Cultural Literacy

Cultural Literacy

What is the authentication of a truly educated person?In 1987, E.D. Hirsch published a volume entitled, Cultural Literacy.In it, he discussed topics that make the necessary elements of literacy in science, geography, and the arts. He included a comprehensive appendix of historic and legendary figures, scientific, geographic, and literary terms, and quotations that most educated people would be capable to identify.

he name appears in alphabetic order. A brief extract from one of the pages illustrates the comprehensiveness of information.L`etat c`est moiLincoln MemorialLet bygones be bygonesLincoln`s Second Memorial AddressLet me not to the union of trueLindberg, Charles A.minds/Admit impedimentslinear momentumLet sleeping dogs lieLinneausLetter from the Birmingham JaillipidLetter killeth, but the spirit givith lifeLippman, WalterHow many current high school seniors, college students, or adults can discover all or most of the terms above? According to Hirsch, a literate culture brings a nation together. In fact, it is often more inclusive that any ethnic culture. "It has no in-group, no generational or geographical preference. It can be down in the state or in the city, in a hovel or in a mansion, so long as the chance is given." (p.106)Such an instruction is dim to wash or ethnicity, so that inner city children would be open to the sami information as those in the suburbs.In Feb 2009, Liz Coleman, president ofBennigton College, addressed a TED conference that expanded on this idea.She uttered her vexation that that a truly liberal arts education no longer exists. Instead, she maintains, the curricula offerings at most colleges and universities emphasize a narrow scope that causes students to concentrate "more and more on less and less."She has re-vamped the program at Bennington College to include cross-disciplinary hands-on learning. She argues that they must be knowledgeable in broad-based liberal arts courses.Shouldn`t math and science students take the chance to study philosophy, literature, and history?Don`t we owe our doctors, lawyers and scientists, the power to read and value the humanities and music?Shouldn`t we endeavor to possess all Americans culturally literate?