The article Anti-intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids, written by Arizona State University student Grant Penrod, describes the culture of negatively viewing intellectuals in the United States. The author writes that intellectual achievements are often valued less than athletics. Anti-intellectualism is shown to be very common in our society. Penrod gives examples of aggression against intellectuals and stresses that it is a prominent problem. He also describes how smart kids are viewed as anti-social; this stereotype leads to them being excluded by their peers. Penrod believes that anti-intellectual feelings may come from the media’s presentation of public figures who do not say that academics have contributed to their success, or that the wealth and fame of uneducated celebrities causes the general public to question whether intellectualism is of any importance. Overall, Penrod …show more content…
For example, in the beginning of the article, Penrod illustrates, “As for the three champion academic teams, they received a combined total of around ten minutes of recognition, tacked onto the beginning of a sports assembly” (Penrod 759). This shows the lack of commendation of academics in our society, This is an example of how anti-intellectualism is systematic. At Buckeye High School there are many ways that we recognize athletics; we have meet-the-teams, banquets, and sports assemblies; however, it is rare for us to celebrate our academics. One example is that everyone knows the results of the football team, but almost no one knew when academic challenge was on television. The lack of caring about intellectuals is not just an adolescent idea. If school administrators were to recognize academic achievements anti-intellectualism would not be as common. In order to get rid of anti-intellectualism there would have to be a change of attitude towards intellectuals in
He states, “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” The rest of the piece does not address this crucial claim and yet it still supports the overarching theme of rejecting intellectual pursuit. Americans are known for their preference of physical prowess over intellectual pursuit and Fridman acknowledges that however briefly. It is likely he chose to touch on the subject for only a moment because a further analysis would derail the purpose of the passage.
In the essay ”Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff, he discusses different types of intellect, more specifically the ways they can apply to us in our lives. He discusses the different types of “smarts” referred to in his paper as street smarts, and school smarts. Graff hints upon the missed opportunities by colleges to embrace the form of intellect called “street smarts” because of a preconceived idea that there is no way to use this form of knowledge in an academic setting. To quote Graff directly “Colleges might be at fault for missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts”. We then learn some of Graffs personal experiences pertaining to this very thing. He shares a story about himself which reviews his underlying love for sports and complete diskliking for books or any form of intellectualism, until he became college aged. He shares that he now believes, his love of sports over over school work was not because he hated intellectualism but perhaps it was intellectualism in another form. He shares his
In “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff, the author speaks about how schools should use students’ interests to develop their rhetorical and analytical skills. He spends a majority of his essay on telling his own experience of being sport loving and relating it to his anti-intellectual youth. He explains that through his love for sports, he developed rhetoric and began to analyze like an intellectual. Once he finishes his own story, he calls the schools to action advising them to not only allow students to use their interest as writing topics, but instead to teach the students on how to implement those compelling interests and present them in a scholarly way. In perspective, Graff’s argument becomes weak with his poor use of ethos, in which he solely focuses on his own anecdote but, through the same means he is able to build his pathos and in the last few paragraphs, with his use of logic he prevents his argument from becoming dismissible.
Leonid Fridman’s article,”America Need Its Nerds”, published in the New York Times, conveys American society’s unpleasant perception towards intellectuals. Fridman asserts the issues of American society's evaluation of people in order to convince readers of the New York Times to acknowledge educated individuals. He employs logos, ethos, and pathos to contribute to his goal if the readers of the New York Times recognizing the value of intellectuals.
In “Hidden Intellectualism,” Gerald Graff pens an impressive argument wrought from personal experience, wisdom and heart. In his essay, Graff argues that street smarts have intellectual potential. A simple gem of wisdom, yet one that remains hidden beneath a sea of academic tradition. However, Graff navigates the reader through this ponderous sea with near perfection.
Why does our society praise braun over brain? When did athletic talent and beauty begin to reign over intellect? In past cultures intellect was cherished, praised and honored. However, in present time our most honored members of society are our athletes and entertainers. Why do we no longer honor our philosophers, scientists, and innovators? Intellects keep the world turning. Due to this lack of admiration for intelligence, our children are no longer inspired to learn. Their dreams co...
