Clueless in Academe : How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind

Gerald Graff argues that our schools and colleges make the intellectual life seem more opaque, narrowly specialized, and beyond normal learning capacities than it is or needs to be. Left clueless in the academic world, many students view the life of the mind as a secret society for which only an elite few qualify. In a refreshing departure from standard diatribes against academia, Graff shows how academic unintelligibility is unwittingly reinforced not only by academic jargon and obscure writing, but by the disconnection of the curriculum and the failure to exploit the many connections between academia and popular culture. Finally, Graff offers a wealth of practical suggestions for making the culture of ideas and arguments more accessible to students, showing how students can enter the public debates that permeate their lives. Annotation Our schools and colleges often make the intellectual life seem more impenetrable, narrowly specialized, and inaccessible than it is or needs to be, argues this eminent scholar and educator, whose provocative book offers a wealth of practical suggestions for making the culture of ideas and arguments more readily understandable. Đ#8220;Graff is reopening the door on a major debate. In the wake of theory, in the wake of feminism, post-colonial criticism and all the rest, what is a liberal arts education supposed to be about? How should teachers teach? What should students learn? Intelligently, humanely, Gerald Graff is bringing all of these questions back home to the classroom, which, at least for now, seems exactly where they belong.Đ#8221;Đ#8212;Mark Edmundson, Washington Post Book World Đ#8220;[Graff] writes with lucidity and charm. ... A worthwhile work.Đ#8221;Đ#8212;Steven Lagerfeld, Wall Street Journal Đ#8220;Clueless in Academe is charming. ... The reader chuckles in recognition over the tales told of scholars and students.Đ#8221;Đ#8212;Terence Kealey, The Times Higher Education Supplement "In an essential book for teachers and others interested in education, an eminent scholar looks at the academic world from a much-overlooked perspective: that of students who don't get it. Gerald Graff argues that our schools and colleges make the intellectual life seem more opaque, specialized, and beyond normal learning capacities than it is or needs to be. Left clueless in the academic world, many students view the life of the mind as a secret society for which only an elite few qualify." "In a refreshing departure from standard diatribes against academia, Graff shows how academic unintelligibility is unwittingly reinforced not only by jargon and obscure writing, but by the disconnection of the curriculum and the failure to exploit the many connections between academia and popular culture. Finally, Graff offers a wealth of practical suggestions for making the culture of ideas and arguments more accessible, showing how students and the wider public can enter the debates that permeate their lives."--Jacket CONTENTS 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 7 INTRODUCTION In the Dark All Eggheads Are Gray 11 PART I : CONFUSING THE ISSUE 27 1 The University Is Popular Culture, But It Doesn’t Know It Yet 27 2 The Problem Problem and Other Oddities of Academic Discourse 53 3 The Mixed-Message Curriculum 72 PART I I : INTELLECTUALISM AND ITS DISCONTENTS 93 4 Two Cheers for the Argument Culture 93 5 Paralysis by Analysis? 106 PART III : COMMUNICATIVE DISORDERS 125 6 Unlearning to Write 125 7 Scholars and Sound Bites: The Myth of Academic Difficulty 144 8 Why Johnny Can’t Argue 165 9 Outing Criticism 183 10 The Application Guessing Game with Andrew Hoberek 200 PART IV : TEACHING THE CLUB 221 11 Hidden Intellectualism 221 12 A Word for Words and a Vote for Quotes 242 13 Wrestling with the Devil 256 14 Deborah Meier’s Progressive Traditionalism 271 epilogue: How to Write an Argument—What Students and Teachers Really Need to Know 285 NOTES 289 index 309 Gerald Graff argues that our schools and colleges make the intellectual life seem more opaque, narrowly specialised, and beyond normal learning capacities than it is or needs to be. Left clueless in the academic world, many students view the life of the mind as a secret society for which only an elite few qualify. In a departure from standard diatribes against academia, Graff shows how academic unintelligibility is unwittingly reinforced not only by academic jargon and obscure writing, but by the disconnection of the curriculum and the failure to exploit the many connections between academia and popular culture. Finally, Graff offers a wealth of practical suggestions for making the culture of ideas and arguments more accessible to students, showing how students can enter the public debates that permeate their lives The University Is Popular Culture, But It Doesn't Know It Yet -- The Problem Problem And Other Oddities Of Academic Discourse -- The Mixed-message Curriculum -- Intellectualism And Its Discontents -- Two Cheers For The Argument Culture -- Paralysis By Analysis -- Communicative Disorders -- Unlearning To Write -- Scholars And Sound Bites, The Myth Of Academic Difficulty -- Why Johnny Can't Argue -- Outing Criticism -- The Application Guessing Game / With Andrew Hoberek -- Teaching The Club -- Hidden Intellectualism -- A Word For Words And A Vote For Quotes -- Wrestling With The Devil -- Deborah Meier's Progressive Traditionalism. By Gerald Graff. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 279-298) And Index.