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The People's Disconnection

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atuuschaaw	Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:02 am
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 781 Location: an ahwangan	Are those of us fortunate enough to find their way into good universities, unwittingly allowing themselves to readily participate in a social control which aids in the disconnections of the people. Do the hallowed halls and ivy walls of greater education actually help keep the people segregated into their own little boxes of support? If this is true, could our structured educational system, in which we place so much trust & capital, actually retard the spread of information which is so imperative for our world? Could/should our communities take the responsibility for reforming/morphing education into a much more inclusive, open, and connected form of learning? In my point of view, knowledge must be free! Not a commodity to place on a high shelf where only a few can reach! But what the hell do I know? The majority of my knowledge has been aquired via the open communications of the people willing to share, rather than the brick school house. We probably are aware how important that sheepskin is within our market system don't we? If you have broadband, there is an interesting video available at Google which touchs on connections, communities, creative commons, and possibly even a glimpse into our future. It's entitled Connexions - Building Communities and Sharing Knowledge and it stars Google and Rice University. Quote: ABSTRACT A grassroots movement is on the verge of sweeping through the academic world. The "open access movement" is based on a set of intuitions that are shared by a remarkably wide range of academics: that knowledge should be free and open to use and re-use; that collaboration should be easier, not harder; that people should receive credit and kudos for contributing to education and research; and that concepts and ideas are linked in unusual and surprising ways and not the simple linear forms that textbooks present. _________________ "Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." George Orwell
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wm pasz	Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:11 am
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1219 Location: Toronto	Quote: Are those of us fortunate enough to find their way into good universities, unwittingly allowing themselves to readily participate in a social control which aids in the disconnections of the people. Oh yeah. Definitely. The corporatization of post secondary ed is in full swing. There was always an element of elitism in university education but its reached a saturation point. I know a lot of academics who deplore what's going on but feel somehow powerless to stop it. Part of the problem is that many rely on their unions to fight the disturbing trend without realizing that the unions are either "on side" or, because they act within the disempowering labour relations framework, pretty much neutered in their efforts to fight the system that gives them life. University education has always been used to churn out new recruits for various elites. It's become more of that lately. Ever wonder why most management jobs require a university degree - in whatever field? It's not because a degree in social sciences or business or whatever is needed to do management work (you don't actually need any kind of formal education to do that crap - all you need is to know how to get yourself ahead and play managerial games by managerial rules). It's because it creates a sense of being part of an elite. You earn the right to be treated as a "superior" being by having the right paperwork and you are more likely to consider yourself "above" the un-degreed people you will be supervising. "The educated classes are the most brainwashed", Noam Chomsky says and he's not kidding. Ever tried discussing workplace democracy with a dyed-in-the-wool social science prof? (Particularly one who claims to be pro-worker?) You'll get nothing but a blank stare and a brush-off. The cost of higher ed is another factor that makes the graduates and their families that much more likely to conform to the interests of the established order. If you come out of the ed system $50,000 in debt, you're going to want badly to succeed. It's just one of the many highly effective ways that we are kept deaf, dumb, blind and separated. _________________ Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X
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catbear955	Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:05 am
Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 136 Location: Upland, Ca.	A BA degree at the bottom of the class is still a BA degree.Same with a Masters or a Doctorate; I still want a college degree but not the staggering debt that comes with it.I wish I had wanted it more at a younger age---back when junior college classes with transferrable credits were free. My daughter is a graduate of a respected UC California school, and still only marginally employed three years later! Saddled with student loans, she has taken some additional odd jobs to make money while pursuing her career---and the job market is sad. How Bush can say with any honesty that he created jobs is akin to David Stockman calling ketchup a vegetable in school lunches! There is something to be said for discipline and commitment---but there's a lot of douche-bags out there with "stick-to-itiveness". I'm not sure about the value of a standard college education; my "degree" from the school of hard knocks is invaluable to me. The dues I paid in the workforce made me a better person. The life-lessons I learned have made me a better student as of late, for certain! But---who knows where it will lead? _________________ ...a dream lives on forever...
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Mulligan	Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:41 am
Joined: 04 Feb 2006 Posts: 358 Location: Ground Zero	Quote: I still want a college degree… Then you should pursue it –damn the expense. College and university training is always going to be expensive but the experience of ‘going the distance’ and graduating is worth its weight in gold in personal satisfaction alone. Getting a degree is not always about ‘what you’re going to do with it,’ but rather what personal satisfaction you get for yourself after the hard work, sacrifice, and expense is over. _________________ The snow is gone.
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atuuschaaw	Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:47 am
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 781 Location: an ahwangan	Quote: Getting a degree is not always about ‘what you’re going to do with it,’ but rather what personal satisfaction you get for yourself after the hard work, sacrifice, and expense is over. Damn! It must be a holiday! You and I agree on something Mull! I knew there was a common thread between us somewhere! But I do think the future of education holds less dependency on the institutional variety and an increase in the "open education" model. It's just R-evolution Brother! Have a good 4th! _________________ "Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." George Orwell
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Mulligan	Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 12:03 pm
Joined: 04 Feb 2006 Posts: 358 Location: Ground Zero	And a good 4th to you as well AT. _________________ The snow is gone.
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