A text-to-text connection I made between Bain and Ungar’s article was in Bain’s first section, “They believe that if you want to do well in an increasingly specialized world, you must concentrate on a single area and become an expert in that field,” (pg. 200). This is a misperception that Ungar specifically argues against in his article, mentioning that career schools and liberal arts schools can get you into a job and career.
One connection I made in the reading with Bain was with Scheuer and Ungar through the quote: “‘liberal’ came from the Latin for ‘free’ (liber),” (page 200). This came from Bain’s work, but Scheuer and Ungar each had definitions of the liberal arts in their articles, Scheuer even tying in Latin origins as well. I thought this was an important connection to make because each definition is slightly different, all tying into the unique parts of a liberal arts education.
Under the section “Liberal Arts and Creativity” (pg. 202) from Bain, he stated, “Creative intelligence is exhibited by a dancer, by athletes, by a chess player, and indeed in virtually any activity guided by intelligence,” (pg. 203). This talks about creativity being synonymous with being human, and can be found in any activity. This example did not have any mention to class subjects or college courses, and yet connects to education as a general term. This can connect to success in the world, not just in liberal arts.
Bain mentions an “appreciation for the creative work of others and in the special perspectives that they could bring into any situation, problem, or project,” (pg. 203). This connects to the UNE Core Handbook, and its class requirements designed to instigate collaboration and critical thinking. These terms are also talked about in Scheuer’s article.
from Ken Bain, What The Best College Students Do (Harvard UP, 2012) pages 199-220.
