ANNOTATIONS:
READING QUESTIONS:
Ungar lists 7 “misperceptions”. Pick 4 of these and write a 3-5 sentence summary for each one (What do many people think? What does Ungar think?). Pick ONE quote (include it in the HW response), and respond to or comment on the quote.
MISPERCEPTION #1:
The first misperception that Ungar explains is that a liberal-arts degree is a luxury, one that most families today can no longer afford and, therefore, students must focus on career-specific education. He explains that although it is true that families are struggling to pay for their students’ education, the liberal arts is a more useful investment than job-specific training. He argues that the skills obtained through a liberal arts education are not simply extra embellishments, but key for collaboration and complex thinking and communication. He also explains that jobs are looking for individuals capable of cleverness and originality, rather than simply work units. Students should prepare for change in their career paths and for jobs that do not exist yet, as Geoffrey Garin- who Ungar references – suggests.
“It is far wiser for students to prepare for change – and the multiple careers they are likely to have – than to search for a single job track that might one day become a dead end” (Ungar 2). I believe that although this is true, students who pursue careers that don’t fall underneath the liberal arts education (i.e. healthcare and engineering), are in high demand and students who choose these career paths will likely not have an issue with job changes. However, although the demand of these jobs may increase, students’ interest in their career may change, which is where the liberal arts is useful.
MISPERCEPTION #3:
Ungars third misconception is that the liberal-arts is especially less useful for low-income families and first-generation college students; low income students should focus on more practical skills. He suggests that this is offensive to low-income families, that it leaves the important thinking for higher-income students. He even goes so far to refer to this misconception as a form of prejudice. He thinks, instead, that these students with less money bring more creativity and curiosity to the table. It is unfair to assign different economic classes to different levels of education, and that a liberal arts education is just what these students need to catch up and move ahead.
“… another way of saying, really, that the rich folks will do the important thinking, and the lower classes will simply carry out their ideas” (Ungar 3). I believe that this is a powerful quote in the way that is extremely offensive and invokes a strong pathos appeal in Ungars audience. I do not believe it was a great quote though, because this is a reflection of Ungars own assumptions. He still generalizes the lower class, and it made me wary when reading the rest of the essay.
MISPERCEPTION #5:
The third misconception Ungar refers to is one directed towards Republicans: that Democrats have gotten the country into trouble recently, thus, students should not be engaging in the liberal arts. Ungar argues against this misperception, that politics is in fact not directly related to politics at all. He explains that the confusion may come from the fact that the liberal arts offers focus in political sciences. However, since he is directly addressing conservatives, he attempts to suade them by arguing that the liberal arts actually focuses heavily on classical traditions – a key foundational element of the conservative side. He explains that the current arguments and debates that typically end up as screaming matches will benefit greatly from a liberal arts education as it helps students develop more open, less narrow, perspectives.
“… because of its inclusiveness and its respect for classical conditions, the liberal arts could properly be described as a conservative approach to preparation for life” (Ungar 4). Since the misperception that Ungar references here is directed towards conservatives, I believe his intention to gain their favor and open their minds to the benefits of liberal arts was good. However, I don’t believe it was effective, because it generalizes them as more narrow-minded. It gives the impression of referencing a younger child rather than a group of adults.
MISPERCEPTION #6:
Ungar addresses the sixth misperception as the only that assumes that the United States is the only country that employs the liberal arts; the liberal arts is outdated and other countries employ more practical educational techniques and that’s why they’re ahead. He explains that countries such as Europe do not require undergraduate degrees before pursuing education in law because they incorporate the liberal arts more heavily into their high school curriculum. Ungar also explains that China has been visiting the United States specifically to discuss their questions about the liberal arts, implying they plan to implement it into their system of education. Thus, it does not serve us well to take liberal arts out of our education system when other countries are utilizing it to their advantage.
“The Chinese may be coming around to the view that a primary focus on technical training is not serving them adequately – that if they aspire to world leadership, they will have to provide young people with a broader perspective” (Ungar 5). This stood out as a very powerful quote to me due to the current state of China’s government. I believe that since they lack this liberal arts education, they are also lacking the “freedom of the mind” that Scheuer referencing in his essay. Maybe implementing the liberal arts into their curriculum will allow their citizens to think more freely, leading to better representation of their country in their government.
