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infinite.curve
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In recent time, I feel as if all academia has been hijacked by the social aspect.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
Am I the only one who feels this way?
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Can you explain what you mean?infinite.curve said:In recent time, I feel as if all academia has been hijacked by the social aspect.
I the only one who feels this way?
Evo said:Can you explain what you mean?
Sounds like that is more a problem with your classes, I'd talk to the teacher if they can't control the class.infinite.curve said:Well, I mean that the paste is much slower in class, and that they have turned less rigorous.
As if there is no zeal in actually learning, exploring sciences.
Everyone wants to yak about irrelevant social life in a place of learning.
Ryan_m_b said:...are you the type of person that wants to spend as many hours possible studying a day? If so then that difference is the source of your contention, not that academia is being eroded.
Newton was appalled by the lack of seriousness of his fellow students, who did a lot of drinking and card playing, and he shunned their company. It was his good luck to run into one, but only one, student he found as serious as himself. They didn't exactly become close friends, but they realized it would be advantageous to share an apartment, mostly to avoid having to share with party types.Ryan_m_b said:Perhaps I'm being presumptuous but you seem to be referring to the importance placed on socialising whilst enrolled at university rather than academia as a whole focusing on social issues. If this is the case them firstly I don't see this as anything new (I'm young though so may be wrong but I've heard a range of stories about university antics all throughout recent history) and secondly they are largely orthogonal. It's perfectly easy, and healthy, to have a good social as well as work life.
zoobyshoe said:Newton was appalled by the lack of seriousness of his fellow students, who did a lot of drinking and card playing, and he shunned their company. It was his good luck to run into one, but only one, student he found as serious as himself. They didn't exactly become close friends, but they realized it would be advantageous to share an apartment, mostly to avoid having to share with party types.
If the problem goes back to Newton's time, I would wager it goes back to the very beginning of institutions of learning.
Ryan_m_b said:Perhaps I'm being presumptuous but you seem to be referring to the importance placed on socialising whilst enrolled at university rather than academia as a whole focusing on social issues. If this is the case them firstly I don't see this as anything new (I'm young though so may be wrong but I've heard a range of stories about university antics all throughout recent history) and secondly they are largely orthogonal. It's perfectly easy, and healthy, to have a good social as well as work life.
Again maybe I'm being presumptuous but are you the type of person that wants to spend as many hours possible studying a day? If so then that difference is the source of your contention, not that academia is being eroded.
zoobyshoe said:Newton was appalled by the lack of seriousness of his fellow students, who did a lot of drinking and card playing, and he shunned their company. It was his good luck to run into one, but only one, student he found as serious as himself. They didn't exactly become close friends, but they realized it would be advantageous to share an apartment, mostly to avoid having to share with party types.
If the problem goes back to Newton's time, I would wager it goes back to the very beginning of institutions of learning.
johnqwertyful said:This.
People have never changed. Society has never changed. There was something written by Plato where he complained that "children are getting worse and worse every year". If that were true, we'd all be serial killers by now.
Nothing has changed in academia. As a matter of fact with the internet and technology, it's probably improved if anything.
Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.
infinite.curve said:I honestly understand what you are saying. What you say is boldly true. I am the type of person that studies for hours on hours. I do not socialize about irrelevant topics.
Thinking of it, I do not talk about anything that does not concern me. Like shows, music, etc.
I have always thought it was me, but was not sure.
Are there any physics students in the Bay Area?
johnqwertyful said:Reading this makes me think you're pretty young. How old are you? You'll change your outlook as you age, and this bolded statement will be pretty cringey TBH.
lisab said:--Socrates (supposedly, but as Abraham Lincoln said, you can't trust quotes you find on the internet )
johnqwertyful said:Ahh, thanks. Yes, Socrates.
And I smirked a bit, thanks.
infinite.curve said:I guess what might set me out is how much I value education. I am from India, and went to school in Pakistan.
I think that is why I value education so much. Too seriously.
