Hidden Intellectualism : An Analysis Of Gerald Graff's Hidden Intellectualism

The essay Hidden Intellectualism is based upon whether street smart should be considered equal with academic intelligence. Many people have remarkable street intelligence, but have very little academic intelligence. The author of the essay, Gerald Graff uses his personal examples before college of possessing street smarts then developing academic intelligence. More often than not students prefer video games, clothes designers and sports. “It’s a good bet that students get hooked on reading and writing by doing term papers on Source, they will eventually get to On Liberty” (Graff, pg 250) most likely students would prefer reading a book and writing a paper on a topic of their choice, and be better informed about the subject to write the paper,

Gerald Graff compares book smart intellectuals and street smart intellectuals. He thinks that people who are street smart are people who are not given the chance to show that they actually are intelligent. Graff states that he used to consider himself street smart rather than book smart, or so he thought. Later in life Mr.Graff realized that was not his case. He verified he was smart, just in topics that the schools did not acknowledge people being smart

“There must be many buried or hidden forms of intellectualism that do not get channeled into academic work…” (Graff 22), this said by non-other than Gerald Graff himself within his article “Hidden Intellectualism”. This quote being his overall main point of the entire article. Graff meaning that students can be intellectual even if they feel like they aren’t a book smart student. Graff argues that students who are street smart could also be intellectual. Within Graff’s article, there are a few arguments he makes that I agree with but also a few that I disagree with. “Hidden Intellectualism” offers various points about how every student possesses intellectualism but it’s also possible that not every student possesses this trait.

Within our society, there is a growing anti-intellectual sentiment. Bradbury’s book explores the idea of anti-intellectualism through the values of the society of Fahrenheit 451. The society of Bradbury’s novel began to gravitate away from intellectual pursuits and became “runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be” (Bradbury 55). The desire to become educated and informed simply is outweighed by the struggle one must undergo to do so. For the average citizen of Fahrenheit 451, and indeed for that of our modern day and age, action is easier than thought. The attitude is reflected in student athletes or should I say, athlete students, specifically in America. High schools

Most people, when asked, say that a person is intelligent if they have “book smarts.” People that are book smart can write and converse about subjects taught in school. On the other hand, people with “street smarts” aren’t seen as intellectuals because the subjects they are knowledgeable about are not traditional. In his essay called “Hidden Intellectualism,” Gerald Graff insists that schools and colleges are missing an opportunity to translate street smarts into academic work.

Academic work should not define intelligence nor should a job define ability; a person, regardless of grades, degrees, or job title, is an intellect. Together, Gerald Graff, a coauthor of They Say I say, professor, and former anti-intellect, author of "Hidden Intellectualism," and Mike Rose, professor, author, and in depth thinker, author of "Blue-Collar Brilliance," share two different perspectives on what an intellect truly is. Yet, both writings hold meaningful points and experiences to prove who qualifies to be an intellect. Society continuously focuses on what leads to a successful and rounded life: go to school, graduate, go back to school, get a degree, and then a job. It is believed that these high expectations of higher academics enables one to be more successful is correct; however, it is not. It is a person’s individual goals that give them the success they wish to have whether that be education, volunteering, or donating. Also, street smarts is not to be overlooked; a person with common sense can know more than a Doctor. Typically, a person can have either common sense or intelligence, not both. Street smarts is, without a doubt, a superior quality to possess as it encompasses more in life than just a degree does. For example, it is more appropriate to know how to cross a street properly in life than know how to perform a craniotomy. Furthermore, one does not gain knowledge and life lessons through school alone, but through experience,

Co-author of “They Say/I Say” handbook, Gerald Graff, analyzes in his essay “Hidden Intellectualism” that “street smarts” can be used for more efficient learning and can be a valuable tool to train students to “get hooked on reading and writing” (Graff 204). Graff’s purpose is to portray to his audience that knowing more about cars, TV, fashion, and etc. than “academic work” is not the detriment to the learning process that colleges and schools can see it to be (198). This knowledge can be an important teaching assistant and can facilitate the grasping of new concepts and help to prepare students to expand their interests and write with better quality in the future. Graff clarifies his reasoning by indicating, “Give me the student anytime

