Monday, October 7, 2013
Research Blog #3
The issue of privatization connects to my topic in that it puts emphasis on the choices one makes in college. In particular, the choices regarding choice of major, social choices, the class/status one is in, and the amount of debt one is in. The choices made regarding these certain topics can greatly affect the success a student will have after graduation, especially if they are not in the "elite" class. The elite class does not have to worry as much about the choices they make regarding partying, major choice, socialization, and debt. They may be able to pay back loans easily because of parental involvement/money, and therefore their choices may include partying and choosing friends that only care about partying as well. For instance, In "Paying for the Party" by Armstrong and Hamilton, Emma and Taylor were both followed and studied throughout college and post graduation. Both students shared the same major, but both had different outcomes. Taylor had generous parental support and was able to pay off school, and therefore could afford to party and date freely. Emma did not have that privilege, and became tied to her military boyfriend, Joe, and ended up in a dead end job. Her choices deeply affected her success and she could not afford to party and succeed at the same time. For someone that does not have that privilege, the choices they make are closely connected with how much success they will have post graduation. Choice of major is especially a huge choice because that is the most direct choice in regards to success. If a student chooses a major, and can not commit to it, and would rather party while they have huge amounts of debt, they may go down the wrong path and not be able to succeed properly in their major choice. HOwever, if there is no debt, and the student follows their major and parties at the same time, they may be able to succeed better. Ultimately, privatization puts emphasis on choice in college that affects success after graduation.
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Chrissy's Blog
ReplyDeleteOK, I see the comments now. Funny, I did comment on your first post. It might have been something to do with my computer at home -- it might not have the right plugin.
ReplyDeleteYou might say that under privatization, individual choices become more important, as students are increasingly "on their own" and colleges are less focused on helping them to make good choices than simply providing options that might appeal to them. You might think of it as being like the development of other consumer products, such as breakfast cereals, which often begin as healthy choices but then evolve into consumer products that have more marketing appeal than health value -- with added sugar and artificial flavors, which are not especially good for the consumer but likely to appeal to them. Colleges create attractive major options, for instance, that appeal to "consumers" looking for easy classes, but they don't necessarily help in the end. Armstrong and Hamilton make some good points on the development of easy majors, which they see as institutionally supporting the "party pathway." As schools begin acting more as education vendors than as socially conscious institutions, they begin to offer choices that "sell" rather than choices that are good for students and for society. I think that might be the way to focus this discussion of choice.