Scholar examines value of education
Lena Altaffer | Daily Trojan
Examining education · Sara Atwood, a professor of English literature at Portland State University, visited USC on Thursday to speak at the 17th annual Ruskin Art Lecture in Doheny Memorial Library.
Portland State University Professor Sara Atwood spoke on the troubling portrayal of education in the United States’ contemporary market society Thursday at Doheny Memorial Library. The event was hosted by the Ruskin Art Club, a Los Angeles-based organization aimed at promoting the teachings of 19th-century art critic John Ruskin.
Atwood’s main argument involved the idea that a more functional view of education — a means to an end rather than an intrinsically valuable pursuit — resulted from the value placed on financial success and negatively impacted learning in today’s students. Atwood pointed out that a lack of focus on fine arts and crafts and a movement toward a more job-oriented education style were hallmarks of the new educational climate.
“We emphasize [career preparation] so much … that we don’t think about what education really means in and of itself,” Atwood said.
Atwood said that few students get to do what they love and explore the areas in which they are talented because the educational system is incredibly job-oriented and areas of concentration like the arts are seen as secondary, especially at the university level.
Atwood argued that the only way to remedy or improve the situation is to have students communicate their unrest with the current state of the system. However, she pointed out that colleges like USC are stepping in the right direction in terms of allowing a broader spectrum of education for its students.
“There seems to be a real interest and drawing to the arts at USC,” Atwood said.
Atwood noted that President C. L. Max Nikias sends out emails to the students and faculty with discussions about the fine arts.
Katherine Kelly, a sophomore majoring in English, found Atwood’s observations relevant to her educational experiences at the University.
“There is definitely a focus right now on the end goal of getting a job, but USC does well at providing a broader education for its students and encouraging everyone to participate in the arts,” Kelly said.
Gabriel Meyer, the executive director of the Ruskin Art Club, coordinated Thursday’s event, the 17th annual Ruskin Lecture held at the University.
“[The Ruskin Lecture] is a major event that begins the season of the Ruskin Art Club, Los Angeles’s oldest cultural art club that dates back to 1888,” Meyer said.
The Ruskin Art Club was started by a group of women in Los Angeles who wanted to educate themselves in the arts. The club was named after John Ruskin, who was a social activist for women’s rights and education in 19th century England.
Atwood, who published the book Ruskin’s Educational Ideals in 2011, believes that Ruskin’s thoughts on education and the problems occurring within the educational system are as relevant now as during the Industrial Revolution.
As a result, her lecture touched upon the modern challenges in education and how Ruskin’s ideas could be of help.
“The purpose of education is a very hot topic right now, [including] the shape of education [and] the goals of education,” Meyer said. “Ruskin has a great deal to say about education, and [Atwood] has written an insightful book about it.”
Since 2015, USC has hosted the Ruskin Art Club’s archives within the Special Collections Library. The club put many of the works on display during the event, which was the second time that USC Libraries has hosted the Ruskin Lecture.