Week #3: Precis/ Critical Response to Gtaff

In this reading, The Nineteenth-Century Origins of Our Times, by Harvey J. Graff, the theme is essentially eduacation in America dating back to the late eighteenth-century. I think his main argument is against the philosophy of historian Lawrence Crenin, who advocates that literacy and education potentially can lead to a more diverse nation that has the ability to make choices. He beleived that educstion and literacy was liberating. While Crenin's premise of literacy may appear to be impressive, according to Graff, it has not been proven. Graff beleives that literacy has many other useful purposes. Although liberation may be one of the useful purposes, it is not the main core. Literacy, he says is useful for workability, adaptability, order, and morality. However, every man was not created equal from a literacy perspective. This is evident in the reading because according to Graff, throughout the nineteenth century, blacks in particular, although literate, did not have the same opportunity for equality in work or in attending schools. While blacks were eagerly interested in literacy, immigrants found a new way to become productive in the American society. Jews, however, had their own ideas about education and literacy. They were interested in education because they felt that it would increase their economic status in the states.
The interesting concept about education and literacy was developed by the dominant race of people in that era, which were white people. Most of them were conservative and viewed education as Cremin. To them, education was a liberating force that allowed them to attain a social hierarchy. Their beleif was that they could advance through education and maintain their dominance. It seems to me that the white society set the standards for education and literacy. Graff noted that blacks, although illiterate, still had the propensity for communicating effectively without the privilege of being educated like their white counterparts. They were able to participate in religious leadership roles, they had organizational skills, they were successful in the military, and they were involved in political affairs.
I think that the message is clear in this reading, that while education and literacy is important to some, and held as valuable, it may not be to other social groups. It is a choice. Graff also pointed out that regardless of the hateful things inflicted upon blacks by whites, they possessed a indomitable spirit. He writes of the black man: "In spite of violence and intimidation, the whites economic and communications power were not enough to stop black political power" Graf 229). In essence, all people are inherently born with the capacity to learn literacy, that is, if literacy is the simple act of being able to conduct oneself in a civil manner, and being able to comprehend right from wrong, (morality) and lastly, the whole concept of learning: And we all know that learning does not necessarily come from being educated.