Wednesday, January 6, 2010

January 8, 2010

Hello All,

For today's post, reread the New York Times article "Making College 'Relevant'" and pages 3-35 in Ariadne's Clue. On page 16, Anthony Stevens writes, "Through evolution we have acquired the capacity to use symbols to connote concepts [. . . ] we can relate one concept to another and, through their interplay, create myths, arts, and religions and make new scientific discoveries. Like all psychobiological capacities, symbol formation has an adaptive formation: it promotes our grasp on reality. It enables us not just to adapt passively to reality but to master it, to adjust reality to our needs."

Your question is this: How do the ideas expressed in this quote relate to the purpose of a university education?

33 comments:

  1. It is clear that today's students focus more on what is to come after achieving a degree, rather than developing a meaningful philosophy in life. Back then, philosophy was very highly regarded, but recently to this day, our minds are corrupted with a new symbol, money. Money in our minds is a symbol of wealth. It can be used to buy many things that we desire. This symbol of wealth causes people who are poor or greedy to do the unthinkable. Anthony Stevens remarks, "We can reflect on it in its absence." Money is always on the minds of the people. Those who do not have this symbol of wealth turn to crime which in turn may lead to hostile action. "It enables us not just to adapt passively to reality but to master it, to adjust reality to our needs." says Stevens. Money is a symbolic tool used to gain what we desire to make our dreams a reality. That expensive house or car can now be bought with this symbol of wealth. The indefinite truth is that students go to college by using money, in order to gain more in the future by achiving and using said degree.

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  2. Kandice Edwards says...

    Many people want to become wealthy, and that's the reason many of us are attending a University. The higher the education, the more money increases. Today, money is what the world sees, and in order to receive it, one must come to reality within themselves & see what's being done to achieve this. Therefore, the concept used among people is to go to a University and achieve education so you can earn more money with a degree.

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  3. In the time and place that we live in today, it feels as though everything around us is constantly changing. In order to survive physically, economically, and technologically, we have to adapt to these changes as best we can. For college students, this means that we develop tunnel vision so we can better focus on our intended goal and disregard many of the less academic (yet still relevant) experiences that college has to offer. Yet, as I am now in college focused on my goal and doing my best to keep up, the outside world has changed again and what I was told I needed to learn is no longer current. Thankfully, businesses and professionals from the “real” world have noticed important skills missing from their newly employed college graduates and are attempting to aid universities in developing better career centered courses. In the same way that Anthony Stevens writes “…to adjust reality to our needs," I feel that our degree progress and developing skills are being adjusted so that the reality we will enter after college will be one that we are prepared to thrive in.

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  4. Victoria Valencia
    The ideas expressed in this quote relate to the purpose of the University in many ways. The first way is that such as concepts and myths have been used to create evolution and change, the purpose of the University for a college student is to be the tool that a student uses in order to gain the knowledge and structure needed to make/become a change in the world. Just as the people before us adapted to the current situations, and applied what they learned to the environment in order to improve circumstances; college students today are doing the same thing with their degrees in these unfortunate economic times. Money is the new symbol that everyone is trying to attain. The most common way to achieve that goal is through attending college. That is the idea that has been taught to this generation since childhood. The purpose of the university is to attain the things desired out of life just as the purpose of things before were to acquire the exact same thing.

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  5. The ideas expressed in this quote relate to the purpose of a university education because attaining a degree following a university education symbolizes not only wealth but power as well. A university education and the wealth that follows allows us to make our dreams a reality. As Steven's states "It enables us not just to adapt passively to reality but to master it, to adjust reality to our needs." A university education symbolizes not only knowledge but wealth, power, money, and in most cases stability.

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  6. Today the most important sequence of a student's life is having knowledge and looking towards having a great future. Most students do not reflect through the past and how philosophy works then. They are now focused on how to get a degree and what shall they do with their degree to achieve the lifestyle they want. Having a degree symbolizes success to a person's academic career. Many students goal is to have wealth. Having wealth can sometimes be good but can also lead to consequences. Wealth can symbolize hatred when this used in a bad way. Money symbolizes power and can buy desire of wanting something. Money is the most important resource to a human's life. Graduating with a degree from college and achieving every set goal is the most important key to student's existence.

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  7. Roxanne Martinez
    The new generation of students correlates wealth with success and happiness. Colleges and Universities are able to provide the tool to achieve this goal. These schools represent knowledge and educational training that is enthusiastically encouraged in any occupation. By seeking a higher education, the students are able to evolve into a responsible intelligent adult. Ideally, high paying jobs are seeking people who acquire some form of a college degree because the degree corresponds to integrity and accountability. Therefore, colleges become a symbol to receiving a wealthy desired life.

