Graff then reveals the logical conclusion behind his adolescent story, “I see now that in the interminable analysis of sports teams, movies, and toughness…I was practicing being an intellectual before I knew that was what I wanted to be” (383). Through the analysis of street smart subjects, Graff discovers the basics of critical thinking. Thus, Graff is living proof that street smarts have intellectual depth. This in turn, reinforces the reader’s earlier insights and solidifies Graff’s argument by molding credibility with logic.…
In Gerald Graff's, "Hidden Intellectualism", Graff proves intelligence does not only exist in the academic form of thinking. He insists knowledge can also take the form of street smarts. Graph uses his own experiences and his childhood to help form his argument by telling about his disinterest in academic subjects, and further elaborates on his love of sports. He suggests academic knowledge is a hindrance in social life, as anti-intellectualism subdues it. An intolerance of superiority between the youth caused internal conflict of knowledge against strength.…
In a passage from America Needs Its Nerds, Leonid Fridman writes about the flaws within the system of values in our society. The main fault he focuses on is that society only has disrespectful or demeaning terms such as geek and nerd for the “...intellectually curious and academically serious.” (Lines 3,4). Fridman continues to discuss the widespread of anti-intellectualism that takes place at all academic institutions including colleges and elementary schools. He utilizes numerous rhetorical techniques such as hyperbole, rhetorical question, and denotation and connotation to develop his argument that “America Needs Its Nerds” (Title) and it is time for anti-intellectualism to be stopped.…
If there was a battle between street smarts and book smarts, who would win? Geeks or jocks? But the question is who is more intelligent? In the article, “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff , he argues that schools are not teaching students the right way of learning. He says that schools are to blame for being too broad with the courses that students are studying.…
Public figures, like celebrities, that drop out of school or athletes who are successful because of their skills, make society question if you need to be smart to be successful. High schools are one of the places anti-intellectualism initiates. Most high school prize their athletic team, while they forget about their…
In the article “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff, he writes about how the American society views street smarts in the lines,” Nor do we consider one of the major reasons why schools and colleges overlook the intellectual potential of street smarts: the fact that we associate those street smarts with anti intellectual concerns. We associate the educated life, the life of the mind, too narrowly and exclusively with subjects and texts that we consider inheritably weighty and academic. We assume that it’s possible to wax intellectual about Pluto, Shakespeare, the French Revolution, and nuclear fission, but not about cars, dating, fashion, sports, TV, or Video Games.” (Graff…
For many the American Dream is just that, a dream. It is almost inconceivable to some people that they could ever reach the goal of being successful and comfortable in the United States, but that has never stopped anyone from trying their hardest to achieve this feat. For some though that goal is not as unattainable as it is for others and the reason for this is because there is no set definition of the American Dream. The meaning of the American Dream varies for each person and therefore the road to someone accomplishing his American Dream can differ greatly. These alternate perceptions based on the person can lead to one person believing he has failed in his pursuit of the American Dream, while another may be convinced that he has accomplished…
There are so many different types of institutions, ranging from religious institutions to work institutions. But in Karen Ho’s article “Biographies of Hegemony” she talks about educational institutions and how “smartness” is not just knowledge based, but also appearance based as well. Karen Ho dives into the study of the new educational system and how manipulative Wall Street is, starting with Ivy League schools. The discussion of Wall Street shows exactly how much power it has over the student’s minds and their decisions. The concept of standardization, student inequalities, and the conformity in a school environment are all explored in the pieces “Project Classroom Makeover” by Cathy Davidson and “Biographies of Hegemony.”…
What is education? Education is information about or training in a subject. Most people think that education is related to school. Education can apply to any subject, or activity as long as you are improve in what you’re doing you’re being educated. People only believe in school smarts they leave out other subjects that students have high interest in.…
" The boys on the other block were addressed as "hoods" based partly on the matter that they possessed more street and worldly smarts than educational skills. Graft points out the issue of society's view on so-called intellects and anti-intellects several times over throughout his article, Hidden Intellectual. He further identifies this problem by using vivid comparisons to indicate that a school's education is not always the only path to intelligent learning. Who's to say that reading articles from They Say, I Say and writing analytical reports is the best way to learn.…
An intellectual is defined as a person who places a high value on or pursues things of interest to the intellect or the more complex forms and fields of knowledge. This definition of an intellectual has been restricted by an educational system to mean indoctrinate students into what the system believes to be “academic”. Gerald Graff’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism” argues that there is knowledge and intelligence beyond what the traditional education system is practicing. Graff contends that incorporating the interests of students into the lesson will help students think more effectively and logically. “Intellectualism” is seen by how well a student does in traditional subjects.…
He uses exceptional word choice and strong sentence structure. Also, when he says, “It is time to face the prosecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarten to the grave,” it applies to pathos due to the excellent word choice. In the end, it will probably be the nerds and geeks that will get recognized for their smartness and discoveries. For the majority, Fridman is analyzing how most Americans have negative views toward intellectuals. Fridman wants students to have a strong desire for education in order to follow their dreams.…
In the essay “Hidden Intellectualism,” Gerald Graff argues intelligence is not black and white, and there can be different ways for it to be shown. Specifically, Graff believes that in academic settings students should be able to be given the chance to study subjects that interest them. As the author puts it, “But they would be more prone to take on intellectual identities if we encouraged them to do so at first on subjects that interest them rather than ones that interest us.” Although some people believe the only intelligence is shown through academic work and school, Graff insists that schools and colleges are missing an opportunity when they discourage students from turning their interests in nonacademic activities into something they…
This strategy was extremely useful for my response to “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff. Reading the article and capturing its main idea helped me respond to Graff’s claims. Like I did in the summary paper, I reviewed the whole piece swiftly, yet carefully, by examining each paragraph to comprehend Graff’s arguments more clearly. Also, searching for interesting quotes allowed me to explain what I agree and disagree with. For example, I agreed with Graff’s claim that schools and colleges are to blame for not considering street smarts as part of their learning community by mentioning that “street smarts are intellectuals in their own right much as book smarts are and that schools and teachers bear the responsibility of helping street smarts reveal their hidden potential.”…
“Hidden intellectuals should be counseled, encouraged, in that they have the potential of achieving much more, if they are taught to look at their abilities in an academic point of view”. (Graff 269) Because the statement in chapter 16, Is College the Best Option, “It matters less whether we read Macbeth or a Marvel comic book, as long as we approach what we read with a critical eye and question it in analytical, intellectual ways”, (summary on Ch. sixteen 207) this statement puts in perspective what the essays are about. Going college is the right choice, but it is also recognized that there are some people who do just fine without going…