Summary Of Michael S. Roth's Beyond The University

Times have changed in today’s world or this is at least what most adults tell me about my generation. They think my generation gets treated differently and the world is more lenient towards us. The day I turned sixteen years old my parents told me to get a job not because I should learn the value of a dollar but to learn a strong work ethic. They taught me to believe that having a strong worth ethic will set me up for success in my future. Charlotte Kent, professor of English at Mercy College believes in strict syllabus with high expectations to shape her students and help prepare them for their future outside the classroom. In Michael S. Roth’s book Beyond the University, there were many critiques and arguments about the purpose of education …show more content…
Addams grew up during in post-Reconstruction America. Growing up she had a dream to be in the medical field but her father had other ideas for her. She did not have an easy early life and has she got older it did not get any easier. She eventually lost her father then was diagnosed with a nervous disorder. She continued education and traveled, discovering her life’s work. Addams believed that “social progress would become possible through affectionate interpretation” this means seeing the point of view from others when there is a major difference. (Roth 84). While this argument is not exactly what Kent arguments, I can see her agreeing with Addams. Kent mentions in her article that “people know how to do jobs; they don’t act like it.” I see her agreeing with Addams because she believes people should see things from the point of views of others. Employees should understand what a work ethic means. They should see the point of view from their employer and know they have the skills but they need the performance to match. I think Kent would appreciate Addams …show more content…
He was born twenty years before the Civil War started in Geneva, London. James loved science but first studied paint. Then he went on the medical school then became a professor at Harvard. Alongside his curiosity about ideas, he suffered from depression. James believes that “the point of learning is not to arrive at truths, that somehow match up with reality. The point of learning is to acquire better ways of coping with the world, better ways for the world as it is” (Roth 88). His points relate back to what Kent believes strongly about. She follows exactly what James is saying. Kent is having strict rules and setting higher standards in her classroom because she wants her students to be able to cope better in the world. Kent says, “I have to explain to the class and individuals why my rules are actually part of the training that college provides to help them in their eventual careers” (Kent). She admits that she does this to help her students in the wrong run. William James believes that if liberal education teaches students to understand how to deal and function in the world. While James’s belief might not match up side by side with Kent’s idea, they somehow make similar