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The Use Of Masterpieces Of World Literature In California Public Community Colleges: A Study In Purposes And Trends

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Content THE USE OF MASTERPIECES OF WORLD LITERATURE IN
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A
STUDY IN PURPOSES AND TRENDS
A Dissertation
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education
by
George Anthony Jaeger
September 1973
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Xerox University Microfilms
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
74-9068
JAEGER, George Anthony, 1936-
THE USE OF MASTERPIECES OF WORLD LITERATURE.
IN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A
STUDY IN PURPOSES AND TRENDS.
University of Southern California, Ed.D., 1974
Education, higher
I University Microfilms, A X E R O X Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan
© 1974
GEORGE ANTHONY JAEGER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFIIMEB- EXACTLY AS RECEIVED.
This dissertation, written under the direction
of the Chairman of the candidate’s Guidance
Committee and approved by all members of the
Committee, has been presented to and accepted
by the Faculty of the School of Education in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of D octor of Education.
Date.....JanuaryA 1974
1 ean
Guidance Committee
hair mam
(
DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to my wife,
Wilhelmina Mary Jaeger.
Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye,
In every gesture dignity and love.
John Milton, Paradise Lost, Bk VIII, I, 483.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writer wishes to acknowledge a debt of
gratitude to Dr. Helen Wegener, who was instrumental in
helping him to get started in the doctoral program.
A special debt of gratitude must also be expressed
to Dr. Earl V. Pullias, this writer’s teacher, guide, and
constant friend.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
I. THE PROBLEM .................. ..... 1
Statement of the Problem
Questions to be Answered
Values
Related questions
Enrollment trends in world literature
courses
Related questions
Course organization
Procedure
A Selected Bibliography of Writers and
Works of the Classics of World
Literature
Selected Community Colleges
Conceptual Assumptions
Academic values
Social values
Personal growth
Delimitations
Definition of Terms
Classics
Classics of world literature
Importance of the Study
Organization of the Study
II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.............. 13
Historical and Philosophical
Foundations
Literary study in American Colleges
The shift in America away from
classical studies
The impetus of federal legislation
Implications and viewpoints
General Education
Definitions
The place of the classics of world
literature within general education
An evaluation of the humanities
program in the community college
Summary: Review of the Literature
iv
Chapter
III. THE PROCEDURE.......................... 39
Review of the Literature
Developing and Circulating the
Questionnaire
Summarizing the Findings from the
Questionnaire
Catalog Study
On-Campus Visits
Developing and Circulating the Jury
Survey
Description of the Respondents:
Bases of Selection
Hypotheses
Description of the Jury Survey:
Method and Content
Responses to the Survey and
Explanation of Computations
Analyzing the Findings of the Jury
Survey
Summary
IV. FINDINGS: SPECIAL SURVEYS ............ 49
Report of the Survey of English
Department Literature Offerings
Catalog Survey
Summary of catalog survey findings
Textbook Survey
V. ENROLLMENT TRENDS IN MASTERPIECES OF
WORLD LITERATURE COURSES IN EIGHT
SELECTED COMMUNITY COLLEGES, 1962-
1972 63
Introduction: On Campus Survey of
Enrollment Figures of Eight Selected
Community Colleges
Enrollment Trends in Eight Selected
Community Colleges in Masterpieces
of World Literature Courses
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Cerritos College
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Cypress College
v
Chapter
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at El Camino College
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Fullerton Junior
College
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Golden West College
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Orange Coast College
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Rio Hondo College
Enrollment in masterpieces of world
literature at Santa Ana College
Summary
VI. THE JURY EVALUATION OF THE VALUES OR
PURPOSES OF THE STUDY OF WORLD
LITERATURE ........................ S3
Purpose of the Jury Survey
Some Introductory Considerations
Aesthetic Values: Community College
Instructors and University
Professors of Literature
Academic Values: Community College
Instructors and University
Professors of Literature
Social Awareness Values: Community
College Instructors and University
Professors of Literature
Personal Growth Values: Community
College Instructors and University
Professors of Literature
Aesthetic Values: Vice Presidents for
Academic Affairs and Professors of
Education (Curriculum)
Academic Values: Vice Presidents for
Academic Affairs and Professors of
Education (Curriculum)
Social Awareness Values: Vice
Presidents for Academic Affairs and
Professors of Education (Curriculum)
Personal Growth Values: Vice Presidents
for Academic Affairs and Professors
of Education (Curriculum)
Summary: The Findings and the Hypotheses
vi
1 Chapter
I VII. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
99
Background for the Presentation of the
Discussion and Implications
Organization of Chapter VII
Values in General
Academic values
Aesthetic values
Social awareness values
Personal growth values
Enrollment Trends
Course Organization
VIII. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .111
Summary
The problem
Research procedure
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Educational recommendations
Research recommendations
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A,
APPENDIX B,
APPENDIX C,
APPENDIX D,
APPENDIX E,
APPENDIX F,
APPENDIX G,
APPENDIX H,
.................................... 11S
.................................... 124
Survey of English Department
Literature Offering Questionnaire. .125
Letter of Transmittal for Survey
of English Department Literature
Offering Questionnaire .......... 127
List of Selected Community Colleges
for On-Campus Visits .......... 129
Jury Survey Participants .......... 131
Jury Survey Questionnaire .......... 133
Letter of Transmittal for Jury
Survey .......................... 140
Complete Works Used in Addition to
an Anthology ............ 142
Complete Works Used Instead of an
Anthology ...................... 144
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Number of World Literature Sections Being
Taught in Community Colleges ............... 52
2. Average Number of Students in World
Literature Classes ....................... 52
3. Number of American Literature Sections Being
Taught in Community Colleges ............... 53
4. Number of British Literature Sections Being
Taught in Community Colleges ............... 54
5. Number of Ethnic Literature Sections Being
Taught in Community Colleges ............... 54
6. Criticisms of Anthologies Reported in Order
of Frequency ..................... 55
7. Comparison of Responses for Aesthetic Values
for Professors of Classics at the University
Level and Instructors of English at the
Community College, Expressed in Percentages .£6
S. Comparison of Responses for Academic Values
for Professors of Classics at the University
Level and Instructors of English at the
Community College, Expressed in
Percentages ............................. £7
9. Comparison of Responses for Social Growth
Values for Professors of Classics at the
University Level and Instructors of English
at the Community College, Expressed in
Percentages ............................. £9
10. Comparison of Responses for Personal Growth
Values for Professors of Classics at the
University Level and Instructors of English
at the Community College, Expressed in
Percentages ............................. 90
viii
" ' “I
i
Page
11. Comparison of Responses for Aesthetic Values |
for Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs j
and Curriculum Experts, Expressed in
Percentages................................ 91
12. Comparison of Responses for Academic Values
for Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs
and Curriculum Experts, Expressed in |
Percentages............................ 92 |
13. Comparison of Responses for Social Awareness
Values for Vice Presidents of Academic \
Affairs and Curriculum Experts, Expressed I
in Percentages............................ 94
14. Comparison of Responses for Personal Growth |
Values for Vice Presidents of Academic
Affairs and Curriculum Experts, Expressed
in Percentages............................ 95
15. Summary of Findings for Instructors,
Professors, Vice Presidents, and Curriculum
Experts, Expressed in Percentages ........ 96
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Cerritos College, 1965-1972 . . ........ 66
2. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Cypress College, 1969-1972 ....... 66
3. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at El Camino College, 1962-1972 70
4. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Fullerton Junior College 72
5. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Golden West College, 1967-1972 74
6. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Orange Coast College, 1962-1972 ........ 76
7» Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Rio Hondo College, 1965-1972 76
S. Enrollment in Masterpieces of World Literature
at Santa Ana Junior College, 1962-1972 ... 61
x
I will point ye out the right path of a virtuous
and noble Education; laborious indeed at the first
ascent, but else so smooth, so green, so full of
goodly prospect, and melodious sounds on every side
that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming.
John Milton— Of Education
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM
Statement of the Problem
Many scholars and educational theorists have
addressed themselves to the problem of teaching great
literature in colleges and universities. However, little
or no attention has been given to the role of the community
college in this effort, although studies have been made
concerning English courses in general which at times
included a review of courses variously labelled master
pieces of world literature, great books, classics of the
Western world, and the like. However, whatever attention
was paid to the teaching of the masterpieces of world
literature was subordinated to other interests and subsumed
under divisions of larger studies. Thus the purpose of
this research was to investigate the place and use which
the masterpieces of world literature courses have in
California public community colleges.
1
2
The importance of this study becomes greater when
one considers that "About 65 percent of all college fresh
men and sophomores in the state of California attend the
junior college" ( 2:2) and that nationally the growth of
community colleges in enrollment is overwhelming: in I960
there were 451,000 students enrolled in the nation's two
year colleges; by 1970 the number had risen to 1, 630, 000;
and the projected enrollment for I960 is 3> 001>000 stu
dents. (46:22-24) The present study, therefore, provides
some perspective on the emphasis currently being placed on
the classics of the Western world— in an important segment
of higher education in the United States— the California
public community college. Nowhere, this investigator
believes, is the issue of the direction higher education
ought to take of more urgent concern than it is with the
teaching of literature in the community college. As Robert
Maynard Hutchins once noted, "To put an end to the spirit
of inquiry that has characterized the West, it is not neces
sary to burn the books. All we have to do is to leave them
unread for a few generations." (21:27) In these terms,
this study of the masterpieces of world literature courses
in California community colleges seems timely and valuable.
Questions to be Answered
As the investigator approached the central problem
of the study, questions presented themselves. They appeared
to be related to three major areas of the research. The
major areas and related questions are as follows:
Generally found in statements of course objectives,
in affirmations of noted writers, and beliefs held by
teachers of literature.
Related questions.— (1) What values are mentioned
in textbooks and college catalogs? (2) What significance
is attached to values associated with world literature by
classroom teachers, administrators, and curriculum experts?
Enrollment trends in world
literature courses
Related questions.— (1) How many classes being
taught? (2) How do numbers compare with the numbers of
classes in American literature, British literature, and
ethnic literature? (3) Over a ten-year period, how do
enrollment trends compare with general enrollment trends?
(4) Over a ten-year period, have enrollments increased,
decreased, or remained constant?
Course organization
1. What materials are being used? Anthologies?
Groups of complete works? Anthology text and supplementary
readings?
2. Are the courses offered in one semester or in
a two-term sequence?
3. Do course titles vary significantly to indicate
patterns?
The questions were answered in this study by means of two
questionnaire surveys, a comparative analysis of textbooks
in use, an examination of the catalogs of seventy-two
California community colleges, and visits to eight selected
community college campuses to study files of general
enrollment and course enrollments.
Procedure
The detailed procedures of this study are described
in Chapter III. By way of summary, the steps taken to
carry out this investigation were as follows: ( 1) review
ing the literature; (2) developing and circulating an
English department literature offering questionnaire;
( 3) examining statements of objectives and purposes of the
masterpieces of world literature in course descriptions in
community college catalogs; ( 4) making on-campus visits to
eight selected community colleges to ascertain enrollment
trends in world literature classes over a ten-year period,
1962-1972; (5) developing and circulating a jury survey to
assess attitudes of community college instructors, vice
presidents of academic affairs, professors of education
(curriculum) and university professors of literature on the
purposes of values accruing to the student from the study
of the classics of world literature; (6) presenting
findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
A list of thirty-three representative major
classics of world literature has been selected as incor
porating values paramount in Western civilization.
Although the titles and works in this list are not exhaus
tive, they are representative. The selections that have
been included are so fundamental to the tradition of
Western literature that nearly every authority would
accept them. In support of this statement, all of the
titles and authors mentioned appear in the Great Books of
the Western World series edited by Mortimer J. Adler and
Robert Maynard Hutchins. These works also appear without
exception in the Harvard Classics series, and they are
also included in numerous college and university anthol
ogies, among the more notable is the nationally used
Norton The Continental Edition of World Literature edited
by Rene Wellek and Maynard Mack of Yale, Howard Hugo of
Berkeley, and Barnard M. W. Knox of the Center for Hellenic
Studies. The works and writers are also included in the
list of "great books" as quoted in the catalog from St.
