ABSTRACT

This chapter deals with the myth that institutions of higher education focus on teaching students how to think critically and become active democratic participants in their educational communities. It examines how cynical conformity shapes higher education and undermines the quest to teach critical thinking can be found in ethnographic studies of college students' lives. Some people may be turned off by what they see as a criticism of contemporary students, but it makes no sense to simply idealize students or ignore their attitudes toward higher education. The chapter also shows how institutions of higher education may unintentionally support the enhancement of inequality by refusing to interfere with the peer culture generated by the college social life system. As Paying for the Party documents, sexual assault is often fueled by binge drinking, and binge drinking is often promoted by fraternities and sororities.