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The Role Of Plagiarism In American Society

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When I was in high school, plagiarism was merely frowned upon. Everyone knew that you should not do it, that each person should do their own work. In spite of this, the measures taken by administration to thwart plagiarism were measley at best. However, fast forward a couple years, and the mere mention of the word plagiarism strikes fear in the eyes of many college students. The penalties are steep. Even inadvertent and unintentional plagiarism can result in academic probation, or worse: expulsion. Why is this? W I believe that the answer is deeply rooted in traditional American culture. In order to find the reasoning, one must take a look at individualistic and competitive themes that are so prevalent and fundamental in American society.

Ask an American student if they are unique, and they will probably respond with a resounding yes. After all, how could they not? They have been told they are special, that they are unique, for as long as they can remember. And, to an extent, they are. Each person is capable of formulating their own ideas, and, consequently, American colleges look for unique, original outputs from students. In primary school, it would never occur to a student that they should not use other people’s work. They color other people’s art and copy other people’s words down. In secondary school, they begin to learn that they are to do their own work and come up with their own ideas. Penalties are levied and anti-plagiarism lessons begin. At the university level, the stakes are increased to the point of expulsion for multiple …show more content…

Instead, I think it is important to recognize our background as Americans, and how this background contributes to our interactions. Colleges are looking to foster individual reasoning, and this at least contributes to the strict guards against plagiarism. Our biases as a culture are reflected in the administration at American colleges, and students should be aware of

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