Notes on Mike Rose's Argument on Intelligence and Education

Rose's Argument on Intelligence and Value

  • Rose emphasizes that intelligence is not solely defined by formal education.
  • He urges awareness of how societal stigma and values placed on intelligence (often tied to schooling) can unfairly determine an individual's life path.
  • Rose rejects the notion that formal education is the sole indicator of intelligence, pushing against the idea that intelligence "only looks a certain way."
  • He challenges readers and society to consider how we value people, and the amount of value attributed, based on their schooling or perceived intelligence.
  • His work implicitly questions the cultural hierarchy that might place a Harvard graduate above someone with an Ivy Tech skill certificate, advocating for a broader understanding of worth.

Why Rose Uses Personal Stories Over Data

  • Relatability: Personal stories serve as concrete examples, helping readers connect his arguments to their own lives and experiences.
  • Origin of Ideas: Rose illustrates the genesis of his ideas, demonstrating that his insights weren't arbitrary but stemmed from deeply personal observations.
  • Observational Skill Development: He highlights his early development of keen observational skills—a critical asset throughout his career. For instance, he recounts the experience of being in his mother's restaurant at a young age, stating on page 4444, "I couldn't put it in words but when I grew up and I had served in my mother's restaurant to find the world," showing how he processed his surroundings.
  • Personal Educational Background: Rose shares his own struggles (a "spotty academic record," time on a "vocational track," entering college "on probation" as mentioned on page 4545) to underscore that intelligence and success are not always linear or easy achievements, making his argument more authentic.
  • Accessibility: As an educator and scholar, Rose strives to make academia accessible to a wider audience. He avoids solely presenting "facts and figures" or a "bunch of statistics" because such an approach can limit readership. By using personal narratives, he bridges the gap between his working-class roots and the academic world he now inhabits, making complex ideas digestible for everyone.

Dominant Cultural Beliefs Challenged by Rose

  • Low-Skilled Labor Equalling Lack of Intelligence: Rose actively pushes back against the assumption that physically demanding or "blue-collar" jobs do not require significant intelligence.
  • Formal Education as the Sole Measure of Intelligence: He fundamentally rejects the belief that formal education is the exclusive or only valid sign of intelligence, arguing that it's a deeply ingrained cultural assumption.
  • Underestimation of Blue-Collar Skills: Rose contends that the skills acquired in blue-collar work can be as valuable as, or even offer different and equally beneficial skills compared to, a formal education. He emphasizes that such work involves a "level of nuance and depth" that is frequently overlooked.
  • Cultural Diminishment of Non-Academic Achievement: Society often diminishes the value of individuals who lack "high-saluting degrees," reducing them to "just hard workers" rather than acknowledging the critical thinking, problem-solving, and expertise involved in their professions.

Cognitive Biographies

  • Definition: Rose defines cognitive biographies as the in-depth study and chronicling of "the development of skills and experience and knowledge throughout someone's time," whether through schooling, familial experiences, or various jobs.
  • Rose's Interest: He was interested in understanding how intelligence truly develops and to demonstrate the presence of growth and advanced cognitive processes in individuals typically not considered "intellectual" by societal standards.
  • Methodology: As cited on page 4646, Rose stated, "Eight years ago, I began to study the thought process involved in work like that of my mother and uncle." His research involved:
    • Cataloging "the cognitive demands of a range of blue collar and service jobs for waitressing and hairstyling to plumbing and welding."
    • Observing "experts as well as novices" to gain a deep understanding of how knowledge and skill evolve.
    • Through this detailed examination, he aimed to "fashion what I call cognitive biographies of blue collar workers."
  • Purpose: Rose sought to offer biographical accounts that highlighted the intellectual dimensions of working-class lives. He observed that while "biographical accounts of the lives of scientists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals are rich with detail about the intellectual dimension of their work, but the life stories of working class people are few and are typically accounts of hardship and courage or the achievements wrought by hard work." He wanted to reveal the profound "depth and nuance" and the "expertise" acquired over decades that goes "well beyond" simple narratives of resilience.

The Separation of Body and Mind in Our Culture

  • Cultural Perception: There's a prevailing cultural assumption that physical labor (working with one's body) implies a lack of intellectual engagement (not working with one's mind). This often leads to a false dichotomy.
  • Rose's Challenge: He argues this separation is irrational, as "the mind is actually controlling the body." He pushes for "critical thinkers" to look beyond this superficial divide and recognize the inherent intelligence in physical work, such as the strategic thinking required to recalibrate, learn optimal methods to avoid injury, and solve problems on the job.
  • Why It's an Issue: This cultural separation:
    • "Places limits on people's paths," presuming individuals are only fit for certain roles.
    • "Diminishes their value," reducing complex work to a "mindless game" or simple physical exertion.
    • Assigns a "label" that devalues a person's intelligence and contributions.
  • Examples:
    • The perception of professional football players as simply "banging around" without skill, overlooking the strategic, adaptive, and cognitive demands of the sport.
    • Service industry workers developing a "coded language," which signifies an informal education and expertise necessary for efficient operation, indicating experience and mastery.

