perception of intellectuals and intellectual activities outside U.S.?

[olckicker]

I imagine thanks to globalization (especially hollywood's popularity) that intellectuals and intellectual activities are devalued in most places on Earth. Still some nations may be more intellectual than others. Possible examples: calm and intelligent discussions about politics in the workplace; people actually have positive responses (instead of weird stares and polite, awkward replies) when you say you're a poet; parents don't say "study something more practical" after their kids reveal they want to major in philosophy.

An examination of hollywood's affect on a country's filmmakers past and present may be one accurate measurement. For example Akira Kurosawa has wide admiration in japan but I suspect many young japanese have never seen his films.

[Jacen McCullough]

parents don't say "study something more practical" after their kids reveal they want to major in philosophy.


Believe it or not, I got that same response three times. First when I majored in Political Science for a couple of years, then when I changed the major to English and finally when I added Education. To this day, when my mother talks about my brother and I to her friends, she says something along the lines of, "My younger son is an avid reader and has excellent language skills. My older son got all of the marketable skills." :)

[elainemichelle]

parents don't say "study something more practical" after their kids reveal they want to major in philosophy.
My mom's encouraging me to go either philosophy or poli sci.

She was not very thrilled when I said I'm going with something along the lines of elem. education or early childhood development stuff.

[Caesar]

An old chestnut, but it bears repeating at every opportunity :D :

The Physics graduate asks "Why is this so?"
The Mathematics graduate asks "What is going on here?"
The Engineering graduate asks "How does this work?"
The Commerce graduate asks "How much does this cost?"
The Arts graduate asks: "Do you want fries with that?"

Jokes aside, the reason for this is that tertiary education is now just a commodity. In Australia, up until the 80s, University was free to anyone who met the cutoffs for the limited number of places. Students nowadays require a high degree of fiscal support, which usually comes from parents. Education for the sake of education is now a luxury.

But I think what is worth pointing out is that "intellectual activities" in this thread seems to refer merely to things such as social sciences and its ilk. The problem is not really the higher plane of intellectual thought that they involve, but merely that they don't entail marketable skills in a highly competitive world. For example, adding a postgraduate law or economics degree to your resume enhances your marketability in the workplace, wheras a doctorate in English Literature or Theology does not really (unless you're in the staple field of academia). That said, Rupert Murdoch's heir earned his first degree at Harvard - he majored in Philosophy.

[Pierre-Henri]

I don't whant to brag about this, but I believe France still has the edge in this area. Our universities are full of "non-profit" students: art, history, literature, and so on. You barely hear the "get practical" line around here.

In fact, cultural "elite" universities (like the Ecole Normale, the Sorbone, the Ecole des Chartes) are more praised than the others. Many politicians, or even businessmen, have a cultural background rather than economic.

I'm myself a PhD student, specialist in French poetry, African and African-American studies. No one ever laughed at me saying : "hey, what a lunatic, do something real".

Even during my conscription time, the military (not the kind of guys who like poetry) respected me for my competences.

Of course, there is something like snobbishness, and self-indulgence, in this behaviour. We like to think we are an over-cultured nation, even if we have also stupid TV shows, moronic commercials, and less people who can read correctly than before.

[Iceblink]

This is an education forum, so I don't feel so bad doing this.

hollywood's affect on... *GASP*


my mother talks about my brother and I...

*HACK* *HACK* *COUGH*

Had to get that out.

Anyway, my area is pretty much completely devoid of culture. It's upsetting. They opened a theater in downtown Naperville (west suburbs of Chicago), and the mayor said, "Now Naperville has everything... We've got professional theater!"

Yeah, right. The first thing they did was put on "Late Night Catechism." This is a one-woman play that's been put on in every church basement in town!!! Now the place is closed and is a rental theater for amateur theater groups.

I can't see a decent movie unless I head into the city or it's wildly popular despite being some type of art film.

I am bored out of my mind, because there's rarely something to do that stimulates my mind. I am not built to be a suburbanite!!!!!

[olckicker]

Of course, there is something like snobbishness, and self-indulgence, in this behaviour. We like to think we are an over-cultured nation, even if we have also stupid TV shows, moronic commercials, and less people who can read correctly than before.

In the U.S. "elitism" is associated with "intellectuals who think they're better than everyone else." Meanwhile the true elitists (CEOs, politicians, especially big media moguls) are sitting pretty and perpetuating "if you're so smart why aren't you rich."

[olckicker]

I am bored out of my mind, because there's rarely something to do that stimulates my mind. I am not built to be a suburbanite!!!!!

My literature professors who had a profound impact on my intellectual development were forced out of Benedictine University. It was an ugly incident that was surrounded by anti-intellectualism.

They were in the process of strengthening the english department, planting the seeds for a strong literary community in the west suburbs. But their goals were incompatible with the administration's focus on applied science, business and other profit disciplines.

[nicodemus]

They're in Western Europe then. My wife's parents nearly ******** a brick when she told them she was majoring in journalism. They're from India.

[Dr. Wankler]

My literature professors who had a profound impact on my intellectual development were forced out of Benedictine University. It was an ugly incident that was surrounded by anti-intellectualism.

They were in the process of strengthening the english department, planting the seeds for a strong literary community in the west suburbs. But their goals were incompatible with the administration's focus on applied science, business and other profit disciplines.

Good thread. Nothing to add except this post hits home, as my wife and I both work for a Benedictine college that is profoundly anti-intellectual for the reasons you outline above. Mammon is not a jealous god, though, so the abbott doesn't have any problem unscrupulously chasing money while pretending to be a monk.