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  8. In the past students went to college to gain academic wealth. Today, students go to college to achieve monetary wealth. Values have changed. Money symbolizes for many people happiness, wealth, and success. A university education provides students the opportunity to get a higher paying job which is needed to fulfill their dreams.

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  9. Gustavo Reveles...

    The way symbols correlate with a university eduation can be expressed by an acquired degree, for example, in early times a blacksmith or carpenter was recognized for their art because of their claimed skill. Today, however, by simply acquiring a degree, one is seen as an expert in the field, status rapidly rises as well as monetary gains. As Anthony Steven's writes, "a thing is a thing [...] its symbolic value is derived rom the meanings and emotions it evokes in us" (pgs 6-7) But just like a degree represents professionalism, it can also be viewed as success, a sign of wisdom and personal achivement. Symbols surround us extensivley, and in some way correlate into our lives. Regardless of their intention, symbols express a deep underlying message, and is some way adopts new meaning to life.

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  10. Esther Moreno....

    A lot of us attend a university level because we know and understand that only this way we will find wealth. By attending a college or university we are getting that knowledge that requires that high paying job. Money for many people symbolizes success and what about a degree? A university education offers more than just money for the future but it also prepares you for the outside world.A university education provides us with knowledge, responsibilities, and great experiences.

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  11. Money! That’s all anyone wants in this world. Everyone is judged by what they wear, drive, and where they live. It’s sad because going to college use to be about gaining knowledge that one desired. Starting an adventure that would lead a person to self discovery. Now college is about getting in and getting out so one can make more money. The big symbol the every college student is focused on the money when it should be about the degree that they receive when they graduate. In this day and age the only way to adapt to the every so changing world is to have money. Money will solve all our problems but the real problem is, is that we lost focus on what’s really important which is self discovery and gaining new and higher knowledge.

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  12. Ingrid Borja said...
    The ideas used in Anthony's Stevens Quote in Ariadne's Clue relates to the purpose of having a college Education through symbolism and how a degree is ones ultimate purpose and symbol of what one has accomplished, desired, and dreamt. Also, Steven's quote distinguishes the importance of having an all around education and making something extravagant and creative with one's resources. Yes, the circumstances may vary in different time periods, but one needs to be adaptive as people are being forced to change majors because of lack of funds for a certain career. The world's views for what a college education is has changed. Instead of using a university as a place to expand one's knowledge or passion, now most people view a university institution as a place to attend to make more money. National columnist, Kate Zernike reports in her latest article,"Making College Relevant. " The truth is," she says, "students think to much about majors. But the major isn't nearly as important as the toolbox of skills you come out with and the experiences you have." Whatever happened to the days of following one's heart and true desires? Departments of philosophy,art, music and history are going down the drain and being replaced by larger, robotic, artificial institutions to produce greener paper.

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  13. Anthony Stevens emphasized how symbols are open to different interpretations by individuals under changing environments. For example, the ideal purpose of a university education is to help students to further develop their character and to obtain a stronger philosophical viewpoint of life. However, these values seem less relevant to students today. Relating to Stevens quote, students are being shaped by the world they live in and must find ways to adapt to fulfill their needs. Most students believe that the purpose of attending a university is to acquire an academic degree, so one would find a well-paid stable job and be financially secure. Therefore, a university education is portray more as a medium to financial success rather than philosophical development.

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  14. Amanda Patrick

    There was a time when students went to college to "find themselves". This was a time when a student could formulate their own political opinions and arguments, a time when they would try new things and become more open minded, and a time that they would choose a career. Today, students are urged to choose a career as early as high school. Choosing a college/university is based on how qualified as an institution it is to prepare a student for one certain specialty. The idea of college is no longer about going away and finding yourself, but rather going in with a goal of becoming wealthy.

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  15. Kathryn Snow
    While money may be for many a symbol(or means)of success which leads to the fancy car,house, and material possesions-there are others who believe that money is "the root of all evil".At the very least cash or coin causes only more problems.
    Education has evolved over time-women are now allowed to attend,as are other ethnicities. Education, the degree is a symbol of power.Is it any wonder that parents are worried a that the generations proceding them may be in trouble, and are wanting to ensure that thier childs degree will lead to a well paying job. Is the symbolic power of a degree loosing its power as we are no longer going for higher learning but to compete with the Jones'.