Challenging "Book Smart" People's Claim to Success

  • Uncle's Example: Rose illustrates this challenge through the example of his uncle, who lacked formal education but achieved professional success by:
    • Being a skilled "problem solver."
    • Actively "looking for problems" even before they became apparent.
    • He didn't just react to issues but proactively identified areas to "fix this," "speed this up," "save money," or "streamline this process."
  • Contrast with Consultants: Rose highlights the irony where consultants, often possessing advanced business degrees, are brought in to "streamline" operations. However, these consultants frequently lack practical experience on the factory floor and must ultimately consult the blue-collar workers (who have "real expertise") to understand and implement effective solutions. Rose's uncle demonstrated superior problem-solving and efficiency without the cost or time investment of a formal degree.

Role of Education (Formal and Informal) in Rose's Life

  • Early Life Influences: Rose grew up in an environment where his parents had limited formal education (his mother left school in 77th grade, his father finished primary school in Italy as noted on page 4545). This immersion provided him with an early, alternative perspective on intelligence and hard work outside traditional schooling.
  • Personal Academic Struggle: Rose himself "didn't do well in school either." He had a "spotty academic record" and spent years on a "vocational track." This personal struggle countered the common assumption that academics come easily to those who reach high levels of education.
  • Turning Point: An inspirational English teacher in his senior year of high school motivated him, enabling him to "sweep into a small college on probation" (page 4545).
  • Advocacy for Accessibility: His unique academic journey, marked by initial difficulty followed by later success, fueled his commitment to making academia more "accessible." Instead of abandoning his working-class background, Rose integrates it into his scholarly work, advocating for different forms of intelligence and ensuring that others from similar backgrounds can find pathways to education and recognition. He actively seeks to "make a difference" by broadening the definition of academic success.

Assumptions About Intelligence/Success Rose Asks Us to Rethink

  • Definition of an Assumption: An assumption is a belief or idea that is held without questioning or unpacking its underlying validity.
  • Core Assumption Challenged: Rose directly confronts the deep-seated cultural assumption that "intelligence is closely associated with formal education." This leads to an unquestioned belief that greater schooling, type of institution (e.g., prestigious university), and duration of education directly equate to higher intelligence.
  • Historical Roots (page 4545): Rose notes these assumptions have a long history, dating back to the post-revolutionary war period where "mechanics were characterized by political rivals as illiterate," implying they were incapable of participating in government. This historical context highlights how societal perceptions of intelligence have long been used to control and devalue certain groups.
  • Modern Manifestations: Rose argues these assumptions persist today:
    • Workplace Expertise: An example given is a hospital boss (from a major hospital) asking a new graduate supervisor how to operate specific machinery, despite the boss having purchased it. This shows a disconnect between administrative authority/theoretical knowledge and hands-on operational expertise.
    • Parental Influence: A student shared that their blue-collar construction worker father, whose body gave out at age 4545, "begged" them to get an education to avoid being viewed as "dumb" due to lack of a degree, showcasing the intergenerational impact of these assumptions.
    • Patient Preferences: Patients often request a doctor to perform an IV over a nurse, presuming the doctor is inherently more knowledgeable, despite nurses performing IVs daily (and doctors less frequently), demonstrating a lack of respect for specialized, practical skill.
  • Rose's Call to Action: Rose, like Columbo, urges us to challenge the obvious, unpack these assumptions, and engage in "critical thinking" to move beyond inherited societal biases.

Valuing Grades vs. True Learning/Skill-Building

  • Grades as a Metric: One student acknowledged using grades as a "determination of what my current skill level is," recognizing they serve as a "goalpost" for effort, even while questioning if grades fully represent all learning.
  • High School Disconnect: Another student reflected on getting high grades in high school without significant effort or attendance, leading to a re-evaluation of the true meaning of grades, effort, and learning.
  • Teacher's Perspective on Grading: The instructor expressed a personal preference for "ungrading"—focusing on feedback, understanding, and skill acquisition rather than numerical or letter grades. They suggested that in an ideal system, recognition would be based on mastery (e.g., "gold stars," "fairy face" for ongoing progress) rather than a system that conflates a grade with intelligence, though societal expectations currently necessitate traditional grading.

Value of College Today

  • Historical Context: In previous generations (e.g., parents' time), a college degree almost guaranteed a stable job and a conventional "set for life" path ("picket fence, 2.52.5 kids").
  • Contemporary Reality: Today, a degree is often a prerequisite for even "entry-level jobs." The "value on college by employers has increased tenfold," making it a mandatory hurdle for many professions.
  • Cost vs. Learning: While the "value for education and for learning" (e.g., critical thinking, self-regulation, managing new environments) remains high, the financial cost of college has significantly increased. Many feel they are "paying more for basically the same education" which is not always inherently required for the actual learning or skills.
  • Capitalistic Society and Monetary Value: There's a strong cultural tendency, particularly in a capitalistic society, to equate a high income or accumulated wealth with intelligence and hard work. People tend to "value more how much money you make as a sign of your intelligence," often asking, "how did you get there?" even if the path wasn't academically traditional. This leads to a celebration of those who achieve financial success, even (or especially) billionaires, as the "smartest and most hardworking," while similar levels of effort in non-wealth-generating professions may not receive the same respect.

Homework

  • Students are advised to reread Rose's text if needed, as the discussion will continue, incorporating connections to Columbo in the next session.