ABSTRACT
My concern with student ignorance began with a revelation while teaching an introduction to sociology course. In trying to explain the arbitrary nature of social order, I mentioned Robinson Crusoe and triggered a host of puzzled looks: only a handful of students had heard of the Crusoe story. I salvaged the moment by referring instead to Gilligan’s Island – a series with which students were familiar from reruns. Over time, I was forced to admit that the only information most of us share in common comes from television. It is in this context that I began collecting anecdotes and articles on student ignorance, and finally went on to research the topic myself.
