My earlier remarks were remarkably intemperate. I apologize to anyone who was offended. I think the dissonance caused by the various political failures of late that have been declared to be victories (e.g., climate, health, war) has gotten to me more than I realized.
Have nice holiday everyone. Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 chri...@yorku.ca http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================== Mike Palij wrote: > I'm not sure but I think Chris fell out of the wrong side of the bed this > morning. His comments below seem somewhat relevant to the content > of the article that Beth provides a link to but without more information > about the students the article writer is talking about, it is unclear > whether Chris' criticism's apply to all American students of a certain > race and class or to some fraction of them (the author of the article > is unlikely to have such data as she self-identifies as a teacher of > rhetoric and history and not a researcher). > > I think Chris' rant is somewhat misplaced. The general issue that > he is referring to is that of "American exceptionalism", a concept > that is easy to recognize but difficult to pin down. For some background > on this "idea" see the Wikipedia entry (standard disclaimers apply): > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism > > The "idea" appears to be first developed by Alexis de Tocqueville in > his "Democracy in America" and here's a website that provides a > little more on how Tocqueville conceived it: > http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/courses/ed253a/american-exceptionalism.htm > > American exceptionalism has been an idea that has been recently > promoted by U.S. conservatives and downplayed by moderates and > liberals. Consider the following comments by Dick Cheney about > President Obama being "weak" on American exceptionalism: > > |I think most of us believe, and most presidents believe and talk > |about, the truly exceptional nature of America--our history, > |where we come from, our belief in our constitutional values > |and principles, our advocacy for freedom and democracy, the > |fact that we've provided it for millions of people all over the globe > |and done so unselfishly. There's never been a nation like the > |United States of America in world history. And yet, when you > |have a president who goes around and bows to his host and > |then proceeds to apologize profusely for the United States, > |I find that deeply disturbing. That says to me this is a guy who > |doesn't fully understand or share that view of American exceptionalism > |that I think most of us believe in. > http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/12/is_dick_cheney_living_in_a_pre-2008_world.php > > For other conservative viewpoints on American Exceptionalism, see: > http://www.american.com/archive/2008/april-04-08/understanding-american-exceptionalism > > Now, whether or not U.S. citizens have a sense of American Exceptionalism > and whether this is the basis for bad behavior among certain groups of > students is an interesting empirical hypothesis. However, Kara Miller's > article is an opinion piece and not an empirical study. How many problems > could a student in research methods find in the assertions she makes about > "her American students"? Perhaps she is a magnet for lazy American > students or her courses or her school or...whatever. Miller is entitled > to her opinions about her students as is Chris is entitled to his opinions > about U.S. citizens. But opinions are still opinions. It is better to have > opinions consistent with empirical facts but everyone is well aware that > this not a requirement. Sometimes an opinion is just a rant. > > Happy Solstice, Y'all! > > -Mike Palij > New York University > m...@nyu.edu > > > On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:14:21 -0800, Christopher D. Green wrote: > >> Beth Benoit wrote: >> >>> Wow. >>> http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/12/21/my_lazy_american_students/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1 >>> >> >> So, what does your "wow" mean, Beth? Does this strike you as surprising? >> Outrageous? Offensive? It seems pretty much "common knowledge" to me. >> (And despite what the article says, I wouldn't suggest that [white, >> anglo-scottish-irish, long-standing] Canadians are much better than >> American kids on this score.) And I think I know where it comes from >> too. US (North American?, Western?) culture is crammed full of the >> message that we are superior, we are special, and it is something that >> is essential to us, not the product of some particular effort that we >> have expended (though perhaps our ancestors did). One sees this message >> everywhere from politics, to religion, to entertainment, to educational >> practice (virtually no one "fails," everyone must be "retained" and >> eventually "graduated," the slightest quiver of anxiety is immediately >> declared a "disability" and "accommodated"). The message is: you are a >> success virtually in virtue of just being you (think the "self-esteem" >> movement). Little (but loyalty) is required of you. You were born into >> the greatest, richest, free-est, most Godly, and, when necessary, most >> powerful nation/culture/civilization that has ever graced the face of >> the earth. Anyone who says otherwise is just hateful, jealous, and >> anti-(insert your country's name here). Can you imagine any US >> politician getting much electoral traction by announcing "We have become >> self-indulgent and have fallen behind many other countries in education >> and productivity. The only way to retrieve some portion of our former >> international stature is for us to cut back in our personal lives >> (smaller, more efficient cars, houses, etc), work harder (both at work >> and school), pay off our debts (both as individuals and as a nation), >> and show a willingness to cooperate with other countries in dealing the >> major international challenges that face us"? Never. >> >> This is not to say that India, China, and everywhere else doesn't have >> its share of ugly nationalistic, jingoistic, ethnocentric, >> overly-prideful rhetoric. They all do. (And to be entirely fair, the >> ones who travel to the US to get educated are not average for their >> culture. They are eager to get ahead, whereas a lot of the "locals" we >> face as teachers virtually "fell" into our classrooms). It is, rather, >> that people from developing countries just don't mistake political >> posturing for being knowledgeable and working hard to become so. They >> can't afford to. What they are proud of is what they -- as Indians, >> Chinese, etc. -- can *accomplish*. Americans, all too often, are proud >> of being, well, American. (Mutatis mutandis for many other Western >> countries.) It used to be called "decadence." It has brought down many >> another (every?) empire. And it is a very difficult whirlpool to escape >> from. >> >> Happy solstice! >> > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu) > > > --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
