Mark Edmundson s On The Uses Of A Liberal Education

It has been argued that University culture and education is slowly moving toward a schooling designed to please students that have little fire and passion, rather than â€Å"an educational institution designed for instruction and examination of students† as Oxford Dictionary defines it. Mark Edmundson s On the Uses of a Liberal Education explains how university education is becoming ineffective due to the University’s â€Å"ever more devot[ion] to consumption and entertainment† (40) in American culture as well as the focus on pleasing privileged students who have inevitably been devoured by the same sense of commercialized consumption. Likewise, Sherman Alexie affirms the idea that university education is marketed toward the â€Å"elite† groups of students who are able to shop for and afford college in his story, â€Å"Saint Junior†. Alexie accomplishes this through his contrasting characters: Roman Fury, a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians and valedictorian of Wellpinit High, and Alex Webber, a wealthy, white legacy, who doesn’t necessarily have the grades universities are looking for, but has no problem getting in anyway. While Edmundson and Alexie approach the conflict through different forms of writing, both authors argue that by way of commercialized American culture, universities have isolated students of various ethnicities and cultural backgrounds by gearing a college education in favor of students with a privileged status. Both Edmundson and Alexie argue this point, findingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Mark Edmundson s On The Uses Of A Liberal Education 986 Words   |  4 PagesThe Proper Use of Fragments Mark Edmundson, the author of â€Å"On the Uses of a Liberal Education†, is an English teacher at the University of Virginia who expresses his concerns about the trajectory of the universities and colleges in America. Edmundson depicts how college students today have â€Å"little fire, little passion to be found,† towards their classes (4). In an effort to find the source of this lack of passion, Edmundson describes contacting other professors about this issue while refining hisRead MoreThe Evolution Of Higher Education1469 Words   |  6 PagesHigher Education Higher education has continued to evolve just as society has in its accessibility and purpose in surviving its students. In Mark Edmundson’s On the uses of a liberal education: 1. as lite entertainment for bored college students, he discusses how consumer culture has turned every aspect of higher education into a buyer’s market which students feed into. William Deresiewicz’s The Neoliberal Arts: How college sold its should to the market expands on this idea from the 90’s throughRead MoreDifferent Sides Of Education : An Important Part Of One s Life1606 Words   |  7 PagesDifferent Sides of Education Education is vital, in fact the most important part of one’s life. Getting a higher education is very important in order to live in this world. Nelson Mandela, a politician, said â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world† (BrainyQuote). When it comes to living a successful life, I live by this quote. I believe experience is something that will change one’s life. Throughout out our school career, we have experienced something that changedRead MoreCollege Education Is Crucial For Financial Success And A Better Quality Of Life1810 Words   |  8 Pages It’s no surprise, the cost of college is steadily increasing and the amount of financial aid is gradually decreasing. Students are now forced to finance their higher education through the means of federal and private loans, which would take decades to pay off. Yet, educators and colleges everywhere believe that a college education is crucial to financial success and a b etter quality of life. To a certain extent, they re right. Then why is it becoming more and more difficult to attend college? AlasRead MoreTechnology s Growing Impact On Teachers And Education1764 Words   |  8 PagesPrincesse Mbengang Professor Jason Wise English 103 16 September 2015 Technology’s growing Impact on Teachers and Education A cold February morning, I step off the school bus to make it to my locker and leave my backpack. I could not open my locker and the bell rang. I was eleven or twelve when I entered middle school. My English was somewhat mediocre, so I was afraid to ask for help more than once and not get embarrassed. I was still cold and nervous on my way to class. I had on a multicolored