John’s College the home of the "great books" program.
A Selected Bibliography of Writers and
Works of the Classics of World
Literature
Bible
Homer
Aeschylus
Petrarch
Chaucer
Rabelais
6
Sophocles Cervantes
Plato Voltaire
Socrates Shakespeare
Aristotle Racine
Cicero Moliere
Virgil Milton
Horace Fielding
Ovid Goethe
Marcus Aurelius Rousseau
St. Augustine Wordsworth
Beowulf Balzac
Dante Dostoyevsky
Song of Roland Tolstoy
Selected Community Colleges
The following colleges were selected for an in-
depth study of their enrollment trends over the past ten
years ( 1962-1972) in masterpieces of world literature
classes.
Cerritos College Golden West College
Cypress College Orange Coast College
El Camino College Rio Hondo College
Fullerton Junior College Santa Ana College
Conceptual Assumptions
The following assumptions were made as being
fundamental to the development of this study.
Aesthetic values
1. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature inculcate within the student a sense of enjoy
ment for beauty in the aesthetic experience.
2. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature encourage within the student the development of
his creative imagination.
7
3* That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature develop within the student an improved sense of
literary discernment and taste.
4. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature develop within the student an interest in the
art of the Western world.
Academic values
The basic assumption is that knowledge of world
literature is an essential part of the background of the
"truly educated" person.
1. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature enable the student to learn about the founda
tions of Western democracy and culture.
2. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature help the student to be acquainted with the best
and most noble thoughts of the best and most noble men.
3. That the study of masterpieces of world liter
ature aide the student to gain a historical perspective.
4. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature help the student to perceive a relevance
between past experiences and the present.
Social values
Through world liter at lire the student shares in
human experience of life in a broad context of time and
space.
a
1. That the study of masterpieces of world liter
ature enables the student to vicariously participate in
varied experiences of life over a period of many cen
turies.
2. That the study of the masterpieces of world
literature fosters a growth of identification with many
kinds of people.
3. That the study of masterpieces of world liter
ature nurtures an appreciation of the human potential.
4. That the study of masterpieces of world
literature allows the student to perceive the oneness of
mankind.
5. That the study of masterpieces of world
literature engenders within the student a sense of respect
for human dignity and courage.
Personal growth
1. That the study of masterpieces of world liter
ature provides an insight into the student's own personal
problems.
2. That the study of masterpieces of world liter
ature broadens the student’s intellectual horizons thus
mitigating against narrow specialization.
3. That the study of masterpieces of world liter
ature causes the student to become aware of many life
styles, values, actions, and modes of thinking.
9
4. That the study of masterpieces of world
literature helps the student to identify and appreciate
moral and spiritual values.
5. That the study of masterpieces of world
literature nurtures within the student a critical, ques
tioning attitude.
Delimitations
The present study was bound by the following
delimitations:
1. The study was limited to the ninety-two public
community colleges in California which were in operation
in the fall of 1971.
2. For the purpose of this study the classics of
world literature were limited exclusively to the Western
world.
3. The on-campus portion of the study was limited
to eight public community colleges.
Definition of Terms
Classics.— In this study is meant to include a
corpus of literature which extends from the Fifth Century
B.C. in Greece to the Nineteenth Century in Europe. It
refers primarily to the masterpieces of this body of
literary works. These masterpieces have stood the test of
time and have been most frequently quoted and antholo
gized.
10
Classics of world literature.— Refers in this
study to a list of thirty-three representative major
classics of world literature which have been selected as
incorporating values paramount in Western civilization.
Importance of the Study
As a continuation of the land-grant college tradi
tion, the community college has now become a major force
for higher learning for the nation’s people. When
reviewed, the statistics relating to the growth of the
community college are very impressive. With community
college enrollments expanding at an unprecedented rate,
this investigator believes that as a kind of "communi-
versity,” an everyman’s institution of higher learning,
the community college has provided a setting in which the
great masterpieces of world literature can play an
increasingly important role. In view of the potential
numbers of students enrolling in literature classes, it
would seem important to examine the literature course
offerings of the community colleges, specifically the
courses in the great classics of the Western world.
Many scholars have expressed the belief that for
the task of living today one must have a knowledge and
understanding of the best minds of the past. This under
standing, this dialogue, as it were, which is carried on
between the writer and the reader has been variously
11
labelled; one of the best and most descriptive labels has
been the "Great Conversation." (21:27) Because of the
accelerating changes in the age in which we live, this
intellectual conversation or dialogue may be more needed
now than ever before. The rationale of this viewpoint is
that humanistic values to be gained through the classics
of the Western world can temper a man’s character and give
the fullness and completeness and balance of mind which
cannot be attained by a narrow specialization within a
single field of learning. Basically the argument is not
that the classics of world literature are the only means
of attaining a balanced, humane, cosmopolitan view, but
rather that the classics of world literature provide an
essential experience for everyone who would be truly
educated. This central experience grows not merely
desirable in the context of a liberal arts education but
necessary as scholar after scholar writes of the fragmen
tation and consequent alienation which arises from pre
mature specialization. Education at Berkeley: Report of
the Select Committee (also known as the Muscatine Report)
expressed the view that "We need to offer protection,
particularly to beginning students, against premature
specialization." (34:5) Although the humanities in
general and the classics alone cannot provide for the
entirety of the "breadth requirement" as described in the
Muscatine Report, such humanistic training as can be given
12
by the classics must be an integral part of the university
experience if we are to secure students who have been
given the broadest opportunity to become educated in more
than a simple vocational sense.
Organization of the Study
Chapter I contains the statement of the problem,
the questions to be answered, the procedure, the conceptual
assumptions, the delimitations of the study, the definition
of the terms, and a description of the organization of the
study. Chapter II contains a review of the literature
related to the study. Chapter III reports the way in
which the study was conducted. Chapter IV presents the
findings of the study based on the survey of the English
department literature offerings, the catalog study, and
the textbook survey. Chapter V presents the report of
enrollment figures in eight selected community colleges in
masterpieces of world literature. Chapter VI presents the
findings of the jury survey. Chapter VII presents the
discussion and implications of the findings. Chapter VIII
presents a summary of the investigation together with
conclusions and recommendations.
"In the conditions of modern life the rule is
absolute, the race which does not value trained
intelligence is doomed."
— Alfred North Whitehead
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Historical and Philosophical Foundations
Literary study in American
Colleges
This study is based on the author’s belief that it
is important to teach the masterpieces of world literature
(also sometimes labelled "classics of the Western world")
to community college students and generally to lower
division students before they begin specializing in the
various fields of learning. The writer also believes that
the humane values of world literature are consistent with
the objectives of general education to which the community
colleges in general subscribe. Furthermore, he considers
these values to be crucially important to young people
preparing to assume their place in a democratic society.
This latter point has been made metaphorically
by Robert Maynard Hutchins, who views the Great Books
which are the classics, the masterpieces, of our cultural
heritage as playing a continuing role in a "Great
13
14
Conversation.” It will be clear from the description of
the dialogue, in which the student of world literature
will take part, that it is of fundamental importance to
him as a citizen not only of his community but also of
the world:
The tradition of the West is embodied in the Great
Conversation that began in the dawn of history and
that continues to the present day. Whatever the
merits of other civilizations in other respects, no
civilization can claim that its defining character
istic is a dialogue of this sort. No dialogue in
any other civilization can compare with that of the
West in the number of great works of the mind that
have contributed to this dialogue. The goal toward
which Western society moves is the Civilization of
the Dialogue. The spirit of Western civilization is
the spirit of inquiry. Its dominant element is the
Logos. Nothing is to remain undiscussed. Everybody
is to speak his mind. No proposition is to be left
unexamined. The exchange of ideas is held to be the
path to the realization of the potentialities of the
race. (21:26-27)
Hutchins is discussing the literary classics of the
Western world and in particular the Great Books, which for
centuries have been the essence of a liberal education.
During the Middle Ages, education was made up of
the seven liberal arts. Three of these, the "trivium,”
were grammar, rhetoric, and logic. And as later conceived
by the Renaissance humanists, the study of grammar and
rhetoric were thought of as containing the literary
accomplishments of reading, writing, and rhetorical expo
sition, which embodied the best achievements of the human
mind and also the means through which the intellect might
be cultivated in its highest form. And, in the developing
15
of the intellect, the standards of ethical value, of
aesthetics, or literary excellence were found in the great
literary masterpieces.
The historical significance of this kind of educa
tional thought was that from Renaissance times to the
modern period, classical humanism played an enormous part
in molding the ideals and methods of education in Europe
and America, particularly at the secondary and higher
levels. (5:179) This tradition, furthermore, included
study not only of the classics of antiquity, although such
classics were preeminent, but also of the classics of
literature in the vernacular. The masterpieces of
European literature, such as Petrarch's poems, Dante's
Divine Comedy, Boccaccio's Decameron. Rabelais' Gargantua
and Pantagruel, Erasmus' Praise of Folly. Castiglione's
Book of the Courtier, and Cellini's Autobiography were
read because they exemplified the cultivated ideal of
scholarly letters for the pleasure and edification of the
intellectual classes. The study of the masterpieces, it
was thought, would produce a broadly educated man with a
well rounded personality who would be able to assume
leadership in church or state. As a result of his liberal
education, this ideal man would be at ease with the
classics, and would be effective both as a man of action
and as a citizen. (36:130)
16
The classical tradition was passed on to the New
World from the medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation
universities at Paris, Salerno, Bologna, Cambridge, and
Oxford. The respect for the classical languages as basic
to scholarship and to religion was carried from England
and Europe to America; the grammar schools of the New
World and Harvard College became the repositories of
classical humanism. (5*.256) Harvard College in particular
was established to provide an education for future men of
the ministry and for men of letters to lead the state.
Harvard College was the only institution of higher educa
tion providing this service in the colonies from 1636 until
William and Mary was founded in Virginia in 1693 and Yale
in Connecticut in 1701. Thus Harvard played a key role in
influencing the development of subsequent college curricula
offerings and perpetuating the classical-liberal arts tra
dition in the colonies of the New World.
As the first college in America, Harvard College
combined in its curriculum, under the direct guidance of
Henry Dunster, its first president and himself a liberal
arts graduate of Magdelene College at Cambridge, the three
major influences from the past: the medieval seven liberal
arts; the Renaissance humanist study of the classics as a
means of producing the educated gentleman; and the -
Reformation ideal of religious education valued for
sectarian purposes. (5:264)
17
Those who founded Harvard College took for granted
the basic continuity of Western learning— the link that
existed between the colonial American college and earlier
institutions, such as the schools of the Hebrew prophets,
the Academy at Athens, the Palace School of Charlemagne,
the medieval universities, and the Reformation academies.
(3:6)
Instruction at Harvard College was in Latin, and
it was expected that this language would be mastered in
the grammar school. The college curriculum itself
included the study of Greek and Hebrew grammar since these
languages represented the Renaissance interest in the
classics and were considered to be of general cultural
value for the scholar as well as of practical value for
ministers who would need to be well grounded in the orig
inal languages of the Scriptures. (5:269) The humanist
tradition in higher learning was later spread from Harvard
College to the colonial institutions of Princeton (1746),
Columbia (1754)> Brown (1764), Rutgers (1766), and
Dartmouth (1769).
The shift in America awav
from classical studies
However, although the traditional education had
well served the purposes both of an old and established
society and of an aristocratic elite, the unique conditions
of life in America soon placed upon institutions of higher
16
learning demands which could not be met solely by the
conventional liberal arts curriculum with the classics of
the Western world as its core. As early as 1755 the
University of Pennsylvania began to respond by offering
alternatives to the traditional-classical liberal arts
course of study. As the nation moved westward it became
apparent to many that a classical education alone would
not meet the needs of a new man in the New World. Accord
ingly, the traditional-classical curriculum came under
continuous attack. Academicians rose to the defense of
the traditional curriculum. Among them was Jeremiah Day,
who pleaded for retention of the old classical studies in
his famous Report of the Course of Instruction in Yale
College bv a Committee of the Corporation and the
Academical Faculty (1626). In this document, now con
sidered the most influential publication in the history of
American higher education between the Revolution and the
Civil War, he became spokesman for academic conservatives
in the American colleges and universities. (3:103) In
essence, Day said that the study of ancient languages and
literature was the only valid curriculum for a college.
