Kelin Tham-Graul
ASA 2 A03
Week 5
While reading The Imperial University by Piya Chatterjee and Sunaina Maira, I was surprised by the far-reaching presence of the military throughout our society. Learning about the connections between World War II and United States education—which in turn connects to the rest of the population—was especially insightful. Although historical events and undertakings such as the Manhattan Project are often studied only in the context of history, they continue to affect our society even today and shape the worldviews of everyday citizens, including those who may believe that they are unconnected to the military. When considering the widespread influence of the university, it is staggering to think about how biased our education has been and how deeply engineered our perspectives are.
While reading The Imperial University by Piya Chatterjee and Sunaina Maira, I was surprised by the far-reaching presence of the military throughout our society. Learning about the connections between World War II and United States education—which in turn connects to the rest of the population—was especially insightful. Although historical events and undertakings such as the Manhattan Project are often studied only in the context of history, they continue to affect our society even today and shape the worldviews of everyday citizens, including those who may believe that they are unconnected to the military. When considering the widespread influence of the university, it is staggering to think about how biased our education has been and how deeply engineered our perspectives are.
With this in mind, one of the ideas that stood out was how “manifest knowledges” further attempt to legitimize the United States’ actions in the eyes of the people and ingrain the worldviews that the system wants us to have. This reminded me of the funding for programs that President Obama signed into law to re-narrate the Vietnam War and disperse a more favorable narrative. In my own experience, it is true that students are taught to believe misinformation throughout their education, beginning at a young age. My own elementary school curriculum, for example, taught students to idolize Christopher Columbus for his “discovery” for America and failed to include the narrative of Native Americans. Although my later education revealed the truth about Columbus and similar historical figures, the fact that the concept of “manifest knowledges” is so prevalent throughout education, even higher education, leads me to wonder what other information remains hidden.
Question: How can we better educate ourselves on hidden narratives when the system seems intent on promoting only certain information?
Question: How can we better educate ourselves on hidden narratives when the system seems intent on promoting only certain information?
References:
Chatterjee, P., & Maira, S. (2014). The Imperial University. London: University of Minnesota Press.
American Imperialism. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2017, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/american-imperialism/
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