IS ACADEMIC SOPHISTICATION BECOMING A EUPHEMISM FOR GATEKEEPING?
Camouflaging is cardinal to cages, secondary only to its function of restriction – that’s what makes them harder to break. They escape detection by distorting themselves into something that can be perceived as utterly non-problematic. One such seemingly fashionable trap that I see in higher academic spaces is the so called ‘academic elitism’ or ‘intellectual sophistication’. As a disclaimer, let me clarify that this piece is not against genuine scholastic and academic experiences, rather against elitist, inaccessible structures that are purposefully packaging inaccessibility as an indicator of intellect or academic merit. While I appreciate and acknowledge the volume and levels of research that goes into creating intricate notions, I am disturbed by the unwanted complexity their description often assumes. Why is the tendency to use fancy language a form of exclusion? As somebody who has been a student of both posh, well-known schools as well as schools with underdeveloped infrastr...