In part, his claim lay in a belief that rigorous training
in classical languages disciplined the mind. In addition,
the curriculum, which included the great masterpieces of
world literature, was prescribed and the same for all
students, for Day and others of his persuasion felt that
the function of higher learning was to lay the intellec
tual foundation which would be the same for all profes
sions. Gnce the student had been educated in the liberal
arts, he would have a trained intellect and cultural back
ground that would prepare him for any future endeavor.
The further justification for the prescribed curriculum,
if any were needed, was made on the basis that certain
texts contained immutable truths that were basic to all
high intellectual disciplines. Thus all students came to
the university to study the same curriculum. Although the
Yale Report was an elegant plea for the traditional curric
ulum, it turned out to be primarily an apologia for a
cause whose existence was already destined to be measured
not in decades but in years. Already institutions with
technical and scientific programs such as the ones estab
lished at West Point (1S02), and somewhat later at the
Sheffield and Lawrence Scientific Sahools at Yale (1S47)
and Harvard College (1S47)> pointed the direction in which
higher education in America was headed. (13:256) Clearly,
the colleges were moving toward meeting the demands of a
growing, industrialized nation.
The impetus of federal legislation
In America, historical and economic forces were at
work, but federal legislation was also a powerful agent in
reshaping higher education. The first significant piece
20
of federal legislation in education was the Land Ordinance
of 17&5• The Land Ordinance of 17&5 had included federal
land-grants for primary, not for higher education. But at
the insistence of the Reverend Manasseh Cutler, one of the
prime movers in having the Land Ordinance put through
Congress, federal officials agreed two years after the
enactment of the ordinance to grant two whole townships
for the endowment of a university with each purchase of
great tracts of federal land. (3:154) This first federal
grant for higher education arising from the ordinance
served as a powerful precedent, for it contained the first
example of substantial government aid to the schools in
the United States. Also of prime importance in the history
of higher education in America was the Morrill Act of 1362.
This Act, incidentally, settled once and for all the ques
tion of whether or not the classical tradition would play
the leading role in American education as it had for
centuries in the universities in Europe. In the Morrill
Act, Congress made provision for the building of land-grant
colleges which provided for agricultural and vocational
education as well as liberal arts offerings.(13:115) An
award was made of 30,000 acres of federal land for each
member of Congress to which the state was entitled. These
awards were made with the provision that in order to
qualify for the free land, the state must provide buildings
and equipment out of its own funds. (35:13-19) Federal
21
legislation and financial aid have continued exerting
influence since passage of the Morrill Act.
According to Clark Kerr, the second great impact
on the higher learning began with federal support of
scientific research during World War II. The federally
subsidized programs, begun during the second war, included
the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, the Argonne Laboratory at Chicago, and the
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at California. These
projects signalled the opening of a new age. Universities
were now engaged in national defense— a role in which they
would continue— and debate about their part in such
research would also continue. The point is that "American
universities have been changed almost as much by federal
research grants as by the land-grant idea." ( 2 3: 4 9)
Implications and viewpoints
The significance of the land-grant colleges was
that they were among the first institutions of higher
learning to welcome applied science and mechanical arts and
to give these subjects a recognized place in the college
curriculum. The land-grant colleges fostered the emancipa
tion of American higher education from a purely classical
and formalistic tradition. These colleges stood pre
eminently for the principle that every American citizen is
entitled to receive some form of higher education. (3:66)
22
Finally these colleges, along with the first state uni
versities and municipal colleges, brought a democratic
leavening force into higher education. A new breed of
college student was to bring dramatic changes into the old
curriculum. An effective demand was to be made for modern
languages, social sciences, and technical and vocational
training in the place of the classical-liberal arts empha
sis of the past. The trend has continued to the point
where today large numbers of students are clamoring for
ethnic studies, ’ ’ relevant” topics of current interest,
and, in some instances, no academic requirements at all.
On the other hand, many observers have believed
that there was and continues to be a need to refine and to
humanize this vast democratic experiment in higher educa
tion. This investigator believes that one means by which
this ’ ’civilizing” process can take place is through the
study of the literary classics of the Western world.
Admittedly this is an article of faith, but it is an
article of faith widely shared. Nathan Pusey in his book
The Age of the Scholar has remarked that the humanities
remain the best means through which the student's imagina
tion may be stimulated and cultivated. (39:57) In
addition, the classical-liberal arts tradition, which is
so deeply rooted in the past history of higher education,
is subscribed to by many contemporary scholars and educa
tors. The necessity for the study of the classics has
23
remained to the present time a constant theme in liberal
arts education and in the humanities.
Alfred North Whitehead said in his Aims of
Education, for instance, that "the wisdom of the world is
preserved in the masterpieces of linguistic composition”
and "that for masters and for men a technical . . . educa
tion, which is to have any chance of satisfying the prac
tical needs of the nation, must be conceived in a liberal
spirit as a real intellectual enlightenment.” (50:45, 49)
In such education, he thought, poetry was as essential as
"turning lathes." Other prominent educators and thinkers
have shared these views and implemented them in the
schools. (2:51)
The classics, therefore, have been perpetuated and
are read and re-read. Proponents believe that as each
successive generation of thoughtful men and women read the
classics, they are found perennially fresh because these
works speak the "truth." These masterpieces have presented
important insights regarding some basic aspect of the
human condition. And because these works have captured a
moment of human truth through the depth and clarity of
vision of their authors, they have succeeded in transcend
ing geography, language, politics, and time. The classics
are said to endure, this investigator believes, not because
they are forced upon unwitting and unsuspecting victims:
the classics endure because of the "truth" they reveal.
24
And if the university is to produce men and women, not
merely trained but educated in the highest sense of
"educated,” then such men and women must share in their
rich heritage of the classics of the Western world.
Hutchins has held these ideas. He believes, and
is still expressing this view, that one purpose of educa
tion should bring out the elements of our common nature.
He considers that education is not a process to adjust a
man for any particular time, place, or environment; if
education is correctly understood it will be seen that
education will be conceived of as the training and culti
vation of the intellect. (20:67)
Mark Van Doren, also a noted spokesman for the
reading of the classics, made the same point in another
context. Van Doren said that men and women educated in
the Great Books tradition would understand the world about
them and, in addition, be at home anywhere in any country.
He felt that such men and women would feel "strangely at
home in a world most of whose citizens lived by theories
without knowing it." As for the "success" the students
might have in life, Van Doren stated that whether they
succeeded was not yet known, but that it could be said of
them that in their own mind they would continue to be
secure. "For never would there be a book which they could
not understand simply by reading it from the first word to
the last. They might not save the world. They might not
25
change it. But they would comprehend it.” (49:5)
For centuries this controversy has raged over the
extent to which education should be concerned with the
great classics, or with liberal arts, or with vocational
and other more practical types of training which "prepare”
one for life. Charles Homer Haskins in his Rise of
Universities discussed this conflict which arose as early
as the medieval curriculum. (1&:29) The conflict and con
cern continues unabated into modern times.
General Education
Definitions
On the basis of available literature, it is diffi
cult if not impossible to come up with a definition for
general education which will meet with anything like
majority approval. Many definitions of general education
are negative in character and tell us that general educa
tion arose out of a need both to combat "specialism" which
seemed endemic in late nineteenth century colleges and
universities and to provide an education which was non-
vocational in nature. (27:501;15:54-55;1:2£2;34:5) None
theless, such statements do little to say what general
education is. However, of all the studies which have been
done, perhaps the 1947 Cooperative Study in General
Education (9:202-205) comes closest to presenting findings
that will be agreeable to most factions involved in the
26
what-is-general-education dispute. The Cooperative Study,
then, has characterized general education as principally
(1) reaction against specialism; (2) an attempt at inte
gration; (3) a tendency toward prescription; (4) a concern
for the education of the ''whole man"; (3) an orientation
of education toward everyday activities of life. In the
remainder of this chapter more definitions of general
education will be given.
McGrath in A Design for General Education offered
a definition which stressed the non-vocational:
For the purposes of this report, general education
refers to those phases of non-specialized and non-
vocational education that should be the common
possession, the common denominator, so to speak, of
educated persons as individuals and as citizens in
a free society. (11:7)
While many definitions focus on the non-vocational
or non-specialized nature of general education, other
definitions emphasize the common man as the central issue:
"General education is concerned with the mastery of those
cultural tools which are of most importance for the common
man." (7:56)
James W. Reynolds in essay entitled "Inadequacies
of General Education Progress" in the Junior College
Journal emphasized experience and needs as the central
factors in his definition. Reynolds explained that general
education broadly included those experiences in all "areas
such as citizenship, homemaking, worthy recreational
27
interests, philosophy of life" and others which make up
the "life-needs" of people in general at all levels of
society. (43:363)
Earl J. McGrath included the idea of academic
discipline in the objectives of general education.
McGrath said that general education must present informa-
educationj
should also cultivate in students the intellectual
processes of logical reasoning, inference, generalization,
and reflective thinking." (23:153)
The prestigious Harvard Report, promulgated in
1945 under the title of General Education in a Free
Society, said that general education taken as a whole
sought to "help young persons fulfill the unique, particu
lar functions in life which it is in them to fulfill, and
fit them so far as it can for those common spheres which,
as citizens and heirs of a joint culture, they will share
with others." (16:4)
Earl J. McGrath stated in Toward General Education
that general education was the type of training which, in
his words, "prepares the young for the common life of
their time and their kind." This type of training,
according to McGrath, did not seek to overlook difference
in talents or training, but it attempted to develop the
individual to his fullest for the common good. In this
definition McGrath acknowledges the societal aspect of
tion of the world about us. "But it [general
23
general education. (29:3-9)
B. Lamar Johnson, one of the best known writers on
junior college education, and author of the important book,
General Education in Action, concluded that general educa
tion was a process rather than a static entity which could
be summed up in a sentence. Notwithstanding this, however,
this process was described as ’ 'that part of education which
is concerned with the common knowledge, skills, and atti
tudes needed by each individual to be effective as a
person, a member of a family, a worker, and a citizen."
(22:20)
According to The Fifty-first Yearbook of the
National Society for the Study of Education some pro
ponents of general education have believed that the pur
poses were attained by transmitting the tested ideas and
values of its cultural inheritance. .And yet for others,
the goals of general education were realized by the
inculcation of some set of values; while to others, general
education was a process of encouraging students to discover
for themselves the ideas and ideals which seem to hold the
most promise for society and humanity. However, a Year
book writer declared that
Although there are many differences in interpretation
and practice . . . programs of general education
almost invariably attempt in some fashion to restore
relevance and coherence to the student’s education
experience. (26:5)
By 1956 the definition of general education had
29
evolved in the Fiftv-fifth Yearbook to a point where it
had taken on a definite shape. In that work, James ¥.
Thornton pointed out that general education had come to be
"regarded as that part of education which encompasses the
common knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by each
individual to be effective as a person, a member of a
family, a worker and a citizen." The pressures of modern
life, its increasing tempo, and "the fears and the
actualities of conflict of war, the alarming increase in
problems of mental health, and the threatened breakdown of
family life" supported the need for additional general
education. This integrative function of general education
under such trying circumstance, the Report said, was one
which "education and society dare not ignore." And even
though the community college did not have the only respon
sibility for general education, it was equally clear that
the junior college had to be "responsible for contributing
to the general education of a rapidly increasing number of
youth and adults." (3^:72)
Thornton also said that general education programs
were intended to "afford young people" to be prepared more .
effectively for the responsibilities which they faced in
common as members of a free society. This type of educa
tion, he thought, would parpare students "for wholesome
and creative participation in a wide range of life
activities." In sum, whatever studies were undertaken,
30
the whole student as a person.remained as the central ele
ment under consideration in general education. (3#:ll3)
In 1972 in his book The Community Junior College
Thornton admitted to some basic difficulties in defining
general education; notwithstanding this difficulty,
Thornton basically restated his earlier view and said that
general education was designed specifically to allow young
people to be more effectively prepared for their role and
shared responsibilities as citizens of a free society and
for what he termed "wholesome and creative participation in
a wide range of life activities." (47:65)
In General Education: An Account and Appraisal,
Lewis B. Mayhew said that general education classes on the
whole trained the student for non-vocational aspects of
life. Mayhew also explained that general education
claimed to educate the student for "effective citizenship,
worthy use of leisure time, effective home and family
living, and movement toward effective personal adjustment."
