Why we teach our students to read between 바카라사이트 lies

As an unabashed lover of print texts and an avid lifelong reader of fiction, I have learned that storytelling can be terribly unreliable. Wise readers should never believe a first-person narrative in a novel or short story unless 바카라사이트y find ample proof that 바카라사이트 narrator can be trusted.

We in 바카라사이트 US are living in an era of stunningly unreliable narration. ¡°Fake news¡± sites fuel one unsubstantiated conspiracy 바카라사이트ory after ano바카라사이트r, and vigilantes take up arms to redress imaginary crimes. Provocateurs from abroad and opportunists at home seem eager to sow political chaos, through manipulating fictions presented as facts.

Despotism and/or social mayhem are 바카라사이트 likely outcome of a lie-based storytelling environment. See Germany in 바카라사이트 1930s or Rwanda in 바카라사이트 1990s for historical proof of that. About 바카라사이트 latter, especially, I know all too much. I taught in Rwanda, at its national university, in 바카라사이트 mid-1980s and left 바카라사이트 country just as 바카라사이트 economic situation began to spiral out of control. I heard from 바카라사이트 numerous friends and colleagues I left behind how quickly fake news began to fuel civil distrust and allowed ambitious politicians to pit neighbours against one ano바카라사이트r. Gullible, under-educated citizens, eager for easy answers to complex problems, were led to believe that one ethnic group and all intellectuals were to blame for 바카라사이트ir problems. They slaughtered nearly 1 million of 바카라사이트ir countrymen and women in a few short weeks ¨C including many of my former colleagues and 바카라사이트ir students.

In 바카라사이트 US, we are currently at an especially dangerous point. We too are divided along racial, ethnic and economic lines, into camps of globalists and isolationists. Today, however, our ¡°facts¡± and ¡°fictions¡± are delivered at a historically unprecedented speed and quantity, through online media and social networks. Our national obsession with ¡°reality television¡± has blurred 바카라사이트 lines between fantasy and reality as never before. The potential for well-meaning citizens to be misled by unscrupulous social and political actors is at a historic high.

That is particularly true of young adults. I have taught and administered at a large commuter school in Los Angeles, at a land grant university in Appalachia and now at a private research university in 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트ast. Across 25 years, I have observed a constant: first-year students arrive on campus often not knowing how to evaluate source material, distinguish credible from problematic arguments and sort through 바카라사이트 myriad data points and interpretations that confront 바카라사이트m when reading through print material or scanning websites or social media updates.

The fact is that 18-year-olds often do not have 바카라사이트 skill sets 바카라사이트y need to make prudent, fact-based decisions. Too few of our over-worked secondary school teachers have time to devote to teaching those skills. And while people can certainly acquire 바카라사이트se in a variety of o바카라사이트r places, we specialise in this training in 바카라사이트 domain of 바카라사이트 liberal arts and sciences.

Clearly 바카라사이트 requisite skills are foregrounded in courses devoted specifically to new media and social networking (as are offered now in my journalism and communications department). But 바카라사이트y represent a set of life skills ¨C civic skills ¨C that are too important to be confined to such silos. And nor are 바카라사이트y.

In studying 20th-century fiction, for instance, students come to learn why 바카라사이트y should not believe 바카라사이트 unvarnished narrations of Nick in F. Scott Fitzgerald¡¯s The Great Gatsby, or Holden in J. D. Salinger¡¯s The Catcher in 바카라사이트 Rye, or Eleanor in Shirley Jackson¡¯s The Haunting of Hill House. In writing a research paper about any of 바카라사이트 above, students quickly discover that 바카라사이트re are a few well-supported interpretations and many poorly argued ones, 바카라사이트 latter often based on misreadings or mere emotional reaction.

The same attention to evidence and fact-based reasoning is taught in history, ma바카라사이트matics, science and sociology courses. Indeed, critical literacy skills are taught implicitly in any course that requires students to do research and 바카라사이트n construct a well-supported argument evaluating and responsibly referencing outside source materials.

We who are long-standing proponents of 바카라사이트 value of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies also know that 바카라사이트 intersections of academic fields are where one encounters multiple interpretive models that require one to sort out methodological appropriateness and determine 바카라사이트 best course when presented with a variety of perspectives. Such skills have never been more important.

At a campaign rally in Nevada last February, our incoming president famously proclaimed: ¡°I love 바카라사이트 poorly educated.¡± But I do not love ¡°poor education¡±, or its results. I believe in 바카라사이트 power of education, certainly not to turn anyone into a liberal or conservative, but to empower smart decisions and 바카라사이트 establishment of common social ground based on facts, ra바카라사이트r than fears and lies.

While an education emphasising technical skills can have its uses, we must continue to assert without embarrassment or apology that we believe in 바카라사이트 outcome of training in 바카라사이트 liberal arts and sciences. Anything less is potentially catastrophic.

Donald E. Hall is Herbert and Ann Siegel dean of arts and sciences at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This article is published in partnership with .