Culture of Neglect

2/6/2013

Dr. Richard H. Hersh is one of the foremost thinkers and writers relevant to the "whole person" philosophy of education.  I quoted him frequently in my doctoral dissertation.  The following is a portion of his prose that I have quoted before, but it is worth hearing again (or for the first time).

"Our youth are growing up in a culture of neglect characterized by broken homes and mass schooling that demands little effort, media idols subliminally teaching disrespect for authority, and students often not willing to sacrifice the slightest in fulfillment of their material desires.  They are a fragile generation.  The culture of neglect asks little of them, but a culture of responsibility (RMA) demands much but promises far greater rewards."

The RMA culture of responsibility is demanding and continuous.  It produces young men who better understand the value of honesty, the skills of successful leadership, and the hot coals of accountability.  This culture of responsibility changes what they think is good enough in terms of effort and achievement.  The rewards inherent in a Riverside education are hard to measure, but I see them often when I meet with our alumni.