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  16. One of the main focuses in todays University education is to get a degree that will help you financially in the future. There are many more students who are attending a university than before. Students know that by getting an education it will give them a better chance to have a stable job. people also want to live luxurious and they know by getting an education it will help them get there. Education can be considered a symbol because it describes that a person hasknowledge.

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  17. With a higher education degree, people could to expand their knowledge, and to contribute to the society. People who earned a higher educational degree, could live in better conditions, because they had better opportunities, to do money, to communicate with co-workers and to support to other in all ways.

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  18. The ideas expressed in this quote relate to the purpose of a university education by symbolizing the completion of such an education as a path to a prosperous future and successful life. There is a hirearchy that has grown in the minds of students about the level of education versus freedom of career choices.

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  19. Today, a University education is a symbol of sucess in our society. As an older person, when I grew up, “On the job training” was the norm. You chose a career based on what was available to you in your area. Now you have to have a College education to be competitive, and have the prospect of gaining wealth in the form of a nice home in that “good” neighbotrhood, a fashionable car and having your children attend a great elemintary and high school, so that they might have a chance at gaining entrance into a top University so they also, might have a chance at becoming sucessuful I think things are getting all distorted. We are loosing sight of the things that should be important to us, such as our family and our health; after all there are things in life that are more important than pure wealth in the form of money.

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  20. Anthony Stevens’ quote from page 16 of Ariadne’s Clue relates to the purpose of university education because the knowledge gained from attending universities enables students to better understand symbolic connections between one concept when compared to another. I believe that a university education unlocks new pathways of thought and allows students to intertwine ideas from one field with ideas from another field to make sense of complex problems that wouldn’t have been solved otherwise. Stevens writes, “Through evolution we have acquired the capacity to use symbols to connote concepts” and I believe a university education gives students a chance to view the world differently from others and enables them to interpret symbols in a variety of ways rather than just one narrow viewpoint

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  21. Anthony Stevens writes, "Through evolution we have acquired the capacity to use symbols to connote concepts," and the concept/symbolism for a college education, especially in these times, is wealth. It's what we will all strive for after being handed that degree, but how many of us will actually be making the big bucks is the question. Instead of money become the leading symbol for our higher educations, we should revert back to what the main symbol used to be, knowledge. As cheesy as it sounds, wealth can always be taken away, but the knowledge one can obtain from a higher education cannot.

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  22. The ideas expressed in the quote relate to the purpose of a university education because a college education once symbolized higher learning, and even though it still represents that, in today’s time a college education is about acquiring wealth. Majors are being picked based on what will earn the fastest and most accumulation of money career wise, instead of what an individual loves to do or what to learn more about. In a society ruled by money it is no wonder individuals must base their education on material that will help produce money the fastest after college. Because of this universities are beginning to adapt what they are offering and teaching because of the changing economy and the demand for money and wealth. The article and the quote go hand in hand because they both focus on people evolving and adapting to life’s changes in order to survive and succeed.

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  23. Anonymous said...
    Reshona Ross

    The ideas expressed in the quote relate to the purpose of a university education because a college education once symbolized higher learning, and even though it still represents that, in today’s time a college education is about acquiring wealth. Majors are being picked based on what will earn the fastest and most accumulation of money career wise, instead of what an individual loves to do or what to learn more about. In a society ruled by money it is no wonder individuals must base their education on material that will help produce money the fastest after college. Because of this universities are beginning to adapt what they are offering and teaching because of the changing economy and the demand for money and wealth. The article and the quote go hand in hand because they both focus on people evolving and adapting to life’s changes in order to survive and succeed.

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  24. Symbols evolve throughout time and acquire different meanings that reflect current reality. According to the article, the universities, like symbols, are undergoing an evolution and offereing curriculums that are more relevant witht the current times. Students are seeking degrees that satisfy the growing job markets. To help student better prepare, the universities are adding new curriculums, some univerisities adding classes on the spot, to meet the demands of the students and the current job market.

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  25. The ideas expressed in the quote by Anthony Stevens closely relate to the purpose of having an educatoin on a university level because often times a College degree symbolizes a plethera of opportunitites; not only monitary advncements, but a sence of social as well as personal fulfillments. Having a college education will often enable one to receive a more lucritive career thus inevitably producing a greater income. However, the idea that one's major is the determining factor as to what type of career and income they will eventually receive is not necessarily accurate. Choosing a major helps to navigate sutdents in a direction they may want to explore in terms of choosing a potential career, however the training one may receive while studying a particular major, may not meet certain requirements that their future employer may be looking for. If Universities would adapt their curriculum to what most emplooyers are requiring of students there would be a larger percentage of employed graduates.