(30:8) Accordingly, Mayhew’s definition of general educa
tion endeavored to establish a basis for a universe of
common discourse.
Daniel Bell in his The Reforming of General
Education has taken another approach to the problem of what
constitutes general education. Bell said that the term
never referred to a defined curriculum offered by all
colleges and universities supporting the idea. But "Rather
31
it has indicated acceptance of the policy of providing a
common . . . intellectual experience for all students, that
experience not being bound by the conventional limits of
particular disciplines." (l:ix)
Although ideas differ widely as to what consti
tutes general education, some conclusions may be drawn as
to what the term means. Included is the idea that general
education is concerned with the total welfare of the
student— including his social, spiritual, and psychological
faculties; that general education aims at enabling the
student to live effectively and happily as an individual,
as a member of a family, as a citizen in a free society;
that general education has as a goal to provide experiences
that are not immediately and directly vocationally oriented
and that such experiences are intended to be the unifying
elements that cut across all areas of specialization; and
that general education cooperated with and complemented
specialized academic programs rather than militated against
them; and that the student in general education emerged as
the center of concern rather than the academic subject.
The place of the classics of
world literature within general
education
In the opening years of the twentieth century,
William Baxter Owen in The Humanities in the Education of
the Future said that he saw no escape from the fact that
32
history, literature and philosophy must form the basis for
a liberal-general education. And in expressing this idea,
Owen laid especial emphasis on the place of literature by
explaining that ". . .the masterpieces as we have them in
the world's best books, must remain the master instruments
of an education that is to give a liberal training.” (37:
9) This concern for literature and its functions within
the liberal-general education curriculum forms the basis
of inquiry for this part of the present investigation.
The well-known Harvard Report included a statement
that said
One need not make the altogether excessive claim that
the humanities are the whole of either liberal or
general education in order to recognize their central
importance. (16:107)
In the Report the point was made that if the study
of literature was recommended, it did not mean that liter
ature was the only humanistic study. But what was being
suggested was that literature was a central study. The
Harvard Committee explained that the root argument for
using "great works in literature" was that "ours is at
present a centrifugal culture in extreme need of unifying
forces." The Committee added that individuals in our
society were in real danger of "losing touch with the
human past and therefore with one another." As the Report
elegantly expressed it,
33
It is through poetry, the imaginative understanding
of things in common, that minds most deeply and
essentially meet. Therefore the books which have
been the great meeting points and have most influ
enced the men who in turn have influenced others are
those we can least afford to neglect. (16:108-109)
In the 1952 General Education in School and
College. a Report by the members of the faculties of
Andover, Exeter, Lawrenceville, Harvard, Princeton, and
Yale, it was stated that
Literature is not merely a record of life but a
commentary on life— the universal or representative
truth a writer has found— to read with understanding
is to share the deepest insights of some of the
world's most sensitive and intelligent people.
Therefore, "We take for granted that the study of liter
ature is an important part of general education." (17:26,
40)
Other committees have also emphasized the
importance of literature within general education. The
California Framework Committee said that one of the goals
of general education was to help the student to "understand
and value the contributions of art, literature, music, and
the dance." (6:6) The President's Commission on Higher
Education identified one of the objectives of general
education as aiding the individual "To understand and
enjoy literature, art, and music." (15:54) And with regard
to literature, the Commission said that "It can scarcely
be necessary to urge the importance of literature in the
program of general education." Literature, the Report
34
continued, set forth heights that man could aspire to.
And that books were "an avenue of communication with the
great minds and the great souls of yesterday and of today.
And these great books the report labelled as "the world's
literary treasures." (15*54-55) B. Lamar Johnson said
that literature was of "basic importance in general educa
tion" and that "Though in this Study the 'great books' are
not accepted as the approach to general education for 'all
American youth,' the classics are recognized as important
avenues to general education." (22:174> ISO)
In 1970, Koos in his book The Community College
Student showed the central role of literature within
general education. In that publication, he reported that
of 425 colleges offering what were termed "New-Type
General Education Courses," 71 colleges offered classes
that were labelled as "Contemporary World Literature,"
"Appreciation of Literature," "Masterpieces of Literature,"
and "Great Books." (24:442)
The role of the literary classics has been recog
nized as important within technical junior colleges as
well. For example, Thornton reported the practices of
several technical colleges with reference to the content
of the general education program. His research showed that
in such colleges the English-literature programs were an
essential part of the general education experience.
Eastern Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, a
35
junior college, included in its general education curricu
lum the study of literature. The Technical Institute of
New York adopted a general education program which mandated
the study of English. Thornton also reported that the
specialized Fashion Institute of Technology and the State
University Agricultural and Technical Institute in New
York required that ”30 to 35 percent of the content of
^general educationj programs jJbeJ devoted to the . study of
sociology, psychology, and English.’ 1 (33:131-132) These
requirements appear to be fairly typical.
The evidence is convincing, it would seem, that
literature plays an essential role in achieving the objec
tives of the program in general education in the community
college in California and in the nation. It is more diffi
cult to assess the importance of world literature in
general education programs. Any assessment is of necessity
based on the assumption that the ’ ’ masterpieces’ ’ are
included in the literature course offerings as described
in this section.
An evaluation of the humanities
program in the community college
The evaluation in the main of the humanities pro
gram in the community college has been favorable, but there
has been a tendency toward vocational courses which leads
away from the humanities in general and away from general
education in particular. Rapp, though not addressing
36
himself to vocational education, revealed an attitude which
of late appears to be gaining momentum. In part Rapp said
that college was a "matter of choice; high school to a
certain age mandatory." (40:2#) In Rapp's view citizens
should have the educational opportunity to achieve the
goals of general education in "elementary and secondary
schools" and that "Much of general education should return
to the home." The writer also explained that "the popular
'do-it-yourself' approach of the lay public in recent years
has much to recommend it in accommodating the needs of
general education at the college level." The function of
the university and the college, according to Rapp, would be
to provide those cultural and aesthetic experiences that
would "contribute to a well-rounded and general education."
(40:23)
In an editorial in the Junior College Journal
Reynolds explained that during an opportunity to study
junior college curricula offerings, he found an increase
in the growth and popularity "of vocational programs in
junior colleges and the consequent difficulty of selling
general education programs." (42:239-240) Although the
difficulty Reynolds complained of was related to general
education, the impact of such student attitudes on the
humanities can hardly be doubted as one reviews the declin
ing enrollment figures in certain humanities courses.
The implications of the demand for vocational
37
courses become even clearer when one considers what
Reynolds said later in his same article on the general
education program. He wrote:
Few counselors would report as easy the task of
selling general education to students whose educa
tional goals are entirely vocational. Frequently
the difficulties are avoided by allowing the student
to follow his demand for a program composed exclu
sively of vocational training. (42:240J
But Reynolds* findings are not unique. Of late there seems
to be a waning of interest in the liberal arts and more of
an emphasis on vocational training programs. The Los
Angeles Times for January 16, 1973, for example reported
that higher education has come full cycle and finds itself
in a trend in which liberal arts degrees are in less
demand. (25:7) "In the community colleges, general educa
tion (in lower case) might be loosely defined as all of
the non-technical curriculums and subjects." (40:24)
On February 22, 1973, The Times quoted Governor
Ronald Reagan as saying that the community colleges in
California should place more stress on vocational educa
tion. (33:10) Although the news article appears to be
concerned with non-baccalaureate students in particular,
the implications in general seem to be that the governor's
office will no doubt promote vocational curricula in
secondary schools and in state institutions of higher
learning, including the community college.
33
Summary: Review of the Literature
The purpose of the review of the literature was to
develop a thorough understanding of the place and use of
the masterpieces of world literature within California
public community colleges. The search revealed that when
ever investigators talked about the masterpieces of world
literature, the literary classics were included within
larger studies such as the English program or the humani
ties program. Nevertheless, such findings were valuable
in understanding the place of the masterpieces of world
literature classes within the community college curricula
offering in California.
"Now, what I want is, Facts . • . Facts alone
are wanted in life."(Mr. Gradgrind)
Dickins— Hard Times
CHAPTER III
THE PROCEDURE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the
place of and the instructional values associated with
courses in the masterpieces of world literature offered by
the California public community college. This study has
importance to every teacher of literature at a time when
large numbers of students are enrolling in California
junior colleges. There appears to be a need to evaluate
the status of the classics of the Western world in the
curriculum of this important segment of higher education.
Such a study can provide guidelines for modifying or
adapting course objectives and values.
The steps taken for executing the study included
the following procedures: (1) reviewing the literature;
(2) developing and circulating an English department
literature offering questionnaire; (3) summarizing the
findings from the questionnaire; (4) examining statements
of objectives and purposes of the masterpieces of world
literature in course descriptions in community college
39
40
catalogs; (5) analyzing the findings from the catalog
examination; (6) making on-campus visits to eight commun
ity colleges to ascertain enrollment trends in world liter
ature classes over a ten-year period, 1962-1972; (7) com
paring textbooks used in world literature courses; (6) sum
marizing the findings on enrollment trends; (9) developing
and circulating a jury survey to assess attitudes of
community college instructors, vice presidents of academic
affairs, professors of education (curriculum), and uni
versity professors of literature on the purposes or values
accruing to the student from the study of the classics of
world literature; (10) analyzing the responses of the jury
survey; (11) presenting findings, conclusions, and recom
mendations .
Review of the Literature
The literature was reviewed with the intention of
developing a thorough understanding of the place and use
of the classics of world literature within the tradition of
higher education; within the general education movement;
and within the humanities program in the community college.
The search for related literature began with the
Current Index to Journals in Education and went on to the
Dissertation Abstracts. The Readers* Guide to Periodical
Literature. the Education Index, the dissertation file and
the card catalog at the Education Library at the University
41
of Southern California.
In a 1937 unpublished master's thesis entitled "The
Place of World Literature in the English Curriculum of
Secondary Schools," Florence M. Curry bemoaned the fact
that "There is a marked paucity of organized materials
relating to world literature." (10:2) Thirty-six years
later this investigator found little improvement over the
situation of which Curry complained. Whatever studies
discussed the classics of world literature within the
community college, subsumed the study of the classics under
larger considerations such as general education, the
liberal arts, the humanities, and the like.
Developing and Circulating the
Questionnaire
Based on this investigator's study of the litera
ture, his experience in teaching the literary classics of
the Western world at the community college level, and his
interest in implementing the values assumed to accrue to
the student as he studies the masterpieces, a question
naire was developed. It was intended to gather information
regarding English department literature offerings in all
California community colleges in operation in the fall of
1971* The English department literature offering question
naire is reproduced as Appendix A. The questionnaire,
along with the cover letter, Apprndix B, was mailed on
February 1, 1972. Follow-up letters and telephone calls
42
brought the total number of responses to eighty-two
colleges, or a return of 90 percent.
Summarizing the Findings from the
Questionnaire
The information derived from the questionnaire was
summarized and placed in Chapter IV, "Findings: Special
Surveys."
The purpose of this questionnaire was to gather
information relating to types of books used in literary
masterworks courses, enrollment in terms of numbers of
students and numbers of sections, and for comparative
purposes, information regarding enrollments in English,
American, and ethnic literature classes.
Catalog Study
Catalogs of seventy-two California community
colleges were reviewed, and masterpieces of world litera
ture descriptions examined. The purpose was to ascertain
whether or not these descriptions included statements of
general course goals involving value Judgments which
correlated with the values studied in the jury survey.
