Classism and Higher Education
One of the most classist systems in the U.S. is higher education. We don't mean to be; we really try to be egalitarian and open access and student-centered and all that. Yet I see the innate classism all the time. What I mean by classism here is also a form of cluelessness for those who grew up in, perhaps, more privileged circumstances. It might also be mixed with racism from a majority culture member toward a minority culture member, and therefore an assumption of "less than." Less prepared, less really interested in improving themselves intellectually, less aware of the real value of education beyond career readiness, maybe less intelligent. It may also stem from an idealized vision of what college education should be: four years of living in a dormitory, making friends for life, being fascinated by brilliant professors and life-changing content and books, being done in four years, rarely worrying about finances. Where this ideal comes from, I am not sure; What thi...