As early as the 19th Century, higher education played a pivotal role in maintaining and creating economic markets by providing skilled labor. Even today, many desired positions with desired income levels require or prefer some sort of advanced degree above a high school diploma. Not only is this an economic necessity, it has also become part of the American middle class social status. That is, you may be looked down upon in many middle class circles if you do not have a degree.
With the obvious benefits being stated, the United States must look at why there is a growing hatred for higher education institutions to calm down social tension as well as finding more effective and efficient ways of creating the skilled labor force. This, now more noticeable, hatred can be described by economic, political, and social reasoning.
Economic
The economic reasoning for this hatred is quite simple noticing the economic hardship we are seeing today. Since higher education institutions have played a pivotal role in the labor markets, people are wondering why job vacancies are left unfilled due to lack of skilled laborers in those particular fields.
Political
The primary reason for any anger politically are taxes. Since tax dollars are used to support higher education and unemployment at a record high, Americans are upset that institutions are not living up to their pivotal role to appease the economic labor markets. A typical tax-hating citizen would wonder why they have to pay into a system that doesn't work.
Digging more historically in the political hatred, Americans, in general, have had an individualistic ethic. From the British Government to the New Deal of President Roosevelt, there has always been American anxiety of public expansion. When noticing the history of higher education, one can see a consistent growth of access to higher education, number of institutions, and federal/state programs that help increase access to all who want it. For example, the GI Bill (allowing funding for soldiers to go to college) was a significant policy that some regard the gate opening allowing many who, before then, could not go. One could tie the American anxiety of large public entities to the modern growth of higher education.
Social
Last but not least, there has been a modern social trend in which high school students are socialized by numerous social institutions to get a college degree, regardless of what students want to do. Adding that to the graduated college student struggling to find work in a sluggish economy, one can see the social uproar towards any higher education institution.
With this being a general overview of criticisms, one can point out many specifics that could demonize higher education institutions. At the the end of the day, we have to realize the importance of higher education, as well as how we can accommodate the criticisms that have been highlighted in the bad economic times in the 21st Century. Higher education has become a beacon of opportunity for many students. Unfortunately, the more students have access to such opportunity, the more students have to separate themselves from the growing pack.
The Situationalist
Written by Mike Lampe
