September 2006

An increasing number of colleges are using “social class affirmative action” to increase the number of disadvantaged students in their classes. Maimon Schwarzschild critiques this trend, arguing (among other things) that a) class is too malleable a concept to reliably identify the disadvantaged, b) a projected predominance of immigrants receiving this “largesse” will lead to backlash against immigration, and c) such preferences invariably undermine academic standards.

Though I disagree with all 3 points, I’d just like to take on point c) here. Schwarzschild has very little to say about the benefits of having working class students in the classroom. In fields like physics and math, I can understand his sense of a straightforward tradeoff between inclusiveness and credentials (though I have some reservations). But it strikes me that some of the most important and interesting voices in the humanities are people whose unique life experiences have permitted them to see the bias or blind spots in existing patterns of inquiry. [more after jump] Read More »Social Class Affirmative Action