Kali's Top 3 Words of Week 2 at SCSU
The purpose of a college education goes much deeper than simply learning the necessary skills pertaining to a certain job. Higher education is about broadening your horizons in all fields. I began college with the common idea that I would be learning the specifics of my future career, but upon my arrival I recognized that Southern does not operate that way. The professors here make sure that the students are well-rounded individuals with knowledge in a broad range of subjects outside of their chosen fields of study.; it is not a trade school that throws you right into the working world only teaching the essentials of the job at hand. I read a New York Times article this past week called "The Learning Knights of Bell Telephone" (which I actually wrote about in a previous blog post), that gave a great perspective on this subject. The author, Wes Davis, mentions an article published in Harper's Magazine where sociologist E. Digby Baltzell explains that, "A well-trained man knows how to answer questions, they reasoned; an educated man knows what questions are worth asking." Simply being trained on how to perform well in one situation does not properly prepare you for real life. A truly educated person can use the broad knowledge they've gained to problem solve and conjure new ideas.All of my classes at SCSU are different. I ingest new knowledge in each individual classroom. I am going to talk about a few words that I came across this week in my various classes that appear unrelated, but they all have one commonality: learning more about them will augment my intelligence and make me a more worldly, accepting individual.
- Initiative: I would define this word as the primary step one takes toward a goal. This could be in relation to anything. You could take the initiative in making new friends, or starting a new book that seems challenging, etc. This past week in my Inquiry class directly related to initiative. Every article/blog we read last week (including the one mentioned above) involved the positive effects of taking an initiative. The articles contained topics such as hunting for a professor who will be the most helpful, making sure your professors know who you are, getting involved in politics, thinking about your life as a whole instead of solely on your prospective job, finding your passions, etc. One cannot begin to do any of those things without first initiating them. You have to step out of the realm of what is expected of you and venture off into new territory.
- Sociocentrism: This is a word I had yet to hear in my life time until my previous Social Issues class. In summation, this word is defined as group-centered thinking. This term relates to those who side with whatever choice would best benefit his or her particular group (e.g. race, religious group, class, etc.).The concept of sociocentrism can also be affiliated to the trials and tribulations faced by the average college student. This theory is linked to the age old decision of whether you choose to be a leader or a follower. The purpose of college is truly to determine who you are. Will you faithfully follow the herd even if they are leading you off a cliff, or will you do what is necessary for your own personal success? The decision may be difficult, but it is an inevitable component of life which we all have to address at some point. Are you sociocentric, egocentric, or somewhere in between?
3. Inequality: Of course this a word that most have heard. I encountered this word most recently in my Geography and Conflict course. Inequality is an issue that people have been facing for centuries, so its importance remains despite how often we hear it. The definition of this word given to me by my professor was, "Inequality exists because those in control actively defend their advantages." This idea has held true throughout history. The group that feels superior (whether deservedly or not), retains its self-imposed 'rights' to a higher class lifestyle while the group deemed unworthy suffers. This may seem like a big concept that some people have trouble seeing the connection to in their personal lives, but we see glimmers of inequality every day. Every person I meet has a different background. No two families raise their children exactly the same, and we forget that because we tend to focus on our own situation much more often than we think of another person's. We have to remind ourselves that there are many people out there who are more or less privileged than we are. I try to never take for granted the fact that I am physically able to go to college. My Social Issues teacher informed the class that only 20% of the United States population can attend a college. Inequality has constantly surrounded human being since the dawn of time. We naturally create barriers to separate ourselves whether it be by race, class, religion, wealth, etc. Before you judge someone for whatever reason, just try to remember that everyone's life behind closed doors is different.
Words can band us together, tear us apart, empower us, or crush our spirits. Think before you speak because you never know what kind of inequality the person next to you has endured. As I said before, college is about finding out who you are meant to be, so take the initiative in your life to choose to be a sociocentric follower or an individual.
(Top 2 pictures taken from www.southernct.edu)
No comments:
Post a Comment