On-Campus Visits
The list of community colleges chosen for an on-
campus visit is appended as Appendix C. The colleges on
the list were chosen for (1) their proximity, which made
them physically accessible} (2) their generous willingness
43
to open their files for inspection; (3) possession of the
needed records; (4) their large enrollments, which when
combined, totaled over 100,000 students; (5) their being
representative of the community colleges that exist in
California. The findings from the on-campus visits are
presented in Chapter V, "Enrollment Trends in Masterpieces
of World Literature Courses in Eight Selected Community
Colleges, 1962-1972."
Developing and Circulating the
Jury Survey
After consultation with Dr. Earl V. Pullias of the
Department of Higher Education at the University of
Southern California, the investigator decided to develop
a jury survey as part of the present study. The purpose
of the survey was to find out what literary values were
viewed as important by community college classroom
instructors of world literature, university professors of
literature, community college vice president of academic
affairs, and professors of education (curriculum).
The names of the participants are appended as
Appendix D. To the twenty-one questionnaires sent out,
the return response was 100 percent.
The procedure used to obtain the responses
included a preliminary call asking the respondents if they
would participate in the survey. Then the questionnaire
was sent, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
44
If the questionnaire was not returned by the requested
date indicated in the accompanying letter, a follow-up
telephone call was made. The jury survey questionnaire is
included as Appendix E, and its cover letter is appended
as Appendix F.
Description of the Respondents:
Bases of Selection
The following groups of individuals were asked to
participate in the jury survey:
Group I: 12 community college instructors in
masterpieces of world literature
Group II: 3 professors teaching the classics at
the university level
Group III: 3 curriculum experts teaching
education courses at the university
level
Group IV: 3 community college vice presidents
for academic affairs
The instructors of world literature in the commun
ity college were the most numerous group surveyed. They
have first-hand experience in teaching the literary
classics in the community college. Moreover, they are
more directly concerned with the content and objectives of
the literature courses than are administrators and curricu
lum planners. As teachers of literature, they can be
assumed to have a personal stake in the future of the
literature courses as well as a deep personal commitment
to the literature itself. Objectives of the literature
45
courses will be their daily concern.
Professors of classics at the university level
were chosen to participate in the jury survey to find out
whether they had any differences of opinion with the
instructors at the community college level regarding the
teaching of the masterworks.
Curriculum experts were included because they are
involved in the planning of the total content of the pro
gram of education. They are generally thought to have a
viewpoint influenced not only by practical problems of
building a curriculum but also by their educational philos
ophy. The latter could conceivably direct their attention
from aesthetic subject matter to vocational and profes
sional course content.
The vice presidents of academic affairs were
polled because they are faced with a different set of
problems; their responsibility is to meet all of the needs
of the community for higher education. Part of their
administrative responsibility is adjusting curriculum
offerings to financing, to securing qualified teachers,
and to exercising leadership of the teaching staff. Pro
moting literature courses may be only a minor part of the
administrative task.
Hypotheses
The jury survey was formulated on the basis of the
following hypotheses:
Groups I (Instructors) and II (Professors) will
generally agree with each other.
Groups I and II will tend to stress aesthetic,
literary values.
Groups I and II will probably not agree with
Groups III (Curriculum Planners) and IV (Vice
Presidents) to the degree that they agree among
themselves.
Groups III and IV will agree more with each other
than with the two groups of literature teachers.
Description of the Jury Survey:
Method and Content
The values that are used as the basis for the jury
survey have been extrapolated from statements both
explicit and implicit which have been made in the writing
of educators and philosophers (See Chapter II), in text
books, and in college catalogs. These were the sources of
the "values'' which were sorted and classified in the jury
survey.
The literary values were then grouped into four
categories: aesthetic, academic, social awareness, and
personal growth values. Questions were devised relating
to each major category so that the questions would elicit
statements of opinion related to relative importance of
each value.
Responses to the Survey and Explanation
of Computations
The reason that percentages were used in the jury
survey was that they gave a basis for comparison. It will
be recalled that there were unequal numbers of participants
responding in each category, and that three of the respon
dent groups were small.
The procedure used to compute percentages was as
follows: To find the denominator for a category, the
number of questions in that group was multiplied by the
number of respondents. For example, three vice presidents
for academic affairs answered eight questions dealing with
academic values. Thus the denominator was 3 x 8 = 24. To
obtain the numerator, the number of responses of "highest
priority," "priority," and "irrelevant or unimportant"
were added together. Thus if "highest priority" for
academic values was four times, the fraction used to get a
percentage was 4/24. If "priority" was marked eighteen
times, the fraction used to get a percentage was lS/2 4.
If "irrelevant or unimportant" was marked two times, the
fraction used to get a percentage was 2/2 4.
Analyzing the Findings of the
Jury Survey
The jury survey findings are presented in Chapter
VI, "The Jury Evaluation of the Values or Purposes of the
Study of World Literature."
Summary
Findings of the study are based on the following
procedures:
1. Review of related literature
2. Questionnaire to English departments relating
to enrollments
3. Visits to eight community college campuses;
examination of enrollment files
4. Survey of seventy-two community college
catalogs
3* Examination of leading textbooks; comparative
analysis
6. A jury survey of community college world
literature instructors, university professors of litera
ture, vice presidents in charge of academic affairs, and
professors of education (curriculum)
"Education has produced a vast population able
to read but unable to distinguish what is worth
reading."
George Macaulay Trevelyan, English Social
History. Chapter IB.
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS: SPECIAL SURVEYS
The findings of the special surveys of the liter
ature course offerings in the California community colleges
are presented in this chapter. The findings are discussed
in Chapter VII. Tables are presented in simple percentages
for ease of understanding. The data were not adaptable to
other statistical procedures.
Report of the Survey of English Department
Literature Offerings
A questionnaire on survey courses in literature
was sent to English departments of all ninety-two community
colleges which were in operation in February 1, 1972. A
major purpose of the survey was to determine the enrollment
in masterpieces of world literature classes. Some ques
tions dealt with course organization and reading require
ments. Information was also sought on the number of stu
dents studying American, British, and ethnic literature in
49
50
order to gain some perspective on enrollment figures for
the masterpieces classes. These enrollment figures could
provide some basis for comparison.
Respondents were English department chairmen and
instructors. Survey forms were returned by eighty-two
colleges.
Responding English departments were asked to react
to the following questions. The complete questionnaire is
reproduced in Appendix A.
1. Do you use an anthology in world literature?
Fifty department representatives said nyes”; 24 said "no";
and £ reported that world literature was not offered.
Of the group using an anthology in world litera
ture, 44 reported using the Norton Continental Edition
of the Masterpieces of World Literature (Volumes I and II);
6 colleges reported using Warnock and Anderson’s The World
in Literature (Volumes I and II).
2. Do you use complete works in addition to an
anthology? Thirty-three colleges responded affirmatively,
while 32 schools responded negatively. The question was
not answered by 17 respondents. The complete list is
appended in Appendix G; there are 59 entries.
3. Do you use complete works in paperback instead
of an anthology? Thirty-one respondents said ’ ’ yes’ ’; 43
said "no." The complete list received is appended in
Appendix H; 47 titles and authors are listed.
51
4. Is your course a one-semester course? Twenty-
one institutions reported that their world literature
offering was a single-semester course.
5. Is your course a two-semester course? Fifty-
three community colleges offer world literature classes in
two parts.
6. How many sections of world literature, or its
equivalent, are offered during the year, including the
summer? The responses to this question are shown in Table
1. Figures ranged from 26 colleges offering 2 sections
per year to 2 institutions offering 15 and 16 sections
respectively. The 74 colleges were teaching a total of
265 sections of world literature in 1972.
7. Approximately what is the average number of
students enrolled in each section of world literature?
The responses to this question are summarized in Table 2.
The highest number of enrollees in a class was 50. The
lowest number was 10. The median class size was 30.
6. How many sections of American literature are
offered during the year, including the summer? Table 3
tabulates the figures. The largest number of sections
taught at any one institution was 20. One section per
year was being taught at 11 colleges. The total number of
sections taught in the 72 colleges was 296.
52
TABLE 1
NUMBER OF WORLD LITERATURE SECTIONS BEING
TAUGHT IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Number of Colleges Number of Sections
14
1
2S 2
9 3
6 4
3 5
3
6
5
8
2 9
1 10
1 12
1 15
1 16
Total: 74 colleges teaching 265 sections of world
literature, February 1, 1972.
TABLE 2
AVERAGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN WORLD
LITERATURE CLASSES
Number of Colleges Number of Students Per
Section
1 10
2
15
10 20
12
25
17 30
12
35
10 40
5 45
1 50
53
TABLE 3
NUMBER OF AMERICAN LITERATURE SECTIONS BEING
TAUGHT IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Number of Colleges Number of Sections
11 1
20 2
17 3
10
4
2
5
1 6
1
7
4
S
3
10
1 11
1 12
1
13
1
15
1 20
Total: 74 colleges teaching 29S sections of American
literature, February 1, 1972.
9. How many sections of British literature are
offered during the year, including the summer? Tht total
figure for British literature, 296, was close to the total
of American literature sections. One college offered IS
sections per year; 9 colleges offered only 1 section.
See Table 4»
10. How many sections of ethnic literature are
offered during the year, including the summer? As shown
in Table 5, one college reported offering 14 sections per
year which was the highest figure. Six colleges offer 1
section annually. The total for 55 respondent colleges
was 196 sections.
54
TABLE 4
NUMBER OF BRITISH LITERATURE SECTIONS BEING
TAUGHT IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Number of Colleges Number of Sections
9
1
21 2
10
3
21
4
1 5
S 6
2 10
2 12
1 IS
Total: 77 colleges teaching 296 sections of British
literature, February 1, 1972.
TABLE 5
NUMBER OF ETHNIC LITERATURE SECTIONS BEING
TAUGHT IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Number of Colleges Number of Sections
6 1
20 2
4 3
12
4
4 5
5 6
2 S
1 10
1
14
Total: 55 colleges teaching 196 sections of ethnic
literature., February 1, 1972.
55
11o In view of the needs of your students, what
appears to you to be a major shortcoming or inadequacy of
the text or texts required for your course? The most fre
quent complaints are listed in Table 6. A total of only
23 colleges were represented in the responses.
TABLE 6
CRITICISMS OF ANTHOLOGIES REPORTED IN
ORDER OF FREQUENCY
Number of Colleges Types of Criticisms
10 Narrowness of selections of
texts; desire more Eastern
or Oriental literature
6 Poor or "stilted" translations
4
Bits-and-pieces approach or
"great snippets"
3
Excessive cost of textbooks
Catalog Survey
Catalogs of seventy-two California community
colleges were consulted, and world literature course
descriptions examined. The purpose was to determine
whether or not these descriptions included statements of
general course objectives involving types of value judg
ments correlating with values studied in the jury survey.
Fifty-eight of seventy-two descriptions were found to
mention values either implicitly or explicitly. It should
56
be mentioned that the brevity of some of the descriptions
reduced value statements to only a phrase or an adjective.
However, an attempt was made to classify any value-oriented
descriptions in terms of the general categories of the jury
survey: aesthetic, academic, social awareness, and per
sonal growth. Classification proved to be a difficult task
because most of the descriptions in which values were men
tioned included them in various combinations. Primary
emphasis, then, as interpreted by the investigator, became
the criterion for sorting and classifying.
The catalog survey revealed that in the community
colleges teaching world literature in 1972 the titles used
to describe these courses varied hardly at all. The
titles like "European Literature" at San Jose City College
and "Drama as Literature" at Monterey Peninsula College
were among the exceptions. On the whole, the catalog sur
vey shows that the classics of world literature courses
were named in such a way that the words "masters," "master
pieces," or "world literature" were invariably included in
the title. The combination which emerged most frequently
was "Masterpieces of World Literature."
In the survey, the general heading of aesthetic
values was assigned to the descriptive sketches which
included primarily literary and aesthetic terms such as
"masterpieces," "great works of literature," "classics,"
57
"masters,” ”major works,” "artistic merit," "major litera
ture," "imaginative literature," "great books," "literary
qualities," "greatest literature," "literary types,"
"works of distinction," "literary genres," "critical read
ing," "enjoyment," "appreciation," and critical-technical
terms referring to literary periods and literary movements.
