Education In Susan Faludi's 'The Naked Citadel'

An identity is a distinguishing characteristic, feature, or belief that makes one individual be different from another. An identity, however, does not arise from fixed features only, some identities arise as a result of conditions under which an individual operates. For these reasons, an identity can be constructed in an individual, a group of individuals or the society as a whole. Education plays a significant role in the construction of identities. In the article, “The Naked Citadel,” Susan Faludi discusses the education system that Cadets at a public military college in Charleston called The Citadel, were subject to so as to transform them into men, in essence, stripping them of their old identities and giving them ones. On the other hand, Jean Twenge’s article, “An Army of One: Me,” highlights …show more content…
The resultant effect of such education is that it creates a shift from the society to the individual. Twenge explores this argument through her observation of the type of education delivered to Generation Me. She notes that when teachers promote self-esteem in education, then the result we get are students with self-identities and the society shifts from laying emphasis on community identity. The students “act as though they believe they have worthy and good inner essences, regardless of what people say or how they behave, that they deserve recognition and attention from others, and their unique individual needs should be considered first and foremost” (Twenge 501). This means that students do not regards anybody else as important or worthy to give them any advice. They believe whatever they do is the right thing and they should always do it. Such students, therefore, only consider themselves important and not the rest or the entire community. This self- importance ideology is an identity that comes as a result of education centered on promoting