Higher Education and Citizenship - Assignment Example

Higher Education and Citizenship 1A In 1970, Spiro Agnew made a famous pronouncement that involved the open admission system that universities in the country had adopted. Based on his prediction, universities such as the City University of New York will undergo major transformation to adopt a four year programmed college. However, debate on open admission has continued to increase with different sides arguing either in favor or against the approach. According to Karabell, an opponent of the proposed changes within the university admission processes, the hands of the elites were responsible for these changes among others (Adams 8). Karabell blame the elite individuals and elite universities for the changes the occurred in these universities which led to the structural changes that were witnessed. Based on his arguments, the changes in admission policies that were witnessed by universities in the country were not based on the general interest of the public but rooted on the power struggles and institutional interests of Ivy League universities. Due to the need for the HYP (Harvard, Yale and Princeton) to maintain their competitive position in the area of higher education and to maintain the preservation of the larger social order that they enjoyed, the elites fought for the introduction of these changes within the country (Swartz 16). The changes which Karabell introduces in his book were therefore the brainchild of the three major universities in the country which feared competition and dominance from other universities such as Dartmouth, Williams and Stanford. When Yale and Princeton decided to admit girls in 1969, it was not motivated the fear of failing to attract the ‘best boys’ as they continued maintaining their status (Karabell 41). The competitive interest was the motivation factors in the action of the three colleges as their leaders behaved like constrained managers that are today common within large and competitive multinationals in the country. The American exception dominates these colleges and the admission criterion is skewed to favor specific group while acting against the other. For example, by basing the admission on the admission criteria on the ability to throw, kick and hit the ball, a large number of abled Americans were excluded from admission into the major institutions in the country. All these actions that were motivated by competitive interests among the top three universities have continued to affect college admission in the country (Adams 8). Today, students and high school leavers applying for college admission are subjected to the onerous tasks of filling forms, writing essays, sitting college admission tests among others due to the influence of the elites on them. Though the number of students who applied for admission into the HYP colleges was large, the admission criteria was academically based which favored students who were fluent in Greek and Latin. As a result, a limited number of qualified candidates applied and this was motivated by the selfish interest of elite individuals from the northeast private schools in the country. The HYP provided classical education to their children and this motivated them to eliminate competition by participating in the introduction of admission criteria that did not favor others (Karabell 41). 1B Student political mobilization has been witnessed in various state universities in the United States and this has been driven by the need to create radical changes. Motivated by the strict admission criteria that favors a certain group; students have ganged up and taken to the streets in different ways to force university administrators across the country to adopt changes within their policies. The structural changes that Karabell describes that were motivated by the desires and the plans of the elites in the last century have been attributed to the mass movements among students today. Historically, the actions of students according to Martha Biondi, the actions of students have produced significant impact on policy changes across the globe. Strong mobilization of students in the United States can create room for the radical change in the university and scholarship admission criteria and increase the chances of eliminating the discrimination that has been advanced by the top three universities. The application and qualification for admission into the HYP and the now IVY league universities in the united states is influenced by a number of factors most of which have been used as a way of preventing students from gaining admission into the universities (Biondi 12). The scholarship program is motivated by a number of factors within the universities which are not based on merit but a system that tend to push away the participation of other students from the university programs. Students through the radical power that they possess enable them to mobilize themselves and advocate for radical changes across the country. Based on the arguments by Biondi and Karagell on student admission and the structural changes that have been witnessed in the universities, the country has allowed a discriminative system to grow and prosper. My views are more inclined towards the arguments presented by Karagell which describes the approaches that the Ivy League universities have adopted in their admission criteria. The radical movement and violence witnessed among the student fraternity today can be eliminated and neutralized through policy change as stated by Karagell during a conference (Biondi 12). The radical nature of the students today stem from the frustration that has been caused by the system that was necessitated by the elites to protect them from a group of students. These actions have never been at the interests of the students but have been driven by the need of the universities to shield a certain group from gaining admission into the universities. This has not worked in favor of the universities or the country but has continued to increase racial animosity and the economic segregation of students who do not gain admission to this clique of colleges. Karagell thus captures the exact scenario that facilitated the structural changes in the universities by attributing these events to the actions of the elite universities and elite parents who planned to protect their interest and those of their students from private universities (Karabell 41). 2. Inequalities in the United States has persisted over the years and attributed to a number of reasons, some family related while others attributed to the actions of the government and those in power. According to Annette Lareau, the class inequalities in the united states has been produced due to the different parenting practises adopted in different homes and the interaction of these practises with the approaches adopted by educational institutions (Annette 216). According to Annette, there are two parenting styles adopted by different families with varying impacts on the development of class inequalities. The use of the concerted cultivation approach by the middle class families in which negotiation and discussions are encouraged has led to social integration. This is because this approach allows children to be engaged in different organised activities which helps the children in the development of their careers. It also shows them the need to question authority and grow strong command of the English language which will increase their interaction with those in power (Andrews 42). The accomplishment of natural growth style is, however, common among the working class and the lower class families and this is characterised by the issuance of directives as opposed to the development of negotiation approaches. It does not empower the children to question people in authority but rather to trust them and follow their directives without question. Combined with the environment that children encounter in primary schools, the approach adopted by the lower class prepares children to work in poor class job categories and serve the interest of the high class families. The description by Annette on the parenting styles adopted by different families capture the challenge that children are subjected to at a younger age which later increases their social segregation at the workplace. Class inequalities according to Annette are a mixture of the actions and inaction of the parents but combined by the system that is developed within the primary school levels (Andrews 42). According to Lavin and Crock, exposure to four year college training can be an opportunity to narrow the class inequalities and struggles that are witnessed by families in the country. Students in college interact with each other irrespective of their family position and this creates an aura of belonging among all students irrespective of their positions in the society. By being subjected to the same curriculum during the four years, the students integrate and become a common group bound by the university structure and the common goal of acquiring a degree after four years (Annette 216). The results obtained by any student do not depend on their family standings nor is it influenced by their social abilities and inabilities. It is only dependent on their abilities to work hard and achieve their educational and academic goals irrespective of their social position. This, according to Lavin and Crook increases the narrowing of the social gap that exists between the students (Andrews 42). The two views by the author’s presents a clear picture of the impact of our education systems in eliminating class inequalities in the country. Annette describes the role that the primary schools play combined by the parenting approach in escalating the social class inequalities in the country while Lavin and Crook describes the role of four year colleges in fighting class inequalities. The description by Annette of the impact that our families has on the people we become aptly describes the genesis of the small man syndrome that is common in low class families (Annette 216). Though the high class families have to an extent contributed to the spread of inequalities, the actions of the families have bred the attitude of the children. I thus agree with the notion presented by Annette on the impact of family upbringing on social class inequalities in the country. Works cited Adams, Clemens. Introduction: Social theory, modernity, and the three waves of historical sociology. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2005. Print. Andrews, Tara. Mobilizing the university as a frontier for design-led social innovation. Sydney: University of western Sydney, 2010. Annette, Lareau. Unequal childhoods: class, race and family life. California: University of California, 2003. Print. Biondi, Martha. The rise of reparations movement. Radical history review, 87(2003), 5-18. Print. Karabell, Zachary. What’s college for: the struggle to define American higher education. New York: Basic Books, 1999. Print. Swartz, David. Social closure in American elite higher education. Oklahoma: Springer science, 2008. Print. Read More