Considering all seventy of the descriptions, one finds that
almost always there is some wording or terminology that
connotes aesthetic values. Thirty of the catalog entries,
however, quite clearly and unmistakably emphasized aes
thetic considerations and objectives.
A second important division which seemed to evolve
naturally from the reading of the catalog descriptions was
historical, social, and cultural backgrounds, which
corresponds to the category of academic values in the jury
survey. The main objective of the latter category, namely,
extending the student’s knowledge and his range of experi
ence would seem to be implied in the teaching of the course
in the first place. Two descriptions designated world
literature as a "general education course." In addition,
twenty-three descriptions revealed a clear focus on
historical and social-cultural backgrounds. There was
specific listing as well as frequent repetition of the
following as significant considerations in the study of
the world literature courses:
"Historical and social backgrounds"
5$
"Social, political, economic, and ethical thoughts
of each age"
"Literary and cultural backgrounds"
"Emphasis on ’informing ideas’"
"Impact of the enlightenment, the rise of
democracy and the democratic spirit, and the
evoluation of science and scientific thought"
"Development of Western civilization"
"Historical backgrounds"
"Developinent of Western culture"
"Cultural milieu"
"Historical, social, and philosophical back
grounds"
"Major concepts of the humanities"
"Integration . . . with their cultural backgrounds"
"Understanding of the philosophies of the various
periods"
"Better understanding of world civilization"
At least two descriptions related world literature survey
courses to "the history of ideas." It should be mentioned
that all of the descriptions in the seventy catalogs
stressed, too, the great historical range of the courses,
which generally begin with either the Bible or the works
of Homer and extend into the twentieth century. Also
suggesting the inclusiveness of some of the historical and
cultural objectives of the courses is the fact that ten
colleges are apparently attempting to include "Oriental"
or "Eastern" literary selections in their surveys of world
59
literature. But ordinarily the term "world literature"
refers to the classics only of the Western world. As
noted elsewhere in this study, the popular Norton anthology
also restricts its selections to the literature of the
West.
Personal growth aims are specifically stated in
only a limited number of the course descriptions, although
they, like academic values, can be assumed as being
implicit in the teaching of the world literature courses.
Also, whenever the courses reflect the general education
philosophy of the respective colleges, personal growth
objectives can be deduced. Several statements made to the
effect that the great works of world literature "influence
our thought, and illuminate some of the problems of man"
clearly relate this division to the social awareness cate
gory of the jury survey. Similar references to the rela
tion of world literature to "the universal problems of
mankind" and "the recurring problems of mankind" suggest
that the study of these problems has, as one description
stated it, "relevance to the student today." One college
stresses the fact that the student will study the course
in "small" discussion groups. One technical school finds
a frankly utilitarian purpose in its world literature
course by claiming that it will enable the student to
"enlarge his vocabulary with significant words that have
found their way out of the past." But only half a dozen
of the course descriptions touch on personal values to the
student or mention such considerations as "relevance" and
application of the subject to the contemporary world.
Summary of catalog survey
findings
The examination of the world literature course
descriptions in seventy-two California community college
catalogs revealed that fifty-eight presented course aims
or objectives that would be interpreted as fundamental
values in the courses. Because of the conciseness of the
course descriptions, sometimes aims or values were derived
from a phrase or single word. Classification of values
was made on the basis of relative emphasis and included
the following three headings: aesthetic; historical,
social, and cultural; and personal. The second division
corresponds to the academic category of the jury survey.
The third involves personal growth and social awareness
categories of the jury survey. All of the descriptions
could be said to somehow include aesthetic values, but
aesthetic values were clearly emphasized in thirty.
Social, historical, and cultural values were stressed in
twenty-three. Half a dozen colleges specifically mention
personal values.
Textbook Survey
The first purpose of the textbook examination was
61
to ascertain whether any statement was made in the prefaces
or elsewhere regarding values which might devolve to the
student in his study of the classics of the Western world.
A brief comparative analysis was also made to discover
whether there were substantial differences in patterns of
organization or of emphasis. Neither of the two anthol
ogies that were most generally used made explicit state
ments about aims or possible values derived from the study
of the classics.
As previously shown, the Norton world literature
textbook in two volumes is used four times as often as its
nearest competitor, the Scott-Foresman two volume anthol
ogy, edited by Warnock and Anderson. The first text is
less expensive, at a list price of $7.45 per volume as com
pared to $10.50. It is far more easily portable, and is
also more readable, for the text is set up in single rather
than double columns. For some instructors, advantages of
the Warnock anthology, in terms of format, would be the
use of illustrations and the inclusion of biographical-
critical headnotes before each selection. Both textbooks
have extensive historical introductions before the literary
selections in each section. Another feature of the Warnock
anthology is the inclusion of extracts from oriental liter
ature, specifically the "Ancient East,” and from Islamic
literature. The Warnock anthology, but not the Norton
text, presents examples of American literature. Period
62
divisions are historical and roughly comparable in the
first volumes of both textbooks, but organization in
Volume II of the Norton anthology is based on literary
periods, such as classicism, romanticism, and realism.
The second volume of the Warnock text is more complex in
its organization, which is historical, literary, and
thematic. Aesthetic or literary considerations were para
mount in the editing of both of the anthologies. Both
stress completeness and adequate length of the literary
extracts. In the past, anthologies have generally been
criticized for the use of brief extracts which are only
scraps of the original masterpieces. Another aesthetic
problem which has been explicitly dealt with by the editors
of both books is the selection of quality translations
which do justice to the original texts. In summary, the
Warnock text shows in its organization a less exclusive
emphasis on aesthetic or literary organization and selec
tions, and it includes more of the type of material which
relates to historical and cultural backgrounds. This text
also includes more contemporary material than the Norton
anthology.
"Round numbers are always false."
Boswell's Life of Johnson, p. 226
CHAPTER V
ENROLLMENT TRENDS IN MASTERPIECES OF WORLD
LITERATURE COURSES IN EIGHT SELECTED
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, 1962-1972
Introduction: On Campus Survey of Enrollment
Figures of Eight Selected Community Colleges
The purpose of the on-campus survey of enrollment
figures in the eight selected community colleges was to
gather information from this sample regarding the number
of students studying the literary classics. This informa
tion was considered necessary to gain some perspective on
the future of an important segment of literary study
within higher education, the masterpieces of the Western
world. The question which the survey attempted to answer
was: In terms of enrollment, are the classics of the
Western world holding their own or gaining in strength?
The answer to this question is of interest and importance
to educators who feel that a basic part of a humane,
general education is the study of the classics of the
Western world.
63
64
The eight colleges (See Appendix G) are considered
generally representative of the California community
colleges. There is a wide range in the age, size, commun
ity setting, student population, and traditions of the
eight institutions.
Enrollment Trends in Eight Selected
Community Colleges in Masterpieces
of World Literature Courses
Each bar graph is a representation of the enroll
ment in masterpieces of world literature classes. The
desired time range was a ten-year period ending in 1972,
but figures for all of these years were not available from
the colleges, although the author of the study visited the
colleges in an attempt to secure this information.
Even though the enrollment in the eight colleges
is on the increase, it should also be noted that total
enrollment figures for the various colleges may not have
been computed in a uniform way. Figures which include all
full-time and part-time students would tend to lower per
centages of enrollees in world literature courses. Final
ly, it should be kept in mind that world literature courses
are elective courses and are competing in the community
colleges with an unusually broad array of courses, in
comparison to the range of course offerings of the private
liberal arts colleges. Enrollment in elective English
courses in the California community colleges is typically
65
low and probably reflects, in part, the low number of
English majors enrolled in lower division courses in the
community colleges.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at Cerritos
College
Figure 1 shows that from 1965 through 1971 the
number of students studying the masterworks of literature
at Cerritos College increased steadily. By the fall of
1971, the enrollment in masterpieces leveled off. In
1972, enrollments in the literary masterpieces declined
somewhat. However, the total college population at
Cerritos College grew during these years. Thus in 1971>
an enrollment of 222 students in masterpieces courses
(compared to a total of 17,324) represented 1.26 percent
of the student body. An enrollment of 210 students in
masterpieces classes in 1972 (compared to a total of
16,264) represented 1.15 percent of the student body. In
summary, peak enrollment (1971) in masterpieces totaled
222 students or 1.26 percent; enrollment in 1972 was 210
or 1.15 percent of the total enrollment. These figures
represent a regression in enrollment of 0.13 percent.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at Cypress
College
Figure 2 shows that at Cypress College there has
been a small but continued fall in the number of students
Fall, 1965: SO students
Spring, 1966: SO students
Fall, 1966: 72 students
Spring, 1967: 9S students
Fall, 1967: 92 students
Spring, 196S: 90 students
. Fall, 196S: 62 students
Spring, 1969s S3 students
Fall, 19695 90 students
Spring, 1970: 100 students
Fall, 1970: 106 students
Spring, 19715 112 students
Fall, 1971: 117 students
Spring, 1972: 115 students
Fall,-1972: 115 students
Spx'ing, 19735 95 students
Fig. 1.— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
\ Literature at Cerritos College,'1965-1972
studying the masterpieces of world literature. Thus in
1969, 63 students in masterpieces courses (compared to a
total of 13,692) represented O.46 percent of the student
body. An enrollment of 42 students in masterpieces classes
in 1972 (compared to a total of 16,662) represented 0.25
percent of the student body. In summary, peak enrollment
(1969) in masterpieces totaled 63 students or O .46 per
cent; enrollment in 1972 was 42 or 0.25 percent of the
total enrollment. These figures represent a decline of
0.21 percent.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at El Camino
College
Figure 3 shows that from 1962 through 1966-67
there was an almost steady increase in the number of stu
dents taking masterpieces classes at El Camino College.
In the fall of 1966 through the spring of 1966, the enroll
ment in masterpieces of world literature declined from 146
to 96 students. The fall of 1970 shows a recovery of
enrollment which dwindled again in the spring of 1971.
Thus in 1965, an enrollment of 260 students in masterpieces
courses (compared to a total of 14,767) represented 1.69
percent of the student body. An enrollment of 256 students
in masterpieces classes in 1972 (compared to a total of
22,322) represented 1.15 percent of the student body. In
summary, peak enrollment (1965) in masterpieces totaled
Fall, 1969: 31 students
.
Spring, 1970: 32 students
Fall, 1970: 23 students
Spring, 1971: 27 students
•
Fall, 1971: 26 students
t
Spring, 1972: 23 students
Fall, 1972: 19 students .
* '
Fig. 2.— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
Literature at Cypress College, 1969-1972
230 students or 1.39 percent; enrollment in 1972 was 253
or 1.15 percent of the total enrollment. These figures
represent a loss of 0.74 percent.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at Fullerton
Junior College
Figure 4 shows that from 1964 through 1966 the
number of students taking masterpieces classes increased.
