The Disadvantages of an Elite Education
The Disadvantages of an Elite Education
I am fascinated by the way this essay appears to have something for everyone.
What I took away from the article was an articulate description of the institutionalized class system in the US. It was almost like the "Elite Education" part was just an entry into a much larger topic, of which the university bits were one key symptom/enforcement mechanism.
Tangent: What I find very entertaining are claims that we don't have a class system in the US -- based on observing a few people that have risen (or fallen) from their humble (or lofty) beginnings. Those relatively rare exceptions are a reminder that for the vast majority the rules of class (a combination heavy on cultural traits, social position, and secondarily wealth) hold true.
Eeegads, I guess my degree in sociology is useful for something....
But maybe we should say about the class system what Churchill said about democracy: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
And of course it's not JUST a class system, but a system of contexts, which is why a book like Gladwell's lightweight but entertaining "Outliers" is so refreshing.
So ignore the pejorative title of the original piece and use this knowledge for what it is, a useful description of how the world works. Or in other words, don't bemoan gravity but instead get some exercise and be ready for any opportunities to demonstrate some strength.
I am fascinated by the way this essay appears to have something for everyone.
What I took away from the article was an articulate description of the institutionalized class system in the US. It was almost like the "Elite Education" part was just an entry into a much larger topic, of which the university bits were one key symptom/enforcement mechanism.
Tangent: What I find very entertaining are claims that we don't have a class system in the US -- based on observing a few people that have risen (or fallen) from their humble (or lofty) beginnings. Those relatively rare exceptions are a reminder that for the vast majority the rules of class (a combination heavy on cultural traits, social position, and secondarily wealth) hold true.
Eeegads, I guess my degree in sociology is useful for something....
But maybe we should say about the class system what Churchill said about democracy: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
And of course it's not JUST a class system, but a system of contexts, which is why a book like Gladwell's lightweight but entertaining "Outliers" is so refreshing.
So ignore the pejorative title of the original piece and use this knowledge for what it is, a useful description of how the world works. Or in other words, don't bemoan gravity but instead get some exercise and be ready for any opportunities to demonstrate some strength.