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  26. The ideas expressed in the quote by Anthony Stevens closely relate to the purpose of having an educatoin on a university level because often times a College degree symbolizes a plethera of opportunitites; not only monitary advncements, but a sence of social as well as personal fulfillments. Having a college education will often enable one to receive a more lucritive career thus inevitably producing a greater income. However, the idea that one's major is the determining factor as to what type of career and income they will eventually receive is not necessarily accurate. Choosing a major helps to navigate sutdents in a direction they may want to explore in terms of choosing a potential career, however the training one may receive while studying a particular major, may not meet certain requirements that their future employer may be looking for. If Universities would adapt their curriculum to what most emplooyers are requiring of students there would be a larger percentage of employed graduates.

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  27. by Kayla Rodriguez

    Currently a university education symbolizes wealth and stability. This is the motivating factor for the majority of the people attending universities. They want to grab the necessary means to move up the social latter by acquiring better paying jobs and careers. A university education is supposedly the means in order to achieve wealth. The ideas expressed by Anthony Stevens relates to a university education in that the majority of people attending universities are adapting to reality and are seeking majors and programs of study that will prepare them for a certain career or job. For example, many more students are choosing business programs of study over american or philosophy because business will provide more money. There is more ways a person can make money with a business degree than someone with a philosophy degree. Students are trying to "master" the ways of obtaining wealth or making more money by acquiring a university education. People are "adjusting to reality," by attaining a university education that "meets their needs" of making money. This society evolves around materialism and so many are adapting to it by seeking the means of attaining more; a university education.

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  28. Ana Aguilar
    I think that the means for getting an education have changed due to the education system and the economy. As more jobs and career choices started developing employers were looking for more educated people to work for them and schools were dumbing down their class material and made school years longer. Also creativity was and forms of imagination in the classroom were being taken out of the material. Education suddenly became just a means of becoming educated for a certain job or career. The main goal of an education is the amount of money you will make.

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  29. Evangelina Sanchez
    I think that the meaning of having an education has changed over time. For instance, back then, when a person went to college, society though that that person was very educated in every sence. Now a days the symbolism of having a college education has change due to the times in which we are living. Students do not show much interest on getting a career in phylosophy or in humanaties due to the importance that today's society has develop for materialism. So, the focus and the attitide for today's students is the economic benefit that college will bring them in the future.

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  30. Christina said...

    People know that they want to make money and they know they have to obtain a job. This means there is a demand to earn an education. However, they do not always recognize the purpose. Most importantly, one should have a great and enduring passion for their occupation and then money should work itself out. The true amount of wealth in life is passion and achievement. With experience,I have learned that that is usually the case.

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  31. The current purpose of a university education is to provide students with the specified knowledge required for careers. As school was once a symbol for higher learning, it is now a symbol of a means to achieve wealth because, generally, a higher level of knowledge qualifies one for a higher pay scale. Students are entering college with the goal of wealth on their mind. They aren’t enrolled to explore the possible vast interests across disciplines. Since the students are in it for the money and not the essential knowledge, such as articulation and the mechanics of an argument, which is necessary to strive in any environment, the universities are adapting to the preferences of the student’s.
    If one considers that the ability to “relate one concept to another” is ultimately essential for mastering one’s reality, then one would assume that mastering a reality will not be a common pursuit because students are in school for a particular field (Stevens, 16). If one lacks the ability to think beyond their field, at least to a certain degree, then one can assume that a “grasp on reality” is possible, but it will be narrowly applied because of the lack of ability to sympathize beyond what one has learned (Stevens, 16). In this instance, one should consider that wealth could be actual currency or the necessary knowledge to thrive.

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  32. Back then the students would go to college/university to get a higher education. According the article, knowledge of the great thinkers was a base of solid education. Today students are focused on earning a higher educational degree to make money. Money has become a symbol of wealth. Money is important to people because they are able to get the things they want such as nice car, house, etc. People feel that money gives them higher social status because they feel they are liked for how much money they earn and for the nice things they possess.

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  33. Back then the students would go to college/university to get a higher education. According the article, knowledge of the great thinkers was a base of solid education. Today students are focused on earning a higher educational degree to make money. Money has become a symbol of wealth. Money is important to people because they are able to get the things they want such as nice car, house, etc. People feel that money gives them higher social status because they feel they are liked for how much money they earn and for the nice things they possess.

    ReplyDelete