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Revision as of 08:22, 20 August 2013 editNJJ289 (talk | contribs)8 editsm →See also: Removed redundant links, per Wiki Guideline, " As a general rule, the 'See also' section should not repeat links that appear in the article's body or its navigation boxes. " Also removed "Glass Bead Game" on relevance grounds.← Previous edit Revision as of 09:00, 20 August 2013 edit undoLegobot (talk | contribs)Bots1,669,722 editsm BOT: Dating templates: {{dead link}} (2), {{clarify}} (3), {{verify credibility}} (1), {{by whom}} (1), {{attribution needed}} (1), {{specify}} (1). Errors? stop meNext edit →
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Economist ]'s '']'' claims that intellectuals have an undeserved "]" and face fewer ]s than other professions against speaking outside their expertise. In Sowell's estimation, academics respected for their contributions in their particular discipline often become known to the general public by commenting on policy issues outside that discipline. Economist ]'s '']'' claims that intellectuals have an undeserved "]" and face fewer ]s than other professions against speaking outside their expertise. In Sowell's estimation, academics respected for their contributions in their particular discipline often become known to the general public by commenting on policy issues outside that discipline.


Critics of academic elitism{{specify}} argue that highly-educated people tend to form an isolated social group whose views tend to be overrepresented among ], ]s, and other members of the ] who often draw their salary and funding from taxpayers. Economist Dan Klein shows that the worldwide top-35 economics departments pull 76 percent of their faculty from their own graduates. He argues that the academic culture is pyramidal, not ], and resembles a closed and genteel social circle. Meanwhile, he claims, academia draws on resources from taxpayers, foundations, endowments, and tuition payers, and it judges the social service delivered{{clarify}}. The result is a self-organizing and self-validating circle.<ref> Critics of academic elitism{{specify|date=August 2013}} argue that highly-educated people tend to form an isolated social group whose views tend to be overrepresented among ], ]s, and other members of the ] who often draw their salary and funding from taxpayers. Economist Dan Klein shows that the worldwide top-35 economics departments pull 76 percent of their faculty from their own graduates. He argues that the academic culture is pyramidal, not ], and resembles a closed and genteel social circle. Meanwhile, he claims, academia draws on resources from taxpayers, foundations, endowments, and tuition payers, and it judges the social service delivered{{clarify|date=August 2013}}. The result is a self-organizing and self-validating circle.<ref>
{{cite journal | ref=harv {{cite journal | ref=harv
| last=Klein | first=Daniel B. | last=Klein | first=Daniel B.
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Another criticism{{by whom}} is that universities tend more to ] than intellectualism per se; for example, academicians may be charged with over-complicating problems and expressing them in obscure language (e.g., the ], ]). Another criticism{{by whom|date=August 2013}} is that universities tend more to ] than intellectualism per se; for example, academicians may be charged with over-complicating problems and expressing them in obscure language (e.g., the ], ]).


Academic elitism suggests{{clarify}} that in highly competitive academic environments only those individuals who have engaged in ] are deemed to have anything worthwhile to say, or do{{attribution needed}}. It suggests{{clarify}} that individuals who have not engaged in such scholarship are ]. Steven Zhang of the '']'' has described the graduates of elite schools, especially those in the ], as having a "smug sense of success" because "It makes us believe gaining entrance into the Ivy League is an accomplishment unto itself."<ref> Academic elitism suggests{{clarify|date=August 2013}} that in highly competitive academic environments only those individuals who have engaged in ] are deemed to have anything worthwhile to say, or do{{attribution needed|date=August 2013}}. It suggests{{clarify|date=August 2013}} that individuals who have not engaged in such scholarship are ]. Steven Zhang of the '']'' has described the graduates of elite schools, especially those in the ], as having a "smug sense of success" because "It makes us believe gaining entrance into the Ivy League is an accomplishment unto itself."<ref>
http://cornellsun.com/node/46778 http://cornellsun.com/node/46778
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| url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0254/is_2_62/ai_100202314 | url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0254/is_2_62/ai_100202314
}} }}
* Keally, Charles T., "''''". Sophia International Review no. 28, 2006.{{Unreliable source}} * Keally, Charles T., "''''". Sophia International Review no. 28, 2006.{{Verify credibility|date=August 2013}}
* Lin, Xi, "''; Cynicism and disillusionment are protocol for UW elites''". The Daily of the University of Washington, 1998.{{dead link}} * Lin, Xi, "''; Cynicism and disillusionment are protocol for UW elites''". The Daily of the University of Washington, 1998.{{dead link|date=August 2013}}
* Zhang, Steven, "''''". The Cornell Daily Sun, 2011. * Zhang, Steven, "''''". The Cornell Daily Sun, 2011.
* Newitz, Annalee (2000), "''''". Salon.com, 2000.{{dead link}} * Newitz, Annalee (2000), "''''". Salon.com, 2000.{{dead link|date=August 2013}}
* ], "''No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities''". 1986. ISBN 0-19-503557-7 * ], "''No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities''". 1986. ISBN 0-19-503557-7
* *

Revision as of 09:00, 20 August 2013

Academic elitism is the criticism that academia or academics are prone to elitism. The term "ivory tower" often carries with it an implicit critique of academic elitism.

Description

Economist Thomas Sowell's Intellectuals and Society claims that intellectuals have an undeserved "halo effect" and face fewer disincentives than other professions against speaking outside their expertise. In Sowell's estimation, academics respected for their contributions in their particular discipline often become known to the general public by commenting on policy issues outside that discipline.

Critics of academic elitism argue that highly-educated people tend to form an isolated social group whose views tend to be overrepresented among journalists, professors, and other members of the intelligentsia who often draw their salary and funding from taxpayers. Economist Dan Klein shows that the worldwide top-35 economics departments pull 76 percent of their faculty from their own graduates. He argues that the academic culture is pyramidal, not polycentric, and resembles a closed and genteel social circle. Meanwhile, he claims, academia draws on resources from taxpayers, foundations, endowments, and tuition payers, and it judges the social service delivered. The result is a self-organizing and self-validating circle.

Another criticism is that universities tend more to pseudo-intellectualism than intellectualism per se; for example, academicians may be charged with over-complicating problems and expressing them in obscure language (e.g., the Sokal affair, obscurantism).

Academic elitism suggests that in highly competitive academic environments only those individuals who have engaged in scholarship are deemed to have anything worthwhile to say, or do. It suggests that individuals who have not engaged in such scholarship are cranks. Steven Zhang of the Cornell Daily Sun has described the graduates of elite schools, especially those in the Ivy League, as having a "smug sense of success" because "It makes us believe gaining entrance into the Ivy League is an accomplishment unto itself."

See also

References

  1. Klein, Daniel B. (2005). "The Ph.D. Circle in Academic Economics". Econ Journal Watch. 2 (1): 133–148. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  2. http://cornellsun.com/node/46778

Further reading

  • Trow, Martin, "Problems in the Transition from Elite to Mass Education," Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, 1973 .
  • Papers about Academic elitism
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