[Xmca-l] Re: Intrinsic / Extrinsic Motivation

[Lara Beaty]

Andy,

I like the focus on particular activities that you suggest. I have designed and teach a First Year Seminar in Psychology in which I like to try out different activities to see what will connect with different students, but I still tend to be a little too abstract. It is a great course for putting theory into practice! I talk with students a lot about the object of college and find some of them eager to engage in this conversation, but the more vulnerable, less motivated students are not.

For my research, I’ve explored a little the history of how politicians speak about college and wondered how important this might be to understanding student development. This discussion has led me to think about how intrinsic motivation or enjoyment or, for that matter, “development” tends to be viewed as important only for upper classes—how these concepts are cultural tools used to shape and sustain inequality while appearing to be abstract and neutral. The administration at my college loves Carol Dweck’s concept of growth mindset but also wants to control the direction of student growth, directing it away from the political and rebellious. 

Most of my students have no real concept of what college is, I suspect.

Best,
Lara

> On Aug 26, 2019, at 3:29 AM, Andy Blunden <andyb@marxists.org> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for your very interesting observations, Lara.
> 
> I'd like to suggest a way of seeing what is intrinsic to college education, of how and why joy can be derived from learning a fact of history, a principle of nursing, the novelty of a particular author, or whatever. What makes it enjoyable? What is specific about this pleasure which is distinct from the pleasure of watching a movie or playing a computer game?
> 
> What is the object of College? At the lowest level of ethical development (above "Mum made me go!") it is the intention of gaining a job certificate for the welfare obtained by means of a wage.Instrumental from beginning to end. Nowadays, many governments conceive of colleges in a similarly instrumental way - to generate labour power to work in enterprises to generate profits. Few governments really understand the idea education in the humanities and sciences in the intention of raising the quality of social life.
> 
> Likewise, it is anticipation of participating in projects in which they will take a real interest in their working life which offers the possibility of gaining intrinsic joy from learning about various facts, principles, methods, innovations, etc., so later to be able to further the profession, raise the quality of social life, improve the lives of ill people, etc. On both sides it implies a mature conception of what college is for.
> 
> If that doesn't help, either they're not ready for college or the college is not offering something in which it is possible to get interested in.
> Andy
> Andy Blunden
> https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/index.htm <https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/index.htm>
> On 26/08/2019 3:33 am, Lara Beaty wrote:
>> Hi All.
>> 
>> ...
>> 
>> When I’m teaching community college students, however, the simplicity of the terms is a useful tool for helping students think about why they are in college, given that most of them have never been exposed in any significant way to the idea of doing college for the simple purpose of knowing more and creating possibilities for new ways of thinking. I keep hoping to help them find some joy in learning and development.
>> 
>> Best,
>> Lara
>> 
>>    
>> 

Dr. Lara Margaret Beaty
Professor of Psychology
Psychology Program Co-Director
SERG Director
Social Science Department
LaGuardia Community College, CUNY
718-482-5796






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