Amanda Ripley constructed an article in which she opposes the use of athletics in American schools. She proclaims that America’s schools are placing athletics above academics. This highly controversial article was published on the cover of the Atlantic. Her argument raises opposition
American culture has evolved, and Society tends to ostracize people for their intelligence, and our culture has been giving these intellectuals derogatory names like nerd and geek. Leonid Fridman believes that these anti- intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought and should stop for the sake of America. The author supports this position in the passage “America Needs It’s Nerds” through the use of rhetoric by giving definitions of terms such as geek, offering comparisons through juxtaposition, adding a tone shift, and posing rhetorical questions to the reader.
In “Hidden Intellectualism”, author and professor Gerald Graff describes his idea of what book smarts and streets smarts actually are. He details how new ideas can help to teach and build our educational system into something great and that perhaps street smarts students could be the factor that traditional education is missing that could make it great.
“Hidden Intellectualism” written by Gerald Graff, is a compelling essay that presents the contradicting sides of “book smarts” and “street smarts” and how these terms tied in to Graff’s life growing up. Graff felt like the school was at fault that the children with more “street smarts” were marked with the reputation of being inadequate in the classroom. Instead of promoting the knowledge of dating, cars, or social cues, the educational system deemed them unnecessary. Gerald Graff thought that “street smarts” could help people with academics. In his essay, Graff confessed that despite his success as an “intellect” now, he was the exact opposite until college. Where he grew up in Chicago, Illinois, intelligence was looked down upon around peers
There is constant judgement set upon the street smart kid. We are faced with wanting to conform into what society wants us to be. For those that see that there is nothing wrong with being street smart, they choose to be dauntless enough to try to convince society that they are in charge of their own fate. In Gerald Graff’s essay Hidden Intellectualism, he says to “give me the student anytime who writes a sharply argued, sociologically acute analysis of an issue in Source over the student who writes a lifeless expectation of Hamlet or Socrates Apology” (Graff 251). So, let’s make an imaginative scenario where we take Graff suggestion to set up a job interview with, a book smart guy battling against the street smart dude for a job working at
Why street smart students are considered anti intellectual in academic area? In the article “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff, he accounts the idea that street smart students are way more smarted than book smarts. He explains that street smart student will be able to solve an issue much faster than book smart because of his/her previous experience. According to author, the problems with considering street smarts as anti intellectual are they are actually much smarter that book smart students, they don’t equal opportunity , and schools along with colleges never challenge their mind get them to succeed in academic work.
Although Fridman’s assertions in his essay “America Needs Its Nerds” are well grounded, his method or argument is flawed. He makes successful points on America’s off-balanced priorities (putting an emphasis on sports rather than education) but his confined audience and uncited claims weaken his argument. Despite Fridman’s fallacies, he manages to create a thought provoking text on the necessity of valuing knowledge.
Co-author of “They Say/I Say” handbook, Gerald Graff, analyzes in his essay “Hidden Intellectualism” that “street smarts” can be used for more efficient learning and can be a valuable tool to train students to “get hooked on reading and writing” (Graff 204). Graff’s purpose is to portray to his audience that knowing more about cars, TV, fashion, and etc. than “academic work” is not the detriment to the learning process that colleges and schools can see it to be (198). This knowledge can be an important teaching assistant and can facilitate the grasping of new concepts and help to prepare students to expand their interests and write with better quality in the future. Graff clarifies his reasoning by indicating, “Give me the student anytime who writes a sharply argued, sociologically acute analysis of an issue in Source over the student who writes a life-less explication of Hamlet or Socrates’ Apology” (205). Graff adopts a jovial tone to lure in his readers and describe how this overlooked intelligence can spark a passion in students to become interested in formal and academic topics. He uses ethos, pathos, and logos to establish his credibility, appeal emotionally to his readers, and appeal to logic by makes claims, providing evidence, and backing his statements up with reasoning.
Power, Clark. "Athletics vs. Academics." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 Jan. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.