media09-populism-vs-elite

// Average Joe versus L'crème de la cr è me (Julia L & Rebecca)//

//A Brief Description of Populism and Elitism //

Populism is a movement or philosophy that champions "the people" against "the man." Populists believe that the needs of the masses should be placed above the needs of any smaller group. Though populism has historically been associated with Communism, in recent years it has gained a positive connotation as political candidates have presented themselves as populist. "The Elite" typically refers to the well-educated or rich upper-class in society. Often used derisively, the elite are viewed as a small contigent of the population, and populists hold that the elite are out of touch with the larger population and its issues. Elitists believe that the masses are by and large ignorant, and a smaller group of educated, informed citizens can make better-educated decisions about how to lead a country and deal with its issues. Both sides seem to suggest that their respective approach will bring the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

// The Argument Against Elitism //

Opponents of elitism frame the degree-seeking "elitist" students as children of the rich whose opportunities exist because of their parents. The money spent on tutors, private schools, and college tuition could be better spent on raising the quality of education in less-privileged areas, like inner-city schools. Opponents of elitism also suggest that the college application system is biased towards the elite, in that factors like legacy can push the children of graduates through admission channels more quickly. Further, the expense of tuition at top universities like Harvard or Yale prevent meritorious but poor students from attending. Of note in this belief is the fact that many of the opponents of the college system are themselves products of the elite universities that they deplore. Critics also tend to card-stack, avoiding mention of the fact that affirmative action policies allow sometimes underqualified students to enter elite schools. Critics also ignore the fact that many elite universities offer extensive aid programs, and some admit students on a need-blind basis. Yale University writes on its website: [|"Yale College admits students on the basis of academic and personal promise and without regard to their ability to pay. Once a student is admitted, Yale meets 100% of that student's demonstrated financial need"] One interesting practice that occurs at Tokyo University (not an American school, but certainly an elite one) is the way tuition is charged. For those who can afford the tuition, the tuition covers the costs to educate not one, but two students. For those who cannot afford tuition, the tuition paid by the rich covers their education.

Populists will imply that the college admissions process is biased towards the rich, and they use rhetoric that suggests that the "plain folks," the average Joes, lose out in the educational system. The rhetoric they use casts elite schools as bastions of rich private-school kids. This quote comes from the experience of a middle-class student who attended Princeton: "[|"Wealth and privilege quickly made their presence felt. When her roommate, early in the year, told her she was going out to get "a cheap school bag" and came home with one that cost $80, Sparano's jaw dropped."]

//The Argument For Elitism//

Whereas populists try to connect elitism with decadence and an out-of-touch upper-class, elite colleges portray themselves as the inheritors of an old tradition of education. Elite colleges enhance the mystique of their institutions by citing their old beginnings (nearly every college website notes the year that the college was formed, and by whom--College of William and Mary proudly proclaims its founders to be King William and Queen Mary, and explains that, [|"Not many colleges can say they've cancelled classes because 'the British invaded.']) and with the use of mottos written in Latin--//Veritas, Lux et Veritas, In Deo Speramus.// Though elitism's opponents would suggest that the use of Latin in the mottos is pretentious (what's wrong with good old English?), the Latin mottos serve as a connection to the glory of the Roman philosophers and elevate the schools into the ranks of giants like Socrates and Plato.

Colleges boast of their famous graduates in order to allow some of that fame to rub off on them; in its viewbook, Macalester College boasts that Kofi Anan graduated from Macalester. By dropping the names of famous alumni, colleges create an association between themselves and the person, because who doesn't want to go to the same college that Jack Keruoac was at? Bingham ||= F. Scott Fitzgerald ||= WEB DuBois ||
 * = UPenn founder ||= Brown alumni ||= Yale alumni ||= Princeton alumni ||= Harvard alumni ||
 * = Ben Franklin ||= Prince Faisal ||= Hiram
 * =  ||= [[image:http://photos.igougo.com/images/p174253-Providence_RI-Brown_University.jpg width="330" height="198" link="http://photos.igougo.com/images/p174253-Providence_RI-Brown_University.jpg"]] ||=   ||< <<Brown University Campus ||=   ||

Elite colleges also speak of themselves in glamorous terms that entice students to attend. When speaking of elite universities, many will use the words "merit," "cream of the crop," "excellence," and "high wages." Columbia University evokes well-known people, institutions, and writes in an email to prospective students: "After early morning crew practice on the Hudson River, a physics class with Brian Greene and an afternoon interning at The New York Times, you could finish up your day by meeting friends for coffee at The Hungarian Pastry Shop, listening to jazz at the Blue Note or rooting for (or against) the Yankees." By referencing various attractions in the Columbia community, Columbia entices potential applicants with references that emphasize the glamor of New York City and the Columbia experience.

//Sources​ //

[] [] [] [] [] []