How the U.S. Cultivates Elites: Xue Yong's Notes on American Politics

Author: Xue Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The greatest contribution of the United States to higher education is the concept of serving society. The children of affluent families must complete their elite education by participating in grassroots society. Since World War II, almost every two decades, American higher education has presented new challenges to elite youth, forcing them to continuously adapt and avoid complacency. Children of elite families in the United States often begin planning for college at the age of 13 or 14 and start traveling the world at 15 or 16, gaining experience in poor developing countries and becoming active participants in global society. Although issues of wealth inequality and uneven distribution of educational resources are far from being resolved, many wealthy students participate in summer programs and "gap years" to attend college, changing their perspectives on the world and understanding the lives of people from different social classes. As a result, they do not become self-serving privileged classes but instead become responsible social elites.