Quote:
Bardan, who Slays, wrote:
True, but if they were going to make the best 100 doctorsn / linguists / mathemeticians, I wouldn't care that they were all white. I would want the best students to get the places.
Again, I see here the large difference between US colleges and Uk Universities. At UK universities, you study *one* subject for 3 years. Unis aren't inteerested in turning out people who are well-rounded as a priority. We're interested in taking poeple with a talent for their subject abd educating them in that subject. I understand that in the USA, a person who was brilliant at maths and ohysics would fail college if he couldn't spell, was rubbish at history and geography, and was a total loss at foreign languages. At UK universities, the prime test for entrance is your results at tests.
Another one of those cultural difference things, I see.
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Okay, I don't want to rehash the other arguments which I think we covered relatively well. I will admit I have shared or do share your points on many of the race issues. Frankly, I waffle on the issue, as I mentioned. As a true fence-sitter and bona fide Devil's Advocate, I'd probably have argued your side if someone posted the arguments I took up.
However, I do want to explore a large cultural difference that is important to consider on this issue. In Europe, from what I have come to understand from your many varied and beautiful women I've had the privilege to know over the years, the notion of what college is differs. Here, college is a generalized education with one specific area of "major" study. There, it is much more focused on one subject, as your post alludes to. There a benefits and drawbacks to each system.
Here, though, you must generally (there are exceptions) pursue professional or other advanced post-college degrees to be considered an expert in a field. In Germany, you can graduate High School and four years later you can practice law. Here, the law requires a college degree plus three years of law school. In general, the consensus I gather is that European college graduates are better in their respective fields while US college graduates are more generally knowledgible and well-rounded.
Personally, I went to a liberal arts college, and I prefer a great deal of cross-disciplinary studies. Of course, I'm also into the Athenian notion of a "whole citizen."
This point comes back round to diversity in colleges because the first sentence of what I quoted (100 best mathematicians, etc.) is a utilitarian view. Who doesn't want their doctor to be a truly actualized professional? But, here, that doesn't apply to the undergraduate institutions, where the education is about (1) your major field plus (2) your minor field plus (3) several general required courses plus (4) social maturity (yes, here, frat parties are considered a part of the education). So, the wholeness diversity brings to the human learning experience is more important than getting that # 1 math major.
The logic you apply applies in the US to the professional schools and higher graduate degrees. No one goes to law school or graduate school in forensics for anything other than to get a career (well, they don't stay long if they go for another reason
).
As a final aside, law school happens to be an example, BTW, where diversity is *still* a preferred characteristic. But, I think this is possible unique to law school. It finds its basis in the notion that a good part of making/interpreting/arguing the law is based in the different points of view people have about life and justice. And for that, a radical view or two, and a few different ethnic views, help the whole class.