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Academic institutions often face the charge of academic elitism, sometimes called the Ivory Tower . It is often used in parallel with Ivy League institutions. DESCRIPTION Academic elitism suggests that in highly competitive academic environments only those individuals who have engaged in Scholarship are deemed to have anything worthwhile to say, or do. It suggests that individuals who have not engaged in such scholarship are Cranks . It is possible, though, to value serious scholarship without being an academic elitist, of course. A lesser and broader form of this, Intellectual Elitism , exists in non-academic circles, so academic elitism might also be viewed as a further extreme of intellectual elitism, depending upon one's perspective. The tendency towards academic elitism is most pronounced in highly competitive and highly regarded environments. The Peer Review of academia process is occasionally cited as suppressing dissent against " Mainstream '" theories (part of an overall system of '' Suppression Of Intellectual Dissent ''). Some Sociologists Of Science argue that peer review makes the ability to publish susceptible to control by Elite s and to personal jealousy. Reviewers tend to be especially critical of Conclusion s that contradict their own View s, and lenient towards those that accord with them. At the same time, elite scientists are more likely than less established ones to be sought out as referees, particularly by high-prestige journals or Publisher s. As a result, it has been argued, ideas that harmonize with the elite's are more likely to see print and to appear in premier journals than are iconoclastic or revolutionary ones, which accords with Thomas Kuhn 's well-known observations regarding scientific revolutions. The tendency towards academic elitism is noticeable in some Education System s (particularly in developed countries). More attention and resources are afforded to students who are deemed most intelligent at an early age. This inequality tends to further separate the elite from the remainder of society. Streaming systems include branded institutions, gifted classes, and other elite student groups. Countries with extensive private school systems also exemplify this trend. Arguments against
Arguments for
WRITINGS, AUTHORS, AND BOOKS Authors — including (but not limited to) '' Aldous Huxley '', '' George Orwell '' ( Social Democrat ), and '' Ayn Rand '' — have explored both sides of Social Elitism through Academia / Intelligentsia . They present theoretical examples of the Dystopian societies which might result from either extreme support or extreme undermining of elitism. For example, George Orwell has written several books on the subject, such as 1984 and Animal Farm , where there are characters who take the role of a ' Vanguard ', acting FOR—or on the behalf OF—their society, who turn to them for everything, or rely on them. It usually ends up with them making some mistakes or abusing their trust, while going straight at a task they cannot comprehend, because they are stubbornly believing in themselves. SEE ALSO
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