Leading US academic and author, Daniel Markovits, challenges the meritocratic idea in the West, arguing it perpetuates inequality. Discussions on the role of elite schools in supporting disadvantaged students, efforts of top universities to diversify applicants, and positive discrimination in India. Exploring economic inequalities, educational challenges, and the myth of equal opportunity in the US.
Meritocracy in the US fuels inequality, benefiting the affluent at the expense of others.
Affirmative action aims to level the education field for underprivileged students, promoting social mobility.
Deep dives
The Myth of Meritocracy in America
The podcast discusses the concept of meritocracy in the US and how economic inequality has led to a segmented class hierarchy. It highlights the challenges faced in the education system, where affluent families invest in expensive educations to gain advantage. The system favors the rich, leading to stark differences in academic performance based on economic status. The podcast questions the idea of the American Dream and the fairness of the meritocratic system.
Affirmative Action and Social Mobility
The episode explores affirmative action as a means to address economic disparities and promote social mobility. It compares the reservation system in India for disadvantaged groups with struggles for inclusion in elite universities in the UK and the US. The discussion touches upon the challenges faced by students from underprivileged backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of leveling the playing field to enable fairness in access to education.
Rising Economic Inequality and Policy Implications
The podcast delves into the impact of rising economic inequality on societal growth and prosperity. It questions the effectiveness of meritocratic standards in addressing inequality, noting a lack of shared economic growth despite increasing disparities. The episode concludes with a call for urgent action to tackle economic inequality and reimagine systems to promote fairness and social justice for all.
We hear the arguments of leading US academic and author, Daniel Markovits, whose book The Meritocracy Trap argues that meritocracy in the United States and other Western free-market economies is a myth that fuels inequality.
Temba Maqubela, the head of The Groton School - one of America's top private schools - outlines the role that elite establishments such as his could play in helping less advantaged students. Meanwhile Samina Khan, director of undergraduate admissions at Oxford University, says top universities like hers are working hard to target a more diverse range of applicants. Plus Kiruba Munusamy, an advocate at the Supreme Court of India, describes how a system of positive discrimination helped her get a top job despite India's caste system.
Producer: Laurence Knight
(Photo: Signposts for Yale and Harvard, Credit: Getty Images)
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