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Exemplifying the differences between well-rounded and specialized approaches through media and case studies
Exemplifying the differences between well-rounded and specialized approaches through media and case studies
Media Example #1: Whiplash (2014)
Whiplash tells the story of an obsessed drummer who gives up everything in pursuit of the perfection of his instrument. In solely focusing on becoming a world-class drummer, the protagonist, Andrew, loses his girlfriend, his health, and his mental stability. Part of Andrew's struggle is the vigorous instruction of his teacher who believes in pushing people beyond their limits. It is this aggressive coaching that forces Andrew to give up all other aspects of his life to become the best drummer he can be. In doing so, he is specializing in one art and choosing to dismiss a generalized and balanced lifestyle. This decision ends up becoming Andrew's downfall as he loses himself and his well-being in his drum set.
Media Example #2: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (2014)
In Bryan Stevenson's memoir, he documents his career as an attorney defending clients who suffered injustices in the American judicial system. Bryan's specialization in one area—pursuing justice for disadvantaged people who've been unfairly put on death row—positively impacted his life. Focusing his efforts on one sector allowed Stevenson to start a nonprofit law organization called the Equal Justice Initiative, which has been a significant force in reforming the U.S. criminal justice system and changing the narrative about race in the United States.
Media Example #3: The Shining (1980)
The Shining, an award-winning horror movie based on a Steven King novel, is actually where the phrase "all work and no play" is most famously known from. In the 1980 movie, Jack Torrence, played by Jack Nicholson, is asked to be a caretaker for the Overlook Hotel in the Rocky Mountains which closes every winter. He, his wife, Wendy, and young son, Danny, spend a couple of days at the Hotel before Jack goes mentally insane, attempting to murder Wendy and Danny. Although there were multiple reasons for Jack's insanity, including supernatural spirits, Jack's lack of diversification in his work certainly plays a factor. Jack attempts to utilize his time at the hotel to hone his writing craft, putting in hours at his typewriter, but when Wendy checks to see what Jack has been writing, she sees the phrase, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" repeated over and over again. This example makes the argument that focusing on one skill and not diversifying your interests and hobbies can have significant negative effects on our well-being, and in extreme cases, can even lead to insanity.
Case Study #1: Liberal Arts Education in the Prison System
The Bard Prison Initiative works to educate inmates with a liberal arts degree on the prison system within New York. After testing on inmates who committed a serious crime, the recidivism rate greatly decreased from over 50% to less than 3%. Furthermore, 85% of the inmates that were tested in this study received a job 2 months after being released from prison. Thus, Bard College's study provides a concrete example of the beneficial nature liberal arts education has on one's ability to get a job and on the development of the whole person.
Case Study #2: Specialization in the Workplace and its Impact on Employee Development
A study in Kenya was conducted to examine the "influence of work specialization on employee development." Although this article does not cover education, it relates to it by talking about employees' learning outcomes related to specialization. By polling employees at this organization, the researchers came to the conclusion "that work specialization has a statistically significant and positive influence on employee development." This demonstrates the benefits of specialization on a person's ability to learn.
Case Study #3: First-Year Seminars
Based on data from college students across 62 different institutions, researchers found that students who took "transition seminars" self-reported the best results across ten different learning outcomes studied. Researchers found that these "holistic" seminars were specifically more helpful than "discipline-based" seminars. Thus, instead of a first-year class that is major-based or rooted in a specific academic discipline, researchers argue that "the most effective first-year seminars are those that are designed to facilitate first-year student success in both academic and non-academic facets of college life."
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