Stanford intellectual interest essay

The topic was to describe an intellectual interest, how I went about pursuing it, and why the MLA program will help.

A captivating theme that has emerged from my undergraduate studies of English, History, Education, and Psychology is the idea of essentialism. Historian Edward Said calls it Orientalism, a process in which the West deliberately essentializes the East as being traditional, exotic, backwards, in order to set itself apart as progressive, liberal, and cultured. It is a process in which the proud definition of a cohesive self and nation emerges only after and because of the deliberate exclusion of others. ‘Otherizing,’ the alternative word historians use, can be seen in all societies across time. Religious wars, gender politics, race issues, the Other is crucial to the creation of the Self. Essentialism has propelled societies forward by competition (new war technologies, philosophical debates, cultural dissemination), but it has also influenced major atrocities (Holocaust, colonial superiority, female oppression). Still highly relevant today, the question remains how we can reap its progressive benefits without falling for its consequences.

In history classes, I’ve discovered this problem over and over again, a human trend that has helped as well as hindered societal progress. Nazi Germany promised Aryan purity and economic rebuilding by scapegoating the Jews for everything that went wrong. By hijacking peoples’ innate fear of difference and change, Hitler united people on a platform of essentialism. In my Chinese Cultural Revolution class, Mao triumphed the soldiers, farmers, and workers at the expense of the intellectuals and the bourgeoisie. Progress was made in terms of valuing the proletariat but to the detriment of others.

In literature, Postmodern and Post-colonial voices try to deconstruct the monolithic narrative of the infallibility of Western, white society. Post-colonial authors use their regional language to restore battered cultures while Postmodern authors write non-linear narratives from the subaltern point of view. The dangers of a singular narrative has led to the warring destruction of Europe, existentialism, and societal implosion; authors began to construct multiple narratives and voices to reflect a multi-faceted reality.

Psychology tells us that people naturally attribute others’ behaviors as part of their intrinsic personality while they see one’s own behavior as situational. Also, stereotyping is useful as a cognitive shortcut to foster in-group cohesion and be wary of out groups. In other words, essentializing comes naturally and was/is an evolutionary advantage. However, in a contemporary, swiftly-globalizing society, is this advantage doing more harm than good? Essentialism may be the main obstacle to tolerance and understanding.

In Education, the debate is whether teachers should utilize essentialism for teaching or try to get rid of it all together. For example, statistics show that teaching African-American lit to urban black youths is more effective for student motivation and technical learning than Western Canonical lit. Should curriculum be tailored to a specific group of students? What are the benefits of teaching all black literature versus the Dead White Males? And in turn, what are its ramifications? Is the Canon still relevant and valuable?

Studying the liberal arts has helped me begin to peel open the layers of essentialist ideologies, expose the roots of its power, and see the construction of the modern world, and man, as a confluence of psychological, historical, and cultural factors that are ever-evolving and fluid. Four years of college has left me more thirsty than quenched for a greater understanding of the world and its people. Powerful ideas such as essentialism not only impact the way I understand society but also make me want to find ways to change it for the better. My career as a high school educator demands intellectual ability, a deep understanding and care of people, and a promise to teach as close to the truth as possible. Stanford’s MLA program, with its interdisciplinary approach, will help me continue on the path of self and societal exploration,for truth, and humanity. In turn, I hope to use that knowledge and wisdom to lead a better life for myself and for others.