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The
Case For Appalachian Studies
page 19
If
possible, the student is relieved of his ignorance, his biases, his
accent, and -- as a result -- almost all of his old identity. He
may graduate not being quite sure who he is. American education
has been preoccupied with programs and standards that homogenize and
assimilate persons. Individual differences have been tolerated
only until they could be changed.
The colleges continue and intensify a channeling process begun by the
earliest elementary teacher to send the culturally different
student -- ashamed of his background and ill-equipped to meet the needs
of his region -- into middle-class society outside the region or out of
productive society entirely.
In fact, these institutions seem to do more of a disservice to the
region than a service to the extent that they accept within their walls
the "cream of the crop" -- the valedictorians and
salutatorians -- and not only refuse to promote a regional consciousness
on the part of this potential leadership -- but rather encourage them to
get "educated" so they will be able to "get out" of
the region.
If he works and studies hard, the math student is told, he may be able
to get a job with IBM In New York. If he works and studies hard,
the business administration major is told, thing of the opportunities
... perhaps he can land a job with the Sheraton in Honolulu! If he
works and studies hard, the medical student is told, think of the
opportunities! Perhaps he can practice in one of the newest and
most modern hospitals -- with corresponding equipment -- like in Dallas,
or perhaps, an almost-as-well-equipped hospital in some wealthy suburb.
In fact, there is a not at present a single Appalachian studies program
in the region which could begin to rival the offerings of Far Eastern
Studies or astronomy.
A student can, and most do, go through four years of college in the
region's institutions of higher education without having a think in the
classroom related to the problems of the mountains surrounding them.
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