HiddenIntellectualism

A.
HomeworkQuestion8/28:
Graff(inthetextbook)suggeststhatthesportsfandiscoursecommunityisanexampleof
intellectualism.Whatotherfactorscontributetointellectualism?DoyouagreewithGraffs
argument?Findanothersource(perhapsonefromtheinclassassignment)tosupportyour
stance.Youshouldhaveatleastoneadditionalsourcetoenhancetheconversation.Savethis
responseasanotherdocument.Keepthefileforfutureuseinyourportfolio.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20342852?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

IagreewithGraffinthatasubjectthatmaynotbeconsideredintellectualcaninfactbe
intellectual.Theonlyreasonwhypeopledonotconsidersports,fashion,dating,orvideogames
tobeintellectualisbecausesocietydoesnotletitbe.ShermisalsoagreeswithGraff,hestates
thatotherfieldsthatarenotinthescienceorliberalartsfieldscanpotentiallybeintellectualifit
requiresapersontodeeplythinkaboutthetopicsimilartointellectualtopics.Anexpertin
footballstudiesjustasmuchasonewouldinbusiness.Theyreadmanybooks,spendmany
hoursthinkingaboutwhatisthebestwaytodothings,andtheybothattendschool.Someone
whoplaysvideogamesbecomesanexpertaboutcomputersandcouldpossiblystudycomputer
programing.Thesenonintellectualfieldsarethejumpstarttothebiggerfield.AsGraffstates
inHiddenIntellectualismthatbybeingsoactivelyinvolvedinsportsasayoungadult,it
allowedhimtobeabletodebateonitandalsoanalyzeit.Whiledoingso,ithelpedhimcome
togetherwithotherswhohadsimilarinterestsandtogethertheyformedacommunity.Unlike
school,withthiscommunity,memberswoulddiscusstheirfavoritetopicsalotofthetime,even
withmembersnotnecessarilyinthatcommunity.Withschool,afterastudentisfinishedinthe
classroom,theyfailtocontinuetodiscussthetopicoutsideofschool.Thisgoesalongwithwhat
theHuffingtonPostsaidaboutwhatcollegeswerethemostintellectual.Thus,aslongasatopic
requiresapersontothinkaboutthattopicthesamewayitrequiresapersontothinkaboutan
intellectualtopic,thenthereisnodifference.Graffalsomentionedthatbecomesless
approachablebecauseitistoocompetitive.Withhiscommunity,therewasntmuchcompetition,
itwascasualandwhenGraffwouldbeworkingandreadaboutsports,itwouldntseemlikehe
wasbeingforcedtoanddidnthaveasmuchpressuretodowellon.Itendtodisagreeonthis,I
believethatcompetitionhelpsmotivatestudentsbethebeststudenttheycanbe.Inthereal
world,lifeisallaboutcompetition,whocangetthejobandwhomakesthemostmoneysoby
studentsbeingcompetitivewithoneanother,itpreparesthemthatonlyoneorafewcanget
thejoboranA.Somemightsay,wellwhataboutthestudentsthatarenowherenear
secondorthirdplace?wellitmotivatesthemtoo.Dotheyreallywanttheirclassranktobe350
outof350?