-
Essay / The Idea of a University - 1561
The Idea of a UniversityPeople have long assumed that the university is the home of the educated and open-minded. Here people expand their personal horizons. The public believes that university students are capable of handling the cultural differences of human beings. The public believes that students can cope with these differences because university students are exposed to a wide range of academic subjects, including the humanities. The humanities expose students to world literature, art, and geography. The public expects these subjects to help university students understand cultural differences. The use of cultural differences should be favored in universities. These differences should be emphasized not to humiliate or dishonor people, but to encourage students to accept and recognize cultural differences. The world is a complex mix of people with diverse languages, skin tones, and cultural differences. These differences are most evident in human beings. People are classified according to one or more of these differences. But division feels negative. Exposing these differences in universities and colleges should not cause problems. In fact, exposing these differences should help people understand and sometimes lend a helping hand to disadvantaged students. Disadvantaged students are the majority at university today, they were yesterday and will be tomorrow. Sometimes disadvantaged students are ashamed of their cultural background. Disadvantaged students feel ashamed because they feel that others will put them down. They don't want to talk about it. Regarding shame due to social conditions, bell hooks says that class differences were limitations that no one wanted to confront or talk about (95). However, concealing cultural origin can cause misunderstandings among peers. Finding out about the cultural origin of the class neighbor can perhaps help to understand the personality of this neighbor. Commenting on the cultural context, Mike Rose depicts the life of a Guatemalan boy struggling at school. The Guatemalan boy is troubled by his past. His brother was killed and dismembered near his home. These incidents are unusual for some people. The place Rose describes is dirty, chaotic and neglected. this kind of place is home to many college and university students. Some students have had depressing lives.