Brett Clark
1/22/16
Summary Essay
College Composition and Research
Liberal Arts are Not too Bad
In the article, “The New Liberal Arts” written by Sanford J Ungar, Ungar talks about all of the modern misconceptions about the Liberal Arts degree. He says there are many common misconceptions about the Liberal Arts and lists what he believes are the seven biggest misconceptions of today. Sanford Ungar states, “Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around liberal arts education has been especially hard hit.” He believes the main reason the liberal arts education is under such an attack is because of these misconceptions.
In this article, Ungar listed a few misconceptions and showed that all the misconceptions are wrong. Misconception number one, Ungar says that a liberal arts degree is a luxury that most families cannot easily buy anymore. He thinks the misconception is ridiculous because future careers will not just need a specialized worker, but a worker with a wide knowledge of other worldly influences. Misconception number two, college students with a liberal arts degree are finding it harder to find a job. According to a survey in 2009, 89 percent of employers wanted employees with the ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing (par 5). Misconception number three, the liberal arts degree is irrelevant and a waste of time for students in the lower class and are a first generation college students in their family. In Ungar’s view, “it is condescending to imply that those who have less cannot understand and appreciate the finer elements of knowledge...”
Misconception number four, students need to study the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields as opposed to logic, rhetoric, music , etc. Ungar says, “No evidence suggests , however, that success in scientific fields and technical fields will be greater if it comes at the expense of a broad background in other areas of the liberal arts” (par 11). Misconception number five, since all the liberal democrats got our country into trouble recently we have to stop sending our kids to learn the liberal arts. Even though the liberal arts degree has nothing to do with the Democratic political party.
Misconception number six, America is the only place that still teaches such an outdated form of education. In other countries the liberal arts education is either being researched for future use, or been transformed to another use where everyone already has a liberal arts education before they go to college. Misconception number seven, a liberal arts degree is irrelevant and overpriced because there is no way to register leaps in its productivity. Ungar reveals, “Government at all levels has come nowhere close to supporting colleges in ways that allow them to provide the kind of access and affordability that’s needed” (par 17).
In conclusion, Sanford J. Ungar realized the reason there has been such a recent attack on the post secondary education known as the liberal arts. That reason is very simple; many people do not trust something that they do not fully understand. Ungar pointed out seven misconceptions of an endless list of misunderstandings of the liberal arts education. He wrote this article to hopefully set many people straight on the fact that a liberal arts form of education could actually be the education of the future.
Work Cited
Ungar, Sanford J, "The New Liberal Arts." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 190-197. Print
1/22/16
Summary Essay
College Composition and Research
Liberal Arts are Not too Bad
In the article, “The New Liberal Arts” written by Sanford J Ungar, Ungar talks about all of the modern misconceptions about the Liberal Arts degree. He says there are many common misconceptions about the Liberal Arts and lists what he believes are the seven biggest misconceptions of today. Sanford Ungar states, “Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around liberal arts education has been especially hard hit.” He believes the main reason the liberal arts education is under such an attack is because of these misconceptions.
In this article, Ungar listed a few misconceptions and showed that all the misconceptions are wrong. Misconception number one, Ungar says that a liberal arts degree is a luxury that most families cannot easily buy anymore. He thinks the misconception is ridiculous because future careers will not just need a specialized worker, but a worker with a wide knowledge of other worldly influences. Misconception number two, college students with a liberal arts degree are finding it harder to find a job. According to a survey in 2009, 89 percent of employers wanted employees with the ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing (par 5). Misconception number three, the liberal arts degree is irrelevant and a waste of time for students in the lower class and are a first generation college students in their family. In Ungar’s view, “it is condescending to imply that those who have less cannot understand and appreciate the finer elements of knowledge...”
Misconception number four, students need to study the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields as opposed to logic, rhetoric, music , etc. Ungar says, “No evidence suggests , however, that success in scientific fields and technical fields will be greater if it comes at the expense of a broad background in other areas of the liberal arts” (par 11). Misconception number five, since all the liberal democrats got our country into trouble recently we have to stop sending our kids to learn the liberal arts. Even though the liberal arts degree has nothing to do with the Democratic political party.
Misconception number six, America is the only place that still teaches such an outdated form of education. In other countries the liberal arts education is either being researched for future use, or been transformed to another use where everyone already has a liberal arts education before they go to college. Misconception number seven, a liberal arts degree is irrelevant and overpriced because there is no way to register leaps in its productivity. Ungar reveals, “Government at all levels has come nowhere close to supporting colleges in ways that allow them to provide the kind of access and affordability that’s needed” (par 17).
In conclusion, Sanford J. Ungar realized the reason there has been such a recent attack on the post secondary education known as the liberal arts. That reason is very simple; many people do not trust something that they do not fully understand. Ungar pointed out seven misconceptions of an endless list of misunderstandings of the liberal arts education. He wrote this article to hopefully set many people straight on the fact that a liberal arts form of education could actually be the education of the future.
Work Cited
Ungar, Sanford J, "The New Liberal Arts." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 190-197. Print