THE WAR ON STUPID PEOPLE

American society increasingly mistakes intelligence for human worth

By: David H. Freedman

Published: The Atlantic July/ August 2016 issue; http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/07/the-war-on-stupid-people/485618/

Level of difficulty: ***

BEFORE YOU READ: LISTEN AND TAKE NOTES

• How economic inequality harms society? https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson/transcript?language=en
• What will future jobs look like? https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_mcafee_what_will_future_jobs_look_like

QUESTIONS

1.       In the first half of the 20^th century, you were likely to be hired by a company provided you possessed …………………………….and made the right impression. ………………….did not figure in hiring decisions.

2.       It seems ironical that less intelligent people are derided, humiliated and made fun of because there is a great deal of focus on……………………………………

3.       Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the paragraph beginning “This gleeful derision” Mark as many as necessary

·         We have created a dystopia not a meritocracy

·         Those with a lower IQ may as well shoot themselves

·         Nietzsche’s dream of two classes the leaders and the followers has finally been realized

·         The American dream has become the American nightmare for some

·         The system is rigged to favor those with a high IQ

·         A system that resembles the cast system is taking shape.

·         Blame your parents if you cannot get ahead in life

4.       Where, in the paragraph beginning “Rather than looking…” would you place the following phrases or sentences?

·         Which is really carrying it too far

·         What this means is that they are testing for IQ but being secretive about it

·         In other words, they are paying lip-service to the age old hiring practices

5.       Treating intelligence as vital when hiring is misguided because…………………..

6.       The cases of Terry Bradshaw, Dan Morino and Jim Kelly prove that ……………

7.       Read the paragraph beginning “At the same time…”Which of the following conclusions cannot be drawn from the paragraph?

·         Automation and technology are going to condemn millions to poverty

·         The idea that technological developments always lead to new jobs is a fallacy

·         People will be dealing with machines and robots in their daily life not humans

·         If you want to get a job, you need a college degree.

·         Even service jobs will soon be closed to many people

·         Millions of Americans will be facing the prospect of living on the dole

8.       All the hype about intelligence on television and in life proves that in the current century, ………………………is considered to increase success

9.       The writer claims that we are fooling ourselves when we claim that……………………..because ……………………………………………

10.   Read the information about college degrees and SAT scores. Achieving the college readiness benchmark is………………………(your own word) for most of the population in the US.

11.   Those telling themselves that they are working hard to help the unintelligent become more intelligent are lying because…………………………………………………………This is a mistake because………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

12.   What ill advised method is being employed by the authorities to close the intelligence gap? What is the alternative? Why?

13.   The writer is criticizing the authorities mainly for

·         Sidestepping the main issue

·         Refusing to address the main issue

·         Overlooking the main problem

·         All of the above

·         None of the above (specify)

14.   The writer states that educational reform programs should address the shortage of…………………………………….and the schools themselves should shift their attention to……………………………………so as not to leave out………………………………………….

15.   The writer states that society needs to learn to benefit from……………………….

16.   Companies could benefit from hiring less intelligent staff because such staff is….

17.   The writer states that by applying Michael Young’s idea of meritocracy to the real world, we have ……………………………………………………………………….and this is wrong.

WRITING TASK

Draw on all the information you have gleaned to discuss how the current system could be made fairer more egalitarian and less discriminatory.

THE WAR ON STUPID PEOPLE KEY AND TEACHERS’NOTES

1.       A critical skill or two / OR: qualifications for the job

2.       Micro aggressions and victimization

3.       1, 3,4,5, (2 is extreme, 6 is exaggerated, 7 doesn’t apply)

4.       1: right at the end of the last sentence; 2: After the top 5%; 3: after “are smart”.

5.       Smart people can make the worst employees in part because they are not used to dealing with failure or criticism

6.       SAT scores are not helpful hiring filters

7.       3

8.       Academic skills

9.       No one is unintelligent; the form it takes won’t raise SAT scores

10.   Impossible

11.   Our government and society are not seriously considering any initiatives capable of making a significant dent in the numbers or conditions of the poor / The strength of the link between poverty and struggling in school is as close to iron clad as social science gets.

12.   Reforming primary and secondary schools / Early education/ Because it seems to largely overcome whatever cognitive and emotional deficits poverty and other environmental circumstances impart in the first years of life

13.   All of the above

14.   Vocational schools / students who struggle academically

15.   The full range of human capacity

16.   Is aware of their biases and flaws, won’t assume that recent trends will continue into the future, is not anxiety ridden, is not arrogant

17.   Permitted smart people to reshape society