From 1967 through 1969 the enrollment leveled off and
then declined somewhat. In 1970 the enrollment suddenly
climbed again and then continued into a steady decline
through 1972. Thus in 1969, 215 students in masterpieces
courses (compared to a total of 13,513) represented 1.59
percent of the student body. An enrollment of 34 students
in masterpieces classes in 1972 (compared to a total
enrollment of 14,791) represented 0.57 percent of the
student body. In summary, peak enrollment (1969) in
masterpieces totaled 215 students or 1.59 percent; enroll
ment in 1972 was 34 or 0.57 percent. These figures repre
sent a regression of 1.02 percent.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at Golden
West College
Figure 5 shows that from 1967 through 1970 the
enrollment in literary classics courses at Golden West
was low and that the number of students in these classes
remained more or less at the same level. In 1971 there
Fall, 1962: 76 students
Spring, 1962: 77 students
Fall, 1963: 104 students
Spring, 1963: 75 students
Fall, 1964: 69 students
Spring, 1964: 109 students
Fall, 1965: 133 students
Spring, 1965: 147 students
Fall, 1966: 146 students
Spring, 1966: 129 students
Fall, 1967: 106 students
Spring, 1967: 96 students
Fall, 1966: 96 students
Spring, 1966: 113 students
Fall, 1969: 135 students
Spring, 1969: 104 students
Fall, 1970: 127 students
Spring, 1970: 112 studerts
Fall, 1971: 133 students
Spring, 1971 • * 125 students
Fall, 1972: 120 students
Spring. 1972: 114 students I
• Fig. 3*— Enrollment.in Masterpieces of World
Literature at El Camino College, 1962-1972
Fig. 4«— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
Literature at Fullerton Junior College
71
Spring, 1964: 55 students
Fall, 1964: 51 students
Spring, 1965: 81 students
Fall, 1965: 90 students
Spring, 1966: 109 students
Fall, 1966: 90 students
Spring, 1966: 90 students
Fall, 1967: 89 students
•
Spring, 1968: 72 students
Fall, 1968: 74 students
Spring, 1969: 74 students
Fall, 1969: 95 students
Spring, 1970: 120 students
Fall, 1970: 95 students
Spring, 1971: 67 students
Fall, 1971: 66 students
#Spring, 1972: 18 students
73|
i
was shown a sudden upsurge in enrollment in masterpieces
I
classes. In 1972 the enrollment in the masterworks courses
then fell back to nearly what it had been during the 1967-
1963 period. Thus in 1971> an enrollment of 77 students
in masterpieces courses (compared to a total of 11,450)
represented O .67 percent of the student body. An enroll
ment of 56 students in masterpieces classes in 1972 (com
pared to a total of 13,471) represented 0.40 percent of
the student body. In summary, peak enrollment (1971) in
masterpieces totaled 77 students or 0.67 percent; enroll
ment in 1972 was 56 or 0.40 percent of the total enroll
ment. These figures represent a loss of enrollment of
0.27 percent.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at Grange
Coast College
Figure 6 reveals that the number of students
studying the literary classics increased from 1962 through
the spring of 1967* In the fall of 1966, the number of
students enrolled in the masterpieces courses fell off,
and then the number climbed upward steadily through 1969*
Except for the fall of 1972, the enrollment in master
pieces courses from 1970 through the spring of 1972
remained relatively constant. Thus in 1969, an enrollment
of 137 students in masterpieces courses (compared to a
total of 19>433) represented 0 .9 6 percent of the student
Fall, 1967: not offered
Spring, 1963: 27 students
Fall, 1963: not offered
Spring, 1969: 23 students
Fall, 1969: not offered
Spring, 1970: 26 students
Fall, 1970: not offered
Spring, 1971s 23 students
Fall, 1971s 42 students
Spring, 1972: 35 student:
Fall, 1972: 23 students
’ Spring, 1973s 23 students
Fig. 5»— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
Literature at Golden West College, 1967-1972
.... ' .................. ... ........... ..' '.. 75
i
body. An enrollment of 125 students in masterpieces
classes in 1972 (compared to a total of 22,354) repre
sented 0.56 percent of the student body. In summary, peak|
enrollment (1969) in masterpieces totaled 167 students or
0.96 percent; enrollment in 1972 was 125 or 0.56 percent
of the total enrollment. These figures represent a
decline of 0.40 percent.
Enrollment in masterpieces of
world literature at Rio Hondo
College
Figure 7 indicates that from 1965 through 1969
enrollment in masterpieces courses at Rio Hondo College
grew fairly consistently each fall and relapsed each
spring. From the spring of 1969 through the fall of 1970,
enrollment in masterpieces classes remained steady. In
the spring of 1971, enrollment fell but recovered in the
fall of 1971* In the spring of 1971 enrollment in master-
works classes again went down. In 1972 enrollment in these
classes recovered. Thus in 1969, an enrollment of 167
students in masterpieces courses (compared to a total of
16,219) represented 1.15 percent of the student body. An
enrollment of I69 students in 1972 (compared to a total of
22,3^9) represented 0.75 percent of the student body. In
summary, peak enrollment (1969) in masterpieces totaled
167 students or 1.15 percent; enrollment in 1972 was 169 or
0.75 percent. These figures represent a regression of
r
Fall, 1962: 41 students
Spring, 1963: not offered
Fall, 1963: 29 students
Spring, 1964: not offered
Fall, 1964: 4# students
Spring, 1965: not offered
Fall, 1965: 43 students
Spring, 1966: not offered
Fall, 1966: 32 students
Spring, 1967: 40 students
Fall, 1967: 41 students
Spring, 1968: 56 students
Fall, 1968: 80 students
Spring, 1969: 101 students
Fall, 1969: 98 students
Spring, 1970: 89 students
Fall, 1970: 68 students
Spring, 1971: 71 students
Fall, 1971: • 75 students
Spring, 1972: 74 students
Fall, 1972: 53 students
Spring, 1973-* 72 students
7 6
Fig. 6.— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
Literature at Orange Coast College, 1962-1972
i 0.40 percent.
I Enrollment in masterpieces of
I world literature at Santa Ana
College
Figure 6 shows that from 1962 through 1967 enroll
ment in masterworks courses at Santa Ana College slowly
but steadily increased. From the spring of 1967 through
the spring of 1969 the number of students studying the
literary classics remained comparatively constant. With
the exception of the fall of 1970, there was a general
deterioration from the spring of 1969 through the year
1972 in the enrollment in masterpieces of world literature
classes. Thus in 1966, an enrollment of 113 students in
masterpieces courses (compared to a total of 1 3> 997)
represented 0.60 percent of the student body. An enroll
ment of 46 students in masterpieces classes in 1972 (com
pared to a total of 22,005) represented 0.23 percent of
the student body. In summary, peak enrollment (1966) in
masterpieces totaled 113 students or 0.60 percent; enroll
ment in 1972 was 46 or 0.23 percent. These figures repre
sent a decline of 0.57 percent.
Summary
On the basis of figures provided by the eight
selected community colleges studied, enrollment in world
literature courses shows a small decline. The mean per
centage of students enrolled in world literature classes
. Fig. 7.— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
Literature at Rio Hondo College, 1965-1972
76
Fall, 1965: 53 student:
Spring,
Fall, 1966: 64 students
Spring, 1967: 36 students
Fall, 1967: 60 students
Spring, 1963: 46 students
Fall, 1963: 40 students
Spring, 1969:
30 students
Fall, 1969: 109 students
Spring, 1970: 73 students
Fall, 1970: 31 students
Spring, 1971: 47
Fall, 1971: 92 students
•Spring, 1972: 47 students
Fall, 1972: 67 students
Spring, 1973^ 102 students
Fig. S.— Enrollment in Masterpieces of World
Literature at Santa Ana Junior College, 1962-1972
SO
Fall, 1962: not offered
Spring, 1963: 19 students
Spring, 1965: 36 students
Fall, 1
Spring,
Fall, 1963: not offered
Spring, 1964: not offered
Fall, 1964: 25 students
Fall, 1966: 33 students
Spring, 1967: 60 students
Fall, 1968: 55 students
Spring, 1969: 58 students
Fall, 1969: 59 students
Spring, 1970: 47 students
Fall, 1970: 52 students
Spring, 1971• 23 students
Fall, 1971: 21 students
Spring, 1972: 25 students
Fall, 1972: 17 students
Spring, 1973: 1^ students
in the eight community colleges in their respective peak
years of enrollment was 1.1 percent. The mean percentage
of students enrolled in world literature classes in the
eight colleges in the year 1972 was 0.63 percent. This
figure represents a decline of enrollment of 0.37 percent.
"No! No! Sentence first— verdict afterwards."
Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 12
CHAPTER VI
THE JURY EVALUATION OF THE VALUES OR PURPOSES
OF THE STUDY OF WORLD LITERATURE
The findings of the jury survey are presented in
this chapter. An evaluation of the findings is made in
Chapter VII.
Purpose of the Jury Survey
The jury survey described in this chapter sorts
and classifies some of the values which proponents have
claimed are both aims and results of the study of litera
ture. Four groups of educators have rated these values
on the basis of their priority or significance in the
teaching of literature. The concern in the survey is
particularly with the content of courses in literature
variously labeled "world literature," "the classics,"
"great books," "world masterpieces," "the classics in
translation," and "European and American Literature."
Unsupported and, in some instances, even grandiose claims
have often been made for such courses of literary study.
(20:27) Indeed, world literature courses have
S3
traditionally been offered on the basis of congeries of
assumed values. These values which are themselves con
sidered to be inherent in the literary masterpieces are
promoted both explicitly and implicitly in the writings of
educators and philosophers (See Chapter II), in textbooks,
and in college catalogs. Taken together, these varied
types of sources yielded the groups of "values” which were;
sorted and classified for use in the jury survey.
Some Introductory Considerations
As explained in Chapter III, the responses to the
survey questionnaire were tabulated and the results trans
lated into simple percentages, according to standard pro
cedures for dealing with small, unevenly divided groups of
respondents. The total number of respondents was twenty-
one: this number included twelve community college liter
ature instructors, three university professors of litera
ture (classics), three professors of education who are
specialists in curriculum, and three community college
administrators with a primary responsibility for academic
affairs of their respective institutions.
Part I of the survey (Appendix E) dealt with
aesthetic values; Part II included social awareness values;
Part III focused on academic values; Part IV polled views
on personal growth values. In each instance, respondents
indicated relative importance assigned to specific values
by marking as follows: Highest priority, priority, and
irrelevant. Because it was hypothesized that the community
college and university professors of literature would be
in substantial agreement on most issues related to the
teaching of literature, these two groups were combined in
order to compare responses of classroom literature instruc
tors to those of the administrators and professors of edu
cation. It was also hypothesized that the latter two taken
together would have more similar reactions than either
would display with respect to the classroom instructors.
These hypotheses are the basis for the grouping of respon
dents in the tables which summarize responses: Tables 7-
15. Table 15 summarizes findings for the two sets of
respondents.
Aesthetic Values: Community College
Instructors and University
Professors of Literature
The jury survey revealed that 44 percent of the
responses of the professors of literature ranked aesthetic
values at the highest priority; 55 percent of the responses
of the professors rated those values as having priority;
and only 1 percent of the responses ranked aesthetic
values as irrelevant or unimportant. Forty percent of the
responses of community college instructors of the master
pieces of world literature assigned highest priority to
aesthetic values; 54 percent of the instructors ranked
those values as having priority; and 6 percent of the
responses rated aesthetic values as irrelevant or unimpor
tant. The percentages are presented in Table 7»
With respect to the first hypothesis, that the
teachers of literature would stress aesthetic values, the
findings are that this value was not given highest prior
ity. Fifty-two percent considered aesthetic values as
significant, but only 45 percent of the combined group
ranked aesthetic values as most significant. Fully 5 per
cent more responses of the administrators and professors
of education rated aesthetic values at top priority. (See
Table 15)
With respect to the second hypothesis, that the
teachers of literature as a group would agree with each
other concerning values, there was in fact substantial
agreement on the ratings accorded aesthetic values.
TABLE 7
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR AESTHETIC VALUES FOR
PROFESSORS OF CLASSICS AT THE UNIVERSITY
LEVEL AND INSTRUCTORS OF ENGLISH AT THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE,EXPRESSED IN
PERCENTAGES
University Professors Community College
Instructors
Highest Priority
44
40
Priority
55 54
Irrelevant 1 6
37!
Aflariftinic Values: Community College Instructors
and University Professors of Literature
The survey showed that 17 percent of the responsesi
of the professors of literature ranked academic values at
the highest priority; 62 percent of the responses of the
professors rated those values as having priority; and 21
percent of the responses ranked academic values as irrele
vant or unimportant. Twenty-four percent of the responses
of community college instructors assigned highest priority
to academic values. Sixty-six percent of the responses of
the instructors rated those values at priority; and 10 per
cent of the responses rated academic values as irrelevant
or unimportant. The percentages are presented in Table 3.
TABLE 3
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR ACADEMIC VALUES FOR
PROFESSORS OF CLASSICS AT THE UNIVERSITY
LEVEL AND INSTRUCTORS OF ENGLISH AT
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, EXPRESSED
IN PERCENTAGES
University Professors Community College
Instructors
Highest Priority
17 24
Priority 62 66
Irrelevant 21 10
Again, the community college instructors and uni
versity professors agree in their ratings of academic
values. Neither group gave highest priority; the two
groups considered academic values as having only a priority
33;
rating, 62 percent and 66 percent respectively. Profess- i
ors of education weighted academic values more heavily,
42 percent highest priority. Seventy-five percent of the
administrators’ responses assigned these values priority.