I come to the Bay Area for a 1 year now, and I attend English class--not what I imagined from a country that inspired me so much.
johnqwertyful said:What school do you go to? I am from the Bay Area.
The reason why your English class is not what you imagined is because you're probably in remedial English (because you are a non-native speaker). You are in the same classes as American students that are in remedial English. For you, it's understandable, but for the students that are born here, they're there because they are unmotivated.
You haven't grown up in America, and have the same level of English mastery as someone who did. Visit upper div or graduate English classes and I'm sure you'll find much different people.
I don't know what it's like in India. Here, in the U.S., education up through high school is required by law. It's forced on us from a young age. Therefore, it's very easy to take it for granted, and to consider it a burden rather than a privilege. College, while it's not required by law, is never-the-less pushed on people with the threat that without a college degree, they won't be able to get a good job. It all runs on force and pressure. Not really surprising that a lot of people react by fooling around and partying as much as they can get away with.infinite.curve said:I guess what might set me out is how much I value education. I am from India, and went to school in Pakistan.
I think that is why I value education so much. Too seriously.
I come to the Bay Area for a 1 year now, and I attend English class--not what I imagined from a country that inspired me so much.
infinite.curve said:Well, I mean that the paste is much slower in class, and that they have turned less rigorous.
As if there is no zeal in actually learning, exploring sciences.
Everyone wants to yak about irrelevant social life in a place of learning.
Make no mistake, the professors know very well what is going on. It is often simpler just to ignore it and focus on the students that are actually listening.mesa said:In my first linear algebra class of 300+ students I saw kids messaging, txting, and even silently playing video games. From the Professors perspective I am sure it all seemed fine but from back in the rows...
infinite.curve said:Thank you for the correction.
No, education is not required in India, but is heavily desired by the elders for their youth.
The youth mostly listen to their parents, and if they are fortunate enough to have the mobility and little money it takes not to have a helping hand, they take it.
Education is something that people boast. It is a luxury.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_IndiaThe absolute number and proportion of people living in poverty in India is staggering.
Compulsory laws
By 1900, 34 states had compulsory schooling laws, 4 of which were in the South. 30 states with compulsory schooling laws required attendance until age 14 (or higher).[48] As a result, by 1910, 72 percent of American children attended school. Half the nation's children attended one-room schools. In 1918, every state required students to complete elementary school.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_the_United_StatesThe growth of human capital
By 1900 educators argued that the post-literacy schooling of the masses at the secondary and higher levels, would improve citizenship, develop higher-order traits, and produce the managerial and professional leadership needed for rapid economic modernization. The commitment to expanded education past age 14 set the U.S. apart from Europe for much of the 20th century...
DrClaude said:Make no mistake, the professors know very well what is going on. It is often simpler just to ignore it and focus on the students that are actually listening.
JorisL said:Because it was difficult (1st year course) and we couldn't ask questions
Digitalism said:I thought this was going to be a thread about academia being the lapdog of corporate interests
Academia being hijacked refers to the idea that certain ideologies or agendas have taken over and heavily influenced the academic environment and discourse, often leading to a lack of diversity of thought and suppression of opposing viewpoints.
There is no one definitive answer to this question, as it is a complex issue with multiple factors at play. Some argue that it began in the 1960s with the rise of postmodernism and critical theory, while others point to the increasing corporatization of universities and the pressure to publish in prestigious journals.
Some examples of academia being hijacked include the suppression of conservative or non-mainstream viewpoints, the promotion of certain political or social agendas in research and teaching, and the use of intimidation and censorship to silence dissenting opinions.
The hijacking of academia can have a negative impact on the quality of education and research. It can lead to a lack of critical thinking and diversity of thought, as well as a narrowing of research topics and findings. It can also create a hostile and oppressive environment for those with differing viewpoints.
There is no easy solution to addressing the hijacking of academia, but some suggestions include promoting and protecting academic freedom, encouraging open and respectful dialogue, and promoting diversity of thought and perspectives in hiring and curriculum development.