Education in America Way of Life...Final

Americans do an average of 13 years of school, which can be considered as a major part of life. However when I asked a young black man what he thought the American way of life was, he replied “you have to do whatever it takes to survive, no matter how much authority or education you have, you always have to listen to what ‘they’ tell you”. This young black man clad in jeans and a baggy white t-shirt didn’t look like he had much going for himself, but tells me that education is basically a waste of time. His opinion on what it takes to succeed in America is being a “sucker, in America you always have to suck up to somebody to get ahead in life”.
He believed that we have to suck up to the professor to get that better grade, but also to our boss to get that raise or promotion. When I asked a middle age Hispanic man the same question a couple of minutes later, he basically said “stay in school, it will help you a lot later on in life”. Two working class men with two totally different views on the part education take in the American way of life.
While talking to my high school principle Mr. Fanning, I saw how different his views were to the other people I interviewed. Even though as a young adult he chose his passion of music over education, he has since realized how his education has benefitted him. By getting an English degree, he has obtained this career which he loves. It may have not really been his dream, but it has become “his life”, and he wouldn’t trade it in for anything else. The first man I interviewed thought that education can’t really make a big difference in the American way of life. He believed that education is put on the backburner and succeeding in America is about “sucking up”, while Mr. fanning believes that it’s about getting an education in something you love, which in turn can make you love life more. Even though he did love music, and made a lot of money doing it, he also sees that his current life is more practical. Mr. Fanning being an educator, I expected this answer from him. But when my aunt gave a similar answer, it surprised me. She has just recently gone back to school fir her doctorates degree after working for HSBC for 19 years. Even though she does think that education is very important in the American way of life, she feels as if “society feels that education validates how smart you are…most people are born with natural talent and education helps to enhance that talent”. She somewhat disagrees with society view of education, and the fact that having a greater education means that you are smarter. Mr. Fanning believes that getting an education can cause you to love something, while my aunt believes you can get a degree in something you love and make it work for you.
“Education will help you succeed if you acquire as much knowledge as possible on what it is you want to do in life. That will lead to a better job/career hence a better way of life”, she in turn believes this is what most Americans strive for. This would be her definition of the American way of life, even though many Americans aren’t able to obtain it.
¾ of the people I interviewed believed that education was a huge part in American society, while 1/4 thought that education can’t really help us in achieving our ideal life. The people around me think that the American way of life is mainly to be happy with life. However when they said life, they were mainly referring to a career. Most believed that a career can lead you to happiness, or defines it in a way. They agree with the fact that education can indeed lead to a better life/career, and this is one of the main ways they would define the American way of life…as education.