College has always been a process that introduces students to academic challenges that are not present during high school. So when my professor assigned Gerald Graff's essay, "Hidden Intellectualism", I thought this was his thesis. “Missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into good academic work." (Graff 142) I thought that this was his thesis because it explains the main idea of the essay but I assumed its purpose because of where it’s placed. I am so used to reading an essay in high school where the thesis is located right in the first paragraph. So naturally that is where I look for it. However, with more reading I knew that the following is the thesis, not only because it discusses the main topic, but

Many times a student will be generalized into a category of book smart or street smart. A teacher or person of higher authority can overlook a pupil’s potential intellect due to their grades not being the most attractive in a main course subject. Gerald Graff expands to his audience on different areas of the world such as sports intriguing him and bringing out his “book smart” side. In Gerald Graff’s Hidden Intellectualism, Graff argues that all too often students are not given enough variety of topics to demonstrate their potentially brilliant mind. Due to teachers solely focusing on the print of the textbook it has become the norm to brush off students who may not excel in those areas, therefore, not try to explore where their actual skillful side can arise.

In the argumentative article “Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff, the author suggests that schools are missing the true potential in its students by assigning them topics that they are not passionate about.  He argues that “... schools and colleges might be at fault for missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into good academic work.” I agree because there are students who don’t do well academically, but could answer anything you asked them about sports or any other outside activity. If Graff’s idea was applied to schools around the world there would be an increase in student success rate, an increase in students attendance, and an overall increase in student productivity.

In Gerald Graff’s “Hidden Intellectualism” we get to hear a new perspective on the early academic world. He grew up as a kid that was not interested in pursuing anything relating to school as an academic focus. He was more interested in things like sports. As he went through his early academic career he was convinced that he was a typical “anti-intellectual” and because of this he often felt alienated by school and regularly found himself very bored. As he continued to dislike average academics and pursue his interest in sports, he realized that the two were not as far off intellectually as he had previously assumed.

In the essay, Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff there was a lot of comparing between “street smarts” and “book smarts”. He talks about how people are different intellectually. More students may be interested in class or writing a paper is it is on a topic that they’re interested in. (244-251)

The main argument of essay Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff begins with the difference between book smarts and street smarts. Graff explains that book smarts are in various forms and hide in people call street smarts, hence the hidden intellectualism. He also considered himself that in childhood he realized that he was intellectually gifted when he noticed that he was using reason and argumentative strategies while discussing sports with friends. Graff describes that through his arguing and reasoning, he was showing his intellectual side. He also gives another example of Michael Warner, a man who also realized his intellectual side through his arguing except instead of sports, he was arguing the Christian Pentecostal views of his parents.

The main argument of essay “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff book smarts versues street smarts. Graff trying to explains, How street smarts can grow more if intitutions give them a opportunity to succed He also considered himself as an example that in childhood he realized that he had an hidden intellectualism when he argue with his friends on sports and various other activities. Graff also describes that through his arguments and reasons which he give to prove he is right was the sign that he is intllegrnt and smart. He also gives another example of Michael Warner, a man who discovered is intellectual side while discussing and arguing on the Christian Pentecostal views of his parents.

Over the past month, we have been studying the concept of reading and writing in different communities. To assess this, we have read two different texts. Richard Rodriguez’s the achievement of desire”, from his autobiography “Hunger of Memory”; and Lucille McCarthy’s “A Stranger in Strange Lands: A College Student Writing across the Curriculum” from “Research in the Teaching of English”. Both answer key questions regarding what it takes to become a great reader and writer, however, from the reading that I have done, each one only answers one part of the question. Rodriguez’s main focus is in the aspect of reading, whereas McCarthy mainly focuses on the writing portion. Both do a decent job of analyzing and putting forth a view of how they believe a person can best perform in these environments. This then allows us to use their concepts and create our own version, based on their points of view. But why should we care? Most people at this level of academia will have developed a system of writing that works for them, and will have a difficult time breaking from it if they’re process doesn’t meet the criteria that Rodriguez, and McCarthy put forth. The reason it’s so important is because of implications these ideas have. Both authors put forth concepts that are indirectly related to one another and that are highly beneficial to all who will apply them. They will force you to conform to new environments in order to succeed, this in turn will make you more