Sherman Alexie was a Spokane Indian boy living on a reservation in Washington State. He was expected to be "stupid" by his Indian peers. This may seem crazy to some but in his culture it was a bad thing. He refused to fail and taught himself how to read the hundreds of books his dad owned. This lead to him becoming a writer and influencing many Indian children today.
In contemporary U.S. society knowledge is power. Without knowledge or education it is almost impossible to gain a high paying job, or even support a family comfortably. I don't mean to sound ignorant because there are some people that have made millions without going on to a higher education but that is a very low statistic. You are more likely to get a job that pays high with a college diploma than if you were to apply without one. It's hard in this economy we are in because it is even more important to gain an education since everyone is looking for work. I feel like I have some sense of safety in going to school. In U.S. society you are seen as smart if you get good grades and stay in school. You are seen as smart if you got a education. If you have a minimum wage job and your trying to support your family U.S. society may see you as ignorant or you didn't try enough hard in school. It's tough living in U.S society.
The work force doesn't look at what skills you may have to offer. It sees intelligence as where you went to school, how long you went to school, and if you recieved a diploma. There are many people that are brillient and haven't gone on to college. People need to know the basics to survive in the U.S. From kindergarden to about Eighth grade we are taught how to read, write, add, subtract and multiply. All these subjects teach us how to get by in life. The U.S. has high standards but I think that they help us as a nation if you engage in them.
I agree with you. The higher paying Jobs are going to want to see what type of degree you have, what college you went too, and how long it took you to obtain that degree. I guess it's not going to look to go for me when it's taken over 7 years to get an AA...Oops!
ReplyDeleteBut, jobs also need to know that you really have learned what your telling. I can't go to the Kaiser, as for a nursing position and tell them that I have experience taking care of people. No...they want the degree AND experience. Most people would know that. However, if you go to a different county, maybe less developed than here in the US, the tables might be totally changed. It would be about the experience and not the type of education behind it.
Hi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me of the many ways people are "read" or interpreted when they have a college degree. There are many stereotypes of college students and college-educated people. Like all stereotypes, these perceptions are just that; they name how people are perceived, regardless of the truth.
Many jobs require a degree, and most of these jobs are higher paying and provide better benefits. Higher education isn't a right in our country; we are not guaranteed a college diploma the same way we are guaranteed K-12 education. In my mind, that makes K-12 the place where students need to gain the skills and confidence necessary to want to attend college and to find success there. It seems like this idea is widely known, and yet I think many students learn to see themselves through deficit lenses in school.
For that reason, I think Alexie's words are powerful. He's challenging students to see themselves as "smart and arrogant." He wants them to have the confidence and tenacity to define themselves and to go after their goals, regardless of someone else's opinion of their talent and ability.
Thanks for giving me more to think about.
Take care,
Lauren
This is very true that you need some sort of higher education to help support yourself. Alexie knew this fact and that is why he pushed himself to strive towards excellence and to not fail until he achieved his goal. With the economy being where it is today it is nearly impossible to make a living without having a college degree but it can be done. Thank you for the read!
ReplyDeletei also don't think you shouldn't have to bottle up your intelligence just to be in society.
ReplyDeleteHello Catherine,
ReplyDeleteYes your right there may be one a small percentage of people that have successful life and didn’t get it from having a higher education. Unfortunately they are very well known and envied by most of society or at least by younger generations. If anyone has tried to get a new job in the market that we been having in the last few years it would be known that without any higher education you will not be successful. A lot of people are taking jobs that they are overqualified for and that just makes me more aware of how important knowledge really is.
Michelle