the fact that anti-intellectualism is becoming more popular. A man, author Grant Penrod, wrote “Anti-Intellectualism: Why We

College has always been a process that introduces students to academic challenges that are not present during high school. So when my professor assigned Gerald Graff's essay, "Hidden Intellectualism", I thought this was his thesis. “Missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into good academic work." (Graff 142) I thought that this was his thesis because it explains the main idea of the essay but I assumed its purpose because of where it’s placed. I am so used to reading an essay in high school where the thesis is located right in the first paragraph. So naturally that is where I look for it. However, with more reading I knew that the following is the thesis, not only because it discusses the main topic, but

In Gerald Graff’s “Hidden Intellectualism” we get to hear a new perspective on the early academic world. He grew up as a kid that was not interested in pursuing anything relating to school as an academic focus. He was more interested in things like sports. As he went through his early academic career he was convinced that he was a typical “anti-intellectual” and because of this he often felt alienated by school and regularly found himself very bored. As he continued to dislike average academics and pursue his interest in sports, he realized that the two were not as far off intellectually as he had previously assumed.

Many colleges look into “school smarts” closely rather than relating to students and what they enjoy. Graff states, “The trouble with this assumption is that no necessary connection has ever been established between any text or subject and the educational depth and weight of the discussion it can generate” (245). The amount of intellectualism someone has comes from what interests them rather than what they are learning in the classroom. There are

In reading Gerald Graff’s short essay Hidden Intellectualism, I agree and disagree with some of what Graff argues. He emphasizes that by having students write about something they are passionate about, it will inspire them to write more academically and be willing to focus on their studies and academics. He informs the reader that “It was in these discussions with friends about toughness and sports, I think, and in my reading of sports books and magazines, that I began to learn the rudiments of the intellectual life” (Graff, pg. ) In this quote, he argues that by having discussions about his passion with sports helped him as he grew up to be able to sustain a conversation with his peers and enforce his ideas across. I believe discussing passionate subjects an individual has is a great way to expand them academically.

In Gerald Graff’s Hidden Intellectualism, he argues nonacademic interests, writings, and discussions can possibly consider intellectualism because they can let one become an intellectual and transform his or her works into good academic. Here, he is also implying schools and colleges should encourage students to incorporate their nonacademic interests with academic study (Graff 250). In order to prove his claims are correct, he describes how discussions with his friends about sports and reading Sport magazine help him make an argument, summarize others’ opinions, and interact with the community (Graff 247). However, Graff’s readers will realize Graff fails to acknowledge not every people can relate themselves to sports. This is because there

The main argument of essay Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff begins with the difference between book smarts and street smarts. Graff explains that book smarts are in various forms and hide in people call street smarts, hence the hidden intellectualism. He also considered himself that in childhood he realized that he was intellectually gifted when he noticed that he was using reason and argumentative strategies while discussing sports with friends. Graff describes that through his arguing and reasoning, he was showing his intellectual side. He also gives another example of Michael Warner, a man who also realized his intellectual side through his arguing except instead of sports, he was arguing the Christian Pentecostal views of his parents.

In the article, “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff examines the differences between “book smarts” and “street smarts.” Graff argues that many schools and college miss the opportunity of incorporating students’ street smarts within the classroom environment. He addresses his audience of fellow educators. Graff’s main point is that a student can connect with their learning if they practice with a subject they’re interested in. The author supports the main idea by using his personal experience of learning about creating arguments and using evidence from reading sports magazines (63). Graff’s experience of learning educational material from sports helps further develop his argument. If kids can talk about sports, video games, movies,

He states that he never really liked books, besides sports readings, until he entered college. By using his own life example that he himself did not even like to read, Graff is showing that you can read and be academic without even realizing it. Like many other young boys, Graff was subjected to social pressures as a youth that made him think of reading and school as undesirable. Graff asserts that most people, like himself, do not realize that they do like reading to learn. It was not until later in his life that Graff realized that the reading he used to do as a kid was, “. . . not anti-intellectualism but intellectualism by other means” (260). In the era in which he grew up, Graff states that there was a large emphasis on being a physically tough person and not much emphasis was placed on academics. The most popular boys were the toughest and being tough was really the only way to gain street cred, according to Graff. He goes on to explain that it would seem that nobody grew up with a less intellectual background as him. Although this may appear true, Graff shows how the debate and analysis of sports teams, tough boys, cars and other subjects of young men were actually the foundations of his academic progress. In these years, Graff explains that in these days he learned the fundamentals of the academic world including forming and developing arguments, weigh evidence and jumping into conversations. He goes on to say, “Only later did it dawn on me that the sports world was more compelling than school because it was more intellectual than school, not less” (270). Graff goes on to explain how sports was full of, “. . . challenging arguments, debates, problems for analysis and intricate stats you could care about” (271). From here, Graff goes on to say that schools are far less appealing and intellectual than sports because sports satisfy us in a way school studies

In Hidden Intellectualism, Gerald Graff seeks to expose what he believes to be a fundamental issue in today’s schools and colleges. He brings attention to “street smarts”, students who are intelligent about so many things in life, yet their potential is overlooked because the things they are knowledgeable about are not things we associate with educated life such as cars, sports and video games. He claims that students are more likely to enter the world of academics if they were encouraged to view their interests from an academic perspective rather than to be forced into subjects that are considered “more academic” by the rest of society. Gerald Graff’s main point is that teachers should take advantage of the interests that students already have and convince them to pursue those interests with “academic eyes”, rather than forcing content on them that they are uninterested in. Although I agree with the first part of Graff’s statement, I think a crucial skill to acquire is the ability to find interests in something outside of subjects we initially find our interests in so that we may develop more as a whole person.

The essay, " Hidden Intellectualism," written by Gerald Graff discusses the misconceptions between academia and society. Graff asserts, that knowledge is something that can emerge not only scholarly, but through " Street Smart" as Graff refers to it. Graff uses his own life experiences, in order, to emphasize his huge disinterest in school subjects, such as reading books composed by authors like Shakespeare. However, he further elaborates on his immense interest in sports. Graff explains how he is able to spend copious time conversing about sports, cars, dating, fashion, tv and video games, without realizing that he and his friends are engaging in intellectualism. Essentially, Graff encourages schools to take " Street Smart" topics such

In Gerald Graff’s story Hidden Intellectualism Graff, attests that intellect does not only exist in the scholarly form of thinking. Graff insists that knowledge can also take the form of "street smarts”. Graff uses personal experiences in his childhood to form his argumentative purpose. Graff tells about his disinterest in traditional academic subjects, and further elaborates on his love of sports. Being that he grew up in Chicago, Graff believes that academic knowledge is a delay in social world. Graff describes saddening story of growing up torn "between the need to prove I was smart and the fear of consequences if I prove too well." The conversation Graff brings to his audience attention with his friends helped develop the analysis, arguments,

Education. I believe it to be one of the greatest gifts this world could give us. My mother always told me that knowledge is power and that I could never learn enough. She taught me to love being the best I could be and to always want to know more, to question everything. There have been countless times that life has tried to take away my mom’s faith and strength, but she always felt the need to keep herself educated. When she needed to get somewhere, she walked. She had to. This improved her sense of direction and helped her in receiving a job as a postal carrier. From there, she became a federal police officer for the U.S. Postal Service. Working her way up, she was able to become a successful manager at a postal plant. But to get