Hidden Intellectualism - Research Paper Sample

Gerald Graff's article

Those not familiar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it boils down to the intellects out in the streets who never attended school. In the article "Hidden Intellectualism" the author Gerald Graff takes pessimists stand in his open statement to support his argument that intellects do not exist only in academics. It is considered a waste when a person skilled and talented in some many different aspects of their lives fails in their academic pursuits. In the streets, they are called the "street smart" who do poorly in school but in the school of life are the best. Schools and colleges may be assumed to be the hub of intellects but fail to tap into these street smarts and convert their intellect to academic work.

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Graff is surely right about schools and colleges overlooking the intellectual potentiality that the street smarts possess because as he may not be aware, recent studies have shown that the street smarts area among the top society makers. The fact that the street smarts are associated with anti-intellectual concerns is misguided. The association of the educated life with subjects that are considered weighty and academics can be supported by the academic intellects like Plato and Shakespeare. The world of nuclear fusion the world's top chemists and physicians but the world of cars, dating, fashion or video games according to Graff is associated with the street smarts (Graff 61). In the studies of recent times, they support that apart from education talent and ability is a source of intellectualism. The goals of schools and colleges are common and get those in the system at a relatively common destination.

Ideology of George Orwell

Although Graff accepts as true about his argument, many professors and scholars would take issue with the argument that academic prowess is not a sign of intelligence. The argument is often undermined by a lack of considerable ambiguity on the relation between intelligence and academic achievement. It is argued that intellects will always turn a subject of discussion to grist through the insights the build from it. However, non-intellects are said to drain the interest of the richest subject. Graff draws George Orwell's to make a convincing argument by negatively viewing scholars by claiming that in his writing on "The cultural meaning of penny postcards" has a considerable influence compared to the theories passed by other professors.

According to the author, he focuses on the ideology of George Orwell in writing on cultural meaning. George brings to light his personal experience in Paris. It is the idea of a state that he will starve in a short while that he is ready to proclaim any ideology that would get him food or a job (Orwell 14). Education in its setting does not allow the defiance of personal principals. Street intellects will carve something out of wanting situation. I agree to Graff that standardized text should not define a student but rather a student should be allowed to study what interest them most. Graff feels that it is not a matter of how well you perform in the standardized text but in what you find passion.

Graff's claim that his preference in the reading of sports articles over school work was not a riot of anti-intellectualism but rather intellectualism by other means rests upon the questionable assumption that there exist street smarts. In the hoods the author grew there existed a conflict between the educated and the anti-educated (Orwell and Jonson 62). There seems to be a drawing line between the ideologies of the two groups at the time. Graff being torn between the egghead and the intellects was already practicing being an intellectual before he chose that was what he wanted to be. Even with sports, he had read about he realized that it brought an intellectual feeling as it involved a lot of debates, analysis, and statistics. Street smart beat the book smart because of their intellectual thirst.

The involvement in social debates

Though I concede that intellectualism is not in the books only, I insist that having a thirst for some reading would increase the street smartness that one possesses. Street smarts shine because they find a way to satisfy the thirst of the community. The involvement in social debates makes them part of the community. Unlike school that tends to isolate you from the society, sports debate will put you into the community. A discussion on football analysis nowadays is acceptable all over the world. When stars like Lionel Messi are celebrated all around the world in his professional capacity as a footballer.

Schools have become an advent of completion, and it has become an invidious battle as you climb the ladder. A sports-oriented education curriculum, therefore, presents better value as opposed to the test oriented curriculum. In a nutshell, Graff would feel that it does not stock how well you perform in academics, but rather the passion you have. He also derives the fact that you are academically educated does not reciprocate how successful you get in the school of life.

Work Cited

Graff, Gerald. Hidden Intellectualism. 1st ed. Web.

Orwell, George, and Will Jonson. Down And Out In Paris And London. 1st ed. Print.

Orwell, George. Ideology In The Works Of George Orwell: A Socio-Cultural Approach In The Wake Of Raymond Williamst Cultural Materialism. 1st ed. 2008. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.