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The Game is Rigged

Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education
November 30, 2015 Meghan Lozader

With the recent Presidential debates occurring, there has been an increase in conversations across the country around a variety of topics such as American values, work, and tax reform.  Questions arise about who will serve the country best, who has our values as a country in mind, and who is just placating the American public.  However, before we jump the gun in deciding the single best candidate for the 2016 Presidential election, I think it is important to call into question the true values of our current American society.  David Graeber argues in his article, Caring too much. That's the curse of the working classes., that there is a distinctive difference in how the varying classes talk about work (as a value, not a verb) and solidarity.  Specifically, that empathy is a working and lower class value, partially as a result of this view of work, as opposed to those in the upper class.  The argument is that it is only out of choice, rather than necessity, that one in the upper class works or shows empathy toward others.  Because empathy and kindness towards others is often classified in our society to be a more feminine trait, it is subsequently no surprise that women are the poorest of our society’s marginalized groups.  We have worked, some argue, to continue the cycle of oppression through feminizing poverty that go well beyond the wage gap (though this is still an important component).

In a time where we have seen the powerful impact of riots, protests, and speaking with one voice, the need for empathy is high across all identities.  As we move closer to the 2016 elections, I offer the question of what values does this country currently espouse and are those specific to only those in the majority.  We subscribe or dismiss candidates by identifying who does or does not hold the same perceived beliefs and values as we do individually (check out http://www.isidewith.com/), but at no point do we stop to critique, much less identify, the values we hold as a larger collective. If we asked those across all identities what they were looking for in their next leader, would the ideals of work and empathy make the cut?  The problematic nature of the current discourse around and from the current candidates is that we are perpetuating classist, racist, sexist, etc. ideals and allowing candidates to discuss the societal problems as concepts in lieu of offering solutions for bridging the disconnect across identities (hence the continuing cycle of oppression).  With the intent of our elections being divisive in nature, it’s of no surprise that we as a collective find it challenging to have one voice or fight for those who are currently being silenced by our political leaders.

Similarly, when it comes to speaking with one voice, we in the Higher Education realm would be remiss to overlook the targeted comment from Ohio Governor John Kasich regarding the role of colleges and universities.  Governor Kasich stated during the most recent Republican debate, “And, of course, in addition to that, we are working now to go after the cost drivers in our universities. And let me give you an example. Universities today have so many non-academic assets. At Ohio State they sold the parking garage and the parking lot, and they got $500 million because they shouldn’t be in the parking lot business. They shouldn’t be in the dining business, they shouldn’t be in the dorm business” (NY Times: Full Transcript of October 2015 Republican Debate).  While I admit that the sting for me was especially palpable as a staff member in University Housing, this is the divisiveness that is unnecessary across classes.  We as practitioners should be enraged that a potential candidate for United States President is calling into question the value of a co-curricular education.  Governor Kasich’s quote is instead suggesting that everything that occurs on a college campus outside of the classroom would be better if it were privatized. This assumes that everyone who attends college can navigate the system, which is in exact opposition to all of the services that have been added to increase equity within the collegiate environment.  As we move closer to November 2016, I encourage you to question the values being espoused by the candidates, the implications this has on higher education, and the repercussions of failing to challenge a classist society for our upcoming generation.

Meghan Luzader is both a Florida State and NC State alumna. She is currently  Coordinator in University Housing at Appalachian State in North Carolina. She is  passionate about social justice, sports, continual learning, and experiencing life.