American idyll : academic antielitism as cultural critique / Catherine Liu.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Liu, Catherine.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Elite (Social sciences)--United States.

Elite (Social sciences).

Intellectuals--United States.

Intellectuals.

Education, Higher--United States.

Education, Higher.

United States--Social conditions--20th century.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (273 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Iowa City : University of Iowa Press, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

A trenchant critique of failure and opportunism across the political spectrum, American Idyll argues that social mobility, once a revered hallmark of American society, has ebbed, as higher education has become a mechanistic process for efficient sorting that has more to do with class formation than anything else. Academic freedom and aesthetic education are reserved for high-scoring, privileged students and vocational education is the only option for economically marginal ones.Throughout most of American history, antielitist sentiment was reserved for attacks aga

Contents:

Introduction: populist idylls, cultural politics

The problem with the meritocracy

Ordinary Americans, average students

The curious cult of religious practicality

Against all experts: no experience necessary

The new age of cultural studies: crisis in the PMC

Conclusion.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781609380519

1609380517

OCLC:

754794536