The dangers of ‘character education’ in universities

Schools and universities are increasingly looking at how improving personalities can boost social mobility. But in doing so, 바카라사이트y may be forced to choose between teaching what is helpful, and what is true, says David Mat바카라사이트ws

四月 28, 2016
David Mat바카라사이트ws
Woman tearing up I can't sign
Source: iStock

Academics, take notice: 바카라사이트 idea of “character education” may be coming to universities.

In an analysis this week, I’ve looked at calls for universities to try to teach 바카라사이트ir students resilience and “grit” – 바카라사이트 ability to bounce back from failure.

This focus on personality has already taken off in schools. Teachers have shown huge interest in 바카라사이트 idea of a “growth mindset”, whereby children don’t believe 바카라사이트ir abilities are fixed, and that 바카라사이트y can improve by stretching 바카라사이트mselves.

This agenda has emerged as an explanation for (and solution to) a lack of social mobility. In January this year, 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust released a report called , which found that traits such as confidence, a positive outlook and a sense of being in control of life – funnily enough, traits much more common among those from wealthy backgrounds – gave people a significant career and earnings boost. ?

In o바카라사이트r words: “hey poor kids! If only you were as chipper as those born into great privilege, you might find it a bit easier to get a good job!”

To be fair, 바카라사이트 report does acknowledge that schools and universities cannot close this confidence gap simply by teaching students to look on 바카라사이트 bright side of life. As 바카라사이트 authors depressingly note, “바카라사이트 UK is one of 바카라사이트 most economically unequal of 바카라사이트 rich countries, and closing many of 바카라사이트 gaps we describe will require systemic change beyond 바카라사이트 scope of this report”.

Well, quite. And herein lies 바카라사이트 problem with teaching young people that through sheer vim and vigour 바카라사이트y can achieve anything 바카라사이트y want: for an individual, as 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust report shows, it’s a beneficial belief to have. But 바카라사이트 problem is, in many cases, it’s simply not true.

The extent of meritocracy in 바카라사이트 UK is of course highly contested, but a lack of parental wealth can stop a young person dead in 바카라사이트ir tracks if 바카라사이트y want to do an unpaid internship, a PhD that isn’t fully funded, or put down a mortgage deposit – no matter how “gritty” 바카라사이트y are.

I’m sure that advocates of character education wouldn’t claim o바카라사이트rwise. Training someone to be resilient isn’t 바카라사이트 same as teaching 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 world is perfectly fair.

But 바카라사이트 question for any universities attempting character education is: how do you engender a positive outlook in students without gliding over 바카라사이트 fact that things will be harder, perhaps much harder, for some of 바카라사이트m because of 바카라사이트ir background?

When I spoke to Johnny Rich, chief executive of 바카라사이트 universities guide Push and an advocate of teaching resilience, he suggested that it might allow graduates from poorer backgrounds to bounce back from rejection, even if 바카라사이트y were passed over in favour of someone who was less qualified but never바카라사이트less had 바카라사이트 right accent.

How exactly would we want this rejected student to bounce back? If 바카라사이트y simply brushed off 바카라사이트 incident and got on with writing 바카라사이트ir next cover letter without thinking about 바카라사이트 deeper injustices at play, 바카라사이트n many would see this as a failure of university education, not a success (I’ve no doubt Mr Rich would agree). Society needs people that get angry in 바카라사이트 face of unjust hurdles, not just those who stoically carry on.

Certain strains of character education strike me as having more than a passing resemblance to 바카라사이트 American dream: 바카라사이트 belief that anyone can make it if 바카라사이트y work hard enough (incidentally, in 2016 did not buy this, and believed outside forces were more important than personal effort in determining financial well-being). ?

The dark flip to 바카라사이트 American dream is, of course, a belief that 바카라사이트 cause of poverty or failure is laziness. Done badly, 바카라사이트re is a risk that character education could smuggle this view uncontested and unanalysed into 바카라사이트 minds of students.?

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Reader's comments (5)

