Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff - Book Report/Review Example

Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff Gerald Graff’s essay ‘Hidden Intellectualism’ is an attempt to deconstruct the conventionally held views regarding academic competence and street smartness. The essay was first published in Graf’s 2003nbook Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind. Addressing specialists in the field of education as well as anyone who is genuinely interested in the way academic education works, Graff tries to throw light on the way seemingly trivial issues could be adapted in academic discourses, provided the modes of argumentation and logic fulfils the learning objectives. What matters the most in discussions and debates is the extent to which the participants relate to a topic/issue. If someone really cares for what s/he talks/writes about, it would be easier to channelize arguments and bring them under the academic rubric. Graff makes use of his experience as a professor of English and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago to refer to the significant concepts related to academic articulation. The 2008 President of the Modern Language Association, Graff could access the latest views and research studies related to the topic he writes about. However, he does not insert a large number of references to make his essay look like a learned paper. Instead of resorting to a pedantic approach, he uses a lucid, evocative language that helps him express ideas effectively. His logical arguments are based on his own experiences in school, which draws human interest. The examples he provides are very effectively linked to the main idea of his argument. The intended audiences of the essay are those who are working in the field of education and those who are interested in it. This is evident from the way the writer introduces his essay. It relates directly to a typical situation in school/colleges where the ‘street smarts’ are relegated to the lower levels of academic competence in favor of the ‘book smarts’ who could easily fulfill the verbal and grammatical requirements. Graff’s worry is that the topics chosen for debates and written exercises may inadvertently hinder some students who may be sufficiently articulate but not interested in those specific topics. This issue addresses directly to educationalists, teachers and students alike. The fact that the article was first published in a book that deals with academic issues reinstates the intended audiences as those who are in some way or the other related the field of education. The central argument put forward by Graff is that academic exercises may not be gauged for its topics that sound rich and weighty, but for their ability to tap into all kinds of students alike – including book smarts and street smarts. He makes use many supporting arguments in the form of examples from daily life. He recounts how he was more interested in sports related topics as a child than the subjects of discussions in school. His personality development was based on his instinct to prove himself to his peers, and at the same time not to flunk his school subjects. His suggestion that the school exercises could have been easier for as person like him if they focused on what a student is basically interested in, rather than on philosophy and literature. In his view, “ Real intellectuals turn any subject, however lightweight it may seem, into grist for their mill through the thoughtful questions they bring to it, whereas a dullard will find a way to drain the interest out of their richest subject” (Graff). The author feels that most of the school works isolate a large number of students from others. The hierarchy of academic subjects may result in this. He observes that it is possible to blame many schools for making their academic discourses deliberately dull, instead of learning the vitality and community feeling involved in many sports and games activities and discussions. He uses examples that would strike a chord to anyone who leads an active life in today’s world. His references to famous sports personalities, Marylyn Monroe and writers like Arthur Miller in his growing up years make the essay an interesting one, the way he wants academic discourses to be. However, these seemingly trivial issues are very effectively linked to his central argument. At the end of the essay, most readers are convinced that he has a valid point to raise. The references to famous personalities and incidents provide the necessary human interest, but do not take away the focus of his arguments. Graff does not limit himself to his view-points. He foresees the possible arguments of the detractors’ of his line of thought, and tries to address them as well. For instance, it is possible that many would see the inclusion of culturally relevant issues for discussion as a watering down of serious academic work. If one simply assigns topics that are close to students’ existing interests, it may not ensure that they would perform well academically. It is possible that they may write or speak in a poor, unreflective way about even those subjects which excite them. He refers to college professor Ned Laff’s view that the challenge “is not simply to exploit students’ nonacademic interests, but to get them to see those interests through academic eyes”. Graff explains in the beginning itself that his arguments on sports with his peers operated in a similar explicatory mode that typifies academic exercises. This makes clear that his view does not compromise on the quality of arguments. On the contrary, his suggestion is that the inclusion of familiar and interesting topics in academic exercises may make it easier for many students to go through the academic process of explication. The author uses many innovative means to relate to his audiences. The presence of peer pressure and lively interest in sports activities in a normal teenager’s life is best expressed through a few incidents from his own life. The very first paragraph makes use of the generic pronoun ‘we’ which takes the audience into confidence, assuming that the essay is going to be related to something which most of us are concerned. The tone is casual throughout the essay, but the author is in control of the intellectual content, never compromising on the logical argumentative pattern. The references to academic practices and the few quotes which he makes use of in the essay make it authentic. Though there are not references to statistical facts and figures, the qualitative aspect of the essay is highly convincing and error free. It may be possible that some audiences may have a strong view against the inclusion of the so-called nonacademic topics for academic exercises. Such readers may insists that the author does not take care of the way academic exercises could effectively incorporate the unconventional topics in which students may show interest in their growing up years. It may be possible that students may take academic activities too lightly in such a situation. The purpose of academics as something that stresses on the verbal and logical aptitudes of students may be defeated if the present academic environment is changed drastically to include issues that excite to academic exercises. However, those who agree with the author may argue that it is high time that academic performance is judged only through some of the multiple intelligences that an individual possesses. For them, the fact that a student could learn about logical coherence, explication and articulation through a discussion is sufficient, as long as it fulfills the leaning objectives. Read More