Summary Of Why Class Matters In Campus Activism By Courtney Martin
1055 Words5 Pages
In the world of literature, there are many different types of writing. In this aspect, some of the versions of expressing thought include argument, description, and cause essays. Each style requires a fluent use of language and good support in order to make the pieces shine. Although these varying categories are all captivating one way or another, a cause essay is a brilliant way to project a story or idea. Courtney Martin - a frequent author of cause essays - is one of the leading authors at the American Prospect. Although Courtney Martin has written an abundance of influential pieces such as Shoestrings attached and Revising the American Dream, her best piece by far was Why Class Matters in Campus Activism. The article Why Class Matters in…show more content… The article goes on to say “…it’s because privileged students at America's colleges and universities generally don't take the issue personally. Those who are politically active tend to set their sights on distant horizons -- the poor in India, say, or the oppressed in Afghanistan. Without their privileged-kid allies, first-generation college students, immigrants, and students dependent on financial aid are going to have a hard time creating the kind of buzz that Britain has just produced.” What this means is that the main reason students from the United States are not very receptive to college issues is because they believe that the real issues lie in foreign countries. This equates to the fact that most US students fail to recognize the domestic issues brought by by college price increases. The writing was also very keen to point out that “Many of us from middle- and upper-income backgrounds have been socialized to believe that it is our duty to make a difference, but undertake such efforts abroad -- where the "real" poor people are. “ Further pushing the idea that Americans believe that “real people on exist in countries far out of sight such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and South Africa. The reason countries outside the US tend to more actively pursue protest against negative actions is because they are more efficient at detecting the domestic issues in their…show more content… The article starts very brashly by saying that “As 50,000 students in the United Kingdom took to the streets last week in protest of pending budget cuts for school tuition, it was hard not to wonder: Where is the student movement here in the U.S.?” Most people don't think about this issue. But, the way the article brings is forward is intriguing because it highlights the reasons students from America react differently to college changes than do students in the UK and elsewhere. For context, the writing mentions that “ …U.K. crowds [are]almost 500 times as robust as those in the U.S.” 500 times! This means that for every ten US protesters, there are about 50000 students in the UK protesting. Moreover, The Article moves forwards by mentioning why the difference is so large. First, Ms. Martin dresses the issue that “… privileged students at America's colleges and universities generally don't take the issue personally.” Which is important because it differentiates students here to students abroad. Furthermore, she goes on to say “Many of us from middle- and upper-income backgrounds have been socialized to believe that it is our duty to make a difference, but undertake such efforts abroad -- where the "real" poor people are.” This is interesting because it gives us perspective as to what the Average US student believes to be the real issues