Social institution: a designated location or area that consists of a multitude of roles in which individuals must act accordingly. The concept of a “social institution” is designed to be inclusive and provide a blueprint for society to function in specific locations. These locations are usually the ones in which individuals in society are seeking to progress and move forward in societal stratifications. Thus, it is universally accepted that education, specifically an educational institution similar to a school, is a social institution in which students, teachers, and other members of the staff work to progress societal standards. Although it is believed that all members of an education system are contributing to this progression in society,
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With this perspective, students are now solely focused on their education only to reap the benefits that higher education provides. This perspective is problematic due to the fact that it causes many students to focus unconsciously on the necessary tasks to complete this goal, specifically focusing on the grades necessary to progress their status. Thus, in our modern age, students have developed an extrinsic motivation to succeed in their educational pursuit. Ultimately, this results in the replacement of the prior intrinsic motivation that once caused students to advance their education. Therefore, it is shown that the pursuit of an education due to an extrinsic motivator arises many problems that are now ubiquitous in the current education system. The quintessential problem of our education system lies in the topic of grades. On multiple accounts, it is shown that grades are the ultimate extrinsic motivator. To reiterate this point, it is shown that to be extrinsically motivated is to be motivated towards outside benefits and to be intrinsically motivated is to be motivated for the self. …show more content…
It is the competitive spirit that grows from not only one’s anxiety towards school work, but also one’s anxiety towards others. Through this anxious stage, students feel that it is necessary to succeed and to do so more than the other students. It is due to the belief that one’s success and the achievement of grades is linked to benefits, and to have high achieving success is to reap more the benefits. This extrinsic motivation of achieving more benefits and rewards causes students to become competitive and, ultimately, feel as if there is not enough to share with others. This ideal is also shown in Denise Clark Pope’s “Doing School”, as Pope discusses the competitive spirit of a student named Eve Lin, who states that school is similar to Darwin’s theory of evolution. The student, Eve Lin, continues with this statement, stating that the ones who are the most “fit” are the students who “stay on top and survive” (Pope 17). The implication that students must work and “stay on top” in order to survive shows the problem that prevails throughout the grading system. Grades should not serve the purpose of providing students an opportunity to compete against each other. Due to this fact, grades causes students to compete against each other for the extrinsic motivators, such as the rewards provided for holding the top position. However, this establishes an issue for the proper education of students, since, through the
With this perspective, students are now solely focused on their education only to reap the benefits that higher education provides. This perspective is problematic due to the fact that it causes many students to focus unconsciously on the necessary tasks to complete this goal, specifically focusing on the grades necessary to progress their status. Thus, in our modern age, students have developed an extrinsic motivation to succeed in their educational pursuit. Ultimately, this results in the replacement of the prior intrinsic motivation that once caused students to advance their education. Therefore, it is shown that the pursuit of an education due to an extrinsic motivator arises many problems that are now ubiquitous in the current education system. The quintessential problem of our education system lies in the topic of grades. On multiple accounts, it is shown that grades are the ultimate extrinsic motivator. To reiterate this point, it is shown that to be extrinsically motivated is to be motivated towards outside benefits and to be intrinsically motivated is to be motivated for the self. …show more content…
It is the competitive spirit that grows from not only one’s anxiety towards school work, but also one’s anxiety towards others. Through this anxious stage, students feel that it is necessary to succeed and to do so more than the other students. It is due to the belief that one’s success and the achievement of grades is linked to benefits, and to have high achieving success is to reap more the benefits. This extrinsic motivation of achieving more benefits and rewards causes students to become competitive and, ultimately, feel as if there is not enough to share with others. This ideal is also shown in Denise Clark Pope’s “Doing School”, as Pope discusses the competitive spirit of a student named Eve Lin, who states that school is similar to Darwin’s theory of evolution. The student, Eve Lin, continues with this statement, stating that the ones who are the most “fit” are the students who “stay on top and survive” (Pope 17). The implication that students must work and “stay on top” in order to survive shows the problem that prevails throughout the grading system. Grades should not serve the purpose of providing students an opportunity to compete against each other. Due to this fact, grades causes students to compete against each other for the extrinsic motivators, such as the rewards provided for holding the top position. However, this establishes an issue for the proper education of students, since, through the