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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 . ''Academic elitism'' is also an ideological belief that only those who attended the most elite or prestigious universities (such as Ivy League schools) are capable of obtaining wealth and power. Proponents of ''academic elitism'' justify this belief by claim that this is just a by-product of Capitalism . EXPRESSION Academic elitism will often be expressed within communities through declarations of " Otherness ", that is, non-academics will be said to be 'not good as us'. Non-academics may be represented as a danger to quality in research, and their perceived lower standard of education can lead to them being considered as members of a lower social grouping. The tendency towards academic elitism is most pronounced in highly competitive and highly regarded research 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. CAUSES Academic elitist views and beliefs may come from a variety of sources. SEE ALSO ;General: Elitism , Ivory Tower , ;Contrary views: Anti-intellectualism , Expert ;Education: Ivy League , Little Ivies , Southern Ivies EXTERNAL ARTICLES AND REFERENCES ;Published articles
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