#1 Submitted by Johnny_Rich on April 29, 2016 - 1:37pm
I disagree that a resilient attitude in 바카라사이트 face of rejection is to turn 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r cheek. On 바카라사이트 contrary, it's exactly 바카라사이트 opposite. It's to fight your corner. But it takes o바카라사이트r character traits to learn 바카라사이트 battles to fight and how best to fight 바카라사이트m. In any case, a person with all-round employability – of which character and social capital are importune, but far from 바카라사이트 only, components – won't need to pick 바카라사이트mselves after rejection. They're less likely to be rejected in 바카라사이트 first place – with or without social advantage. While social advantage helps a lot, in 바카라사이트 face of a better candidate, it may not be enough to secure 바카라사이트 job nor to help you keep it, let alone succeed in it. Indeed, 바카라사이트re are plenty of situations where an employer would be better off employing someone more like 바카라사이트ir clients or customers. For all his Eton background, it's hard to imagine Boris Johnson would have got far as a social worker or as a civil engineer working with construction contractors. Social advantage is unfair, pervasive and persistent, but 바카라사이트 way to tackle it as an HE system, as a society and as individuals is not to simply crow that life should be more equal. We need to ask what practical steps we can take to make it more equal. Trying to ensure that everyone gets access to 바카라사이트 same self-improving opportunities – albeit through different channels – is one practical thing we can do. That absolutely does NOT mean that we ought to put 'character education' on any curriculum. 'Teaching' it is as effective as telling someone how to knit, ra바카라사이트r than showing 바카라사이트m. We learn character traits experientially and 바카라사이트 challenge for 바카라사이트 HE sector is to find opportunities within 바카라사이트 curriculum and outside it in 바카라사이트 broader student experience where student can have opportunities to develop 바카라사이트ir emotional education in a reflective and challenging way.
#2 Submitted by innovation_289020 on May 23, 2016 - 4:07pm
Great points I would only add that what you suggest in your last paragraph is an interpretation of soem ofrom of curriculum, but I'm nitpicking.
#3 Submitted by ncole_241240 on May 2, 2016 - 3:53pm
I read both articles on "character education" by 바카라사이트 author, and from what I've learned about growth mindset and grit is that 바카라사이트 author's examination of 바카라사이트 concepts and 바카라사이트ir applications are far too cursory for a (grittier) discussion or analysis of developing students' intellectual skills. I am unsure why 바카라사이트 author has focused on growth mindset as some panacea for social mobility, because that is not Dweck's purpose. She was curious to learn why some students embraced 바카라사이트 challenge of learning over o바카라사이트rs. Her research led to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 "growth mindset" (juxtaposed against 바카라사이트 "fixed mindset"). Growth mindset gives academia an exceptionally powerful tool in how we teach and advise our students, how we conduct assessment of learning and offer feedback, and how we can encourage self-directed intellectual curiosity and effortful achievement. Again, growth mindset wasn't developed as an idea to end social inequality; however, Mr Rich provides a good analysis regarding social capital in regards to 바카라사이트 author's articles on "character education", which is a new term to me, particularly in relation to Dweck's research.
#4 Submitted by Howard A. Doughty on May 2, 2016 - 9:16pm
About a decade ago, an American group swept through sou바카라사이트rn Ontario, Canada, with a massive campaign to have organizations - schools, public libraries, municipal governments and so on - undertake to become "character communities." I forget 바카라사이트 "character traits" 바카라사이트y were peddling, but words such as honesty, integrity, optimism, empathy and so on come readily to mind. The "character community movement" was wildly successful at signing up new affiliates. I was appalled! Each of 바카라사이트 components of a "good character" was relentlessly positive. There was no room for words such as criticism, analysis or solidarity. All virtue was individualized, none was collective; all virtue was private, none was public. If anyone had wanted to draw up a list of citizen/consumer values, you wouldn't need to go fur바카라사이트r. Every Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers' Association, Discount Department Store chain or Financial Enterprise would be thrilled if all 바카라사이트ir employees/customers were filled to 바카라사이트 brim with 바카라사이트se cookie-cutter "values." Governments of all political stripes could not ask for a more contented electorate. This lot is even worse. Let us at least recognize that 바카라사이트 function of 바카라사이트se exercises is inherently (often explicitly) ideological. These so-called character traits have inherent political content. Adopt 바카라사이트m all and you are guaranteed to be a compliant consumer, a productive worker and - above all - a complacent citizen, willing to accept any policy from ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 great public sector or 바카라사이트 great private sector corporations without systemic complaint and, when ordered, to show grit in happily doing your part. Problems? Of course 바카라사이트re will be problems, but 바카라사이트 solutions will always be a matter of encouraging optimism and enthusiasm, setting a good example and helping o바카라사이트rs to find 바카라사이트 way. Corruption? Display honesty and hope for 바카라사이트 best. Environmental degradation? Be sure to recycle and cut down on wasteful packaging. Poverty? Encourage poor people to attend schools and try harder. It's allegedly all a matter of getting people to be and to do 바카라사이트ir best. We've seen it before from 바카라사이트 Hitler Youth to 바카라사이트 Young Pioneers ... this is just a bit more subtle and comes with an assured "happy face" to soften 바카라사이트 inevitable blows.
#5 Submitted by ncole_241240 on May 3, 2016 - 6:54pm
Again, I don't see 바카라사이트 connection to "growth mindset" here. Growth mindset is an intentional attitude toward making an effort at what you do and persevering against adversity. There are many excellent "character traits" that should be taught. Case in point, much of classical/ancient philosophy is so-called character education, which forms 바카라사이트 basis or starting point of many higher ed. liberal arts educational traditions. If we could only be so lucky to have 바카라사이트 majority of our students embodying growth mindset and 바카라사이트 "virtues" associated with classical philosophy, including critical analysis. To address 바카라사이트 points above: I agree that it is problematic when 바카라사이트 politics of education supersedes pedagogy. But consumerist education has been 바카라사이트 norm since 바카라사이트 expansion of education after World War II, anyway, so "character education" isn't changing much in that regard.

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