Summary of 7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts When it comes to the discussion about liberal arts degrees, most people in today’s crippling economics believe that it’s a luxury degree, that only the “rich” can afford to obtain, or an education meant for those who want to become involved with politics. Others also believe that those who major in liberal arts will be less likely to make a career of it and view America subordinate against other countries. In his article “7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal arts,” Sandford J. Ungar takes a stand against the common misperceptions about a liberal arts degree. As a liberal-arts college president Ungar acknowledges that the cost for an American higher education is dramatically increasing.…
In “The New Liberal Arts” by Sanford J. Ungar, he explains seven misperceptions about the liberal-arts to a college-based audience including students, professors, and administration. He explains the importance and relevance of a liberal-arts education. Ungar claims that the liberal arts is a better investment because it prepares students for career placement by giving them skills in communicating effectively, thinking creatively, and understanding comprehensively. Ungar successfully…
The liberal arts are many things. The study of liberal arts encompasses the arts as suggested by the title, math, and certain science (such as astronomy). It is debated by some whether the study of liberal arts is a good idea or not. A student on the verge of graduating high school have the decision on what to study. Often, he is told to study for just a specific career path and not to worry so much about general studies or the liberal arts.…
He said that they would catch up fast and their background shouldn’t dictate and/ or discourage them to get a liberal arts degree. The fourth misperception, one should not in this day and age study only arts. Ungar’s disputed that the liberal arts degree has a variety of classes that not only arts such as math and science. The fifth misperception, Ungar’s argued that a liberal Democrat has nothing to do with a liberal arts education and liberal arts are a conservative approach. The sixth misperception America is a country that…
Which one of Sanford Ungar's comments on the Liberal Arts is the most accurate, and why? Explain using examples from your own experiences in school. Sanford Ugnar’s comment on the Liberal Arts misperception number 4 is the most accurate. It is factual that Liberal Arts has been interpreted in many different ways, not only in arts. According to history, Liberal Arts refers to certain areas in other subject area such as language, literature, art history, music history, philosophy, history, mathematics, psychology and science.…
Yoni Applebam’s essay titled “A Liberal Arts Education for Business Majors” was published in The Atlantic on June 28th, 2016.This article is about why business majors should consider getting educated in liberal arts. To summarize the article, it mainly talked about how business majors are too focused on their business degrees, when they should be focusing on liberal arts, too. The reason for this is while people can still get jobs in their field, more and more businesses and companies are looking for people who also have a degree in liberal arts, as well as what their actual job requires them to have. They find liberal arts majors more innovative. Applebaum also states that they want someone with “an education that allows them to grow, adapt,…
Education today is often criticized for conforming all students to the same ideas and not letting them truly expand their minds and be creative. Students are held back by curriculum that intends to broaden their intellectual ability while it really narrows it and shuts out a lot of different outlets that are just waiting to be taken advantage of by these students. In Sanford J. Ungar’s The New Liberal Arts he addresses the many misperceptions made by Americans about Liberal Arts degrees and why they are no longer useful in the modern world. Many Americans believe that because of the current economic situation that an added expense of a liberal arts degree is wasteful, they also assume that employers no longer are looking for liberal arts degrees…
In the article “Only Connect…”, William Cronon writes about the qualities gained through a liberal arts education. Cronon (1998) believed, that best type of education, is based off “nurturing human talents to expand the amount of freedom”, experienced in a society (p. 1). Even though not many people really understand how a liberal arts education work, it instills values that make effective leaders. Liberal education has changed quite a lot throughout history. This education was once solely for aristocrat males that focus on bettering themselves, to separate themselves from the population.…
There’s a Chinese Proverb that says, “Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get back up again.” I really wish I heard that quote when I thought I was a failure, but really was just being lazy. In Carol Dweck’s article “Brainology” a study is conducted on seventh grade students and their mindsets. Their mindsets were measured and studied for two years. Dweck studied the difference between the fixed mindset and the growth mindset students and how they did in school.…
I was incredibly doubtful at first, but after being here for three months, I believe that I am seeing the value and purpose of a liberal arts education. A liberal arts education stills involves specializing in a certain area, but it also involves branching out and learning about other individuals’ areas of study. In the past, I have been unable to comprehend how some majors could have any use in the world and I unfortunately looked down upon certain people who majored in these areas. However, I have come to view everyone more equally since I have come to Wheaton. I have taken English writing classes and music classes and these have helped me understand how people majoring in these areas can use their gifts to glorify God.…
With the questioning of the traditional educational system, many offer alternate solutions to combat these misperceptions such as the article written by Sanford J. Ungar, “The New Liberal Arts”. While liberal-art degrees rarely statistically illustrate much success,…
Charles Murray expresses in his article that a liberal arts education should not be so important to everyone and that for many people, it can be very difficult and…
We are still learning all those aspects of liberal arts education, but as God would want us to deal with those elements. For a Christian liberal arts education, we need to not only focus on how what we are doing is affecting us, but also how is it contributing to the world around us so that we may follow the path God has set for us. As Homes states, “Unless we understand the thought- and value-patterns of our day, as well as those of biblical revelation and the Christian community, and unless we speak fluently the language of our contemporaries, we tragically limit our effectiveness.” To be effective we need to act and think as…
In his arguments, Ungar points out that while many believe a “liberal-arts degree is a luxury,” it is not (227). It may indeed be true that pursuing such a degree is more expensive and that families are struggling financially, but Ungar argues that it “a better investment” as it teaches the students how to communicate in an effective way and how to be critical thinkers which allows for them to be “innovative and creative” (227-228). He then supports this by making a claim based off a survey in 2009 that the majority of the employers are indeed looking for those with a liberal arts education instead due to them possessing the abilities already mentioned. Another argument he makes is that one should not just focus on the STEM fields and that one should expand and diversify their learning, which is what a liberal arts education can provide (229). While Ungar admits that while it is possible to gain such an education through a larger university, it does not provide “a close interaction between faculty members and students” and that there isn’t a “sens of community” (232).…
Sitting in Algebra II, you may think to yourself: when am I ever going to use any of this in the real world? You are going to use all of the skills you learn in Algebra II more than you will ever realize. Using trigonometry, linear functions, series and sequences, and rational functions are prevalent in everyday life. In this fun, exciting report, you will learn about many situations in which you use Algebra II without even recognizing it!…