Primal cultures applied to student apathy

by: Carly Le Blanc

9/3/07
“Primal people view the world as fresh each day”

I thought the discussion we had about the active nature of primal cultures was especially interesting. Critical investigation distances me from the subject matter but I engage in it everyday. I consider much of school to be critical investigation and I wondered if this was a contributor to the recent problem of apathy in students. In my Sociology 314 course we discussed a list of teacher’s top complaints concerning problems with their students. Student Apathy has been in the top three as of recently, students simply don’t seem to care about school. Of course, this does not apply to every single student, but the overwhelming majority. Much of school consists of reading static texts and using technologies such as calculators and computers. Students view college as a means to an ends, instead of focusing on the process of learning. Oral cultures view the world through processes, not in terms of cause-and-effect and outcomes. They do not engage in analytical reflection or attach personal meaning to information. Perhaps students are become disinterested in learning because of the recent emphasis on outcomes on high-stakes testing. If they conduct themselves through abstract, symbolic interaction and are pushed to focus on outcomes, they are in the primal view thrown into chaos. It was said that “the truly human dimension is spiritual” but students are being denied this facet of life every day. How can students be expected to fully develop, even show interest in an institution that ignores inherent human needs?