Social Awareness Values: Community College
Instructors and University Professors
of Literature
The survey revealed that 14 percent of the
responses of the professors of literature rated social
awareness values as having highest priority; 72 percent of
the responses of the professors ranked social awareness
values at priority; and 14 percent of the responses rated
social awareness values as irrelevant or unimportant.
Twenty-eight percent of the responses of the instructors
rated social growth values as having highest priority; 65
percent of the responses ranked social awareness values at
priority; and 7 percent of the responses rated those values
irrelevant or unimportant. The percentages are shown in
Table 9.
On social awareness values, again the community
college instructors and university professors are in
fairly close agreement. The former assigns a somewhat
higher priority (23 percent highest priority) to these
values than the university professors (14 percent highest
priority). But the two groups are within seven points of
each other in their rating priority to these values, 72
.................................. 69
percent and 65 percent respectively. The vice presidents |
go beyond any group in assessing social awareness values
as taking priority at 60 percent; the professors of educa
tion, on the other hand, voted highest priority, 73 per
cent .
TABLE 9
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR SOCIAL GROWTH VALUES
FOR PROFESSORS OF CLASSICS AT THE UNIVERSITY
LEVEL AND INSTRUCTORS OF ENGLISH AT THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, EXPRESSED IN
PERCENTAGES
University Professors Community College
Instructors
Highest Priority
14
26
Priority 72 65
Irrelevant
14 7
Personal Growth Values: Community College
Instructors and University Professors
of Literature
The survey revealed that 29 percent of the
responses of the professors of literature rated personal
growth values at the highest priority; 47 percent of the
responses of the professors ranked social growth values at
priority; and 24 percent of the responses rated those
values as irrelevant or unimportant. Twentyr-seven percent
of the responses of the instructors rated personal growth
values as having highest priority; 52 percent of the
responses of the instructors ranked personal growth at
priority; and 21 percent of the responses ranked personal I
growth values as irrelevant or unimportant. The per
centages are shown in Table 10.
TABLE 10
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
VALUES FOR PROFESSORS OF CLASSICS AT THE
UNIVERSITY LEVEL AND INSTRUCTORS OF
ENGLISH AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES
University Professors Community College
Instructors
Highest Priority 29
27
Priority 47
52
Irrelevant 24 21
The community college and university teachers of
literature were in especially close agreement at each
level in their rating of personal growth values. Highest
priority— 27 percent, 29 percent respectively; priority—
52 percent, 47 percent respectively; and irrelevant— 24
percent and 21 percent respectively. The vice presidents
and professors of education, in general, found these per
sonal growth values more significant. Only £ percent and
4 percent of the responses respectively rated them irrele
vant; but 59 percent and 67 percent, respectively, assigned
priority; and 33 percent and 29 percent, respectively, were
at highest priority.
91
Aesthetic Values: Vice Presidents for Academic
Affairs and Professors of Education !
(Curriculum)
Fifty-six percent of the responses of the vice
presidents of academic affairs rated aesthetic values as
having highest priority; 44 percent of the responses of
the vice presidents ranked aesthetic values at priority;
and 0 percent of the responses rated aesthetic values as
irrelevant or unimportant. Forty-four percent of the
responses of the curriculum experts rated aesthetic values
as having highest priority; 44 percent of the curriculum
experts ranked those values at priority; and 12 percent of
the responses rated aesthetic values as irrelevant or
unimportant. The percentages are shown in Table 11.
TABLE 11
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR AESTHETIC VALUES FOR
VICE PRESIDENTS FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
AND CURRICULUM EXPERTS, EXPRESSED
IN PERCENTAGES
Vice Presidents Curriculum Experts
Highest Priority 56
44
Priority
44 44
Irrelevant 0 12
The figures reveal substantial agreement between
the two groups in their ratings of aesthetic values. As
noted previously, these two groups went beyond the teachers
of literature in stressing significance of aesthetic
92
values.
i
Academic Values; Vice Presidents for Academic
Affairs and Professors of Education
iCurriculum)
The jury survey shows that 17 percent of the
responses of the vice presidents ranked academic values
as having highest priority; 75 percent of the responses of
the vice presidents rated academic values at priority; and
S percent of responses ranked academic values irrelevant
or unimportant. Forty-two percent of the responses of the
curriculum experts rated academic values as having highest
priority; 54 percent of the responses of the curriculum
experts ranked academic values at priority; and 4 percent
of the responses ranked those values as irrelevant or
unimportant. The percentages are shown in Table 12.
TABLE 12
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR ACADEMIC VALUES
FOR VICE PRESIDENTS OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
AND CURRICULUM EXPERTS, EXPRESSED
IN PERCENTAGES
Vice Presidents Curriculum Experts
Highest Priority
17 42
Priority
75 54
Irrelevant a
4
The vice presidents assigned less significance to
academic values than the professors of education, 17
percent and 42 percent highest priority respectively. But
75 percent of the vice president’s responses assigned
priority, whereas only 54 percent of the professors of
education assigned priority.
Social Awareness Values: Vice Presidents for
Academic Affairs and Professors of
Educ ation (Curri culumT
The survey showed that 20 percent of the responses
of the vice presidents rated social awareness values as
having highest priority; SO percent of the responses of
the vice presidents ranked social awareness values at
priority; and 0 percent of the responses rated social
awareness values as irrelevant or unimportant. Seventy-
three percent of the responses of the curriculum experts
ranked social awareness values as having highest priority;
27 percent of the responses of the curriculum experts
rated social awareness values at priority; and 0 percent
of the responses rated social awareness values as irrele
vant or unimportant. The percentages are shown in Table
13.
The greatest differences in the two groups were
found in the area of social awareness values. Seventy-
three percent of the responses made by the professors of
education gave highest priority, but the vice presidents
registered SO percent emphasis at the priority level.
94
Both groups shunned the irrelevant rating.
TABLE 13
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR SOCIAL AWARENESS
VALUES FOR VICE PRESIDENTS OF ACADEMIC
AFFAIRS AND CURRICULUM EXPERTS,
EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES
Vice Presidents Curriculum Experts
Highest Priority 20
73
Priority ao
27
Irrelevant 0 0
Personal Growth Values: Vice Presidents
for Academic Affairs and Professors
of Education (Curriculum)
The survey revealed that 33 percent of the
responses of the vice presidents rated personal growth
values as having highest priority; 59 percent of the
responses of the vice presidents ranked personal growth
values at priority; and 8 percent of the responses rated
personal growth values as irrelevant or unimportant.
Twenty-nine percent of the responses of the curriculum
experts rated personal growth values as having highest
priority; 67 percent of the responses of the curriculum
experts ranked those values at priority; and 4 percent of
the responses of rated personal growth values as irrele
vant or unimportant. The percentages are shown in Table
14.
The two groups agree almost completely at each
level of importance assigned to personal growth values.
Percentages differ by only a few points. (See Table 15)
TABLE 14
COMPARISON OF RESPONSES FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
VALUES FOR VICE PRESIDENTS OF ACADEMIC
AFFAIRS AND CURRICULUM EXPERTS,
EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES
Vice Presidents Curriculum Experts
Highest Priority
33 29
Priority
59 67
Irrelevant £
4
Summary: The Findings and the
Hypotheses
Findings of the jury survey were tested in terms
of the hypotheses listed in Chapter III. The hypotheses
were stated as follows:
1. Groups I (Instructors) and II (Professors)
will generally agree with each other.
2. Groups I and II will tend to stress aesthetic,
literary values.
3. Groups I and II will probably not agree with
Groups III (Curriculum Planners) and IV (Vice Presidents)
to the degree that they agree among themselves.
4. Groups III and IV will agree more with each
other than with the two groups of literature teachers.
TABLE 15
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FOR INSTRUCTORS, PROFESSORS,
VICE PRESIDENTS, AND CURRICULUM EXPERTS,
EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES
All Teachers
Vice Presidents-Professors
of Education
Aesthetic:
Highest Priority
45 50
Priority 52
‘ i
Irrelevant
3
Academic:
Highest Priority 20 30
Priority
64 64
Irrelevant 16 6
Personal:
Highest Priority 28
31
Priority 48 63
Irrelevant
24
6
Social:
Highest Priority 21 46
Priority
69 59
Irrelevant 10
0
These assumptions determined the form in which the findings
are presented in this chapter. It was believed that the
classroom teachers of literature, at both the community
college level and the upper levels of college instruction,
would have many values in common by virtue of their educa
tional backgrounds and their professional duties. Figures,
perhaps with the exception of those dealing with social
awareness values of the teaching of world literature, borej
out this assumption: that there was substantial agreement;
between the two groups as shown in their ratings.
Surprisingly, the second hypothesis (Groups I and
II will tend to stress aesthetic, literary values) was
shown to be false. Both the college administrators and
the professors of education assigned higher priority to
aesthetic values than did the teachers of literature.
Another surprise was the finding that 6 percent of the
responses of the community college classroom teachers
rated aesthetic values as "irrelevant." Also unexpected
was the fact that both groups of literature teachers rated
academic values on a lower scale than the professors of
education.
The third hypothesis (Groups I and II will
probably not agree with Groups III, Curriculum Planners,
and IV, Vice Presidents, to the degree that they agree
among themselves) proved to be a correct assumption.
Comparison of the ratings of the four categories of values
generally show only a few percentage points difference in
Groups I and II, the teachers of literature, and in
Groups III and IV, the administrators and the professors
of education. As a rule, the percentage differences,
however, were somewhat greater between all the groups,
taken together, Groups I and II versus Groups III and IV.
93
The fourth hypothesis (Groups III and IV will
agree more with each other than with the two groups of
literature teachers) was in general supported by the
findings. The professors of education, however, deviated
from the ratings of the college administrators by rating
academic values higher, 42 percent and 72 percent highest
priority, respectively. They differed even more on their
rating of social awareness values, 20 percent and 73 per
cent highest priority, respectively. But otherwise there
was agreement to a greater extent than there was with the
teachers of literature.
"But those who care for the preservation,
the extension and the advancement of our
culture cannot fail to interest themselves
in our classical heritage.
T. S. Eliot, To Criticize the Critics
CHAPTER VII
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Background for the Presentation of the
Discussion and Implications
Alfred North Whitehead once wrote that "The plea
sure and the discipline of character to be derived from an
education based mainly on classical literature and class
ical philosophy has been demonstrated by centuries of
experience." (50:61)
Some years later the celebrated poet T. S. Eliot
made the point that the "maintenance of classical educa-
ture and that for scholars to study the classics in the
original would continue to be necessary." (14:15#) How
ever, Eliot recognized another group of readers who would
learn the wisdom of the classics through translation. For
without this larger group, Eliot said, the classics would
become a "limited preserve." (14:159) To attempt to
refute objections to the study of the classics even in
tion continuity of English litera-
99
100!
i
translation, Eliot remonstrated, "would be an imperti- i
nence." (14:160) He explained:
My appeal can only address itself to those who
already accept the contention that the preservation
of a living literature is more than a matter of
interest only to amateurs of verse and readers of
novels; and who see in it the preservation of
developed speech, and of civilization against
barbarism. (14:161)
Although Eliot was discussing the preservation of the
classics, it is clear that he felt that the great literary
masterpieces provided a basis for a common learning and a
foundation for a common discourse.
Robert Maynard Hutchins made the same point in his
book The Higher Learning in America when he said that
Unless students and professors have a common
intellectual training, a university must remain a
series of disparate schools and departments, united
by nothing except the fact that they have the same
president and board of trustees. (20:65-66)
And as Hutchins has made it clear, this common learning,
this common general education would arise out of a study
of the classics, the great masterpieces of world litera
ture.
Organization of Chapter VII
Inasmuch as this chapter covers a broad range of
interrelated information in the findings, it has been
organized in terms of the questions posed in Chapter I.
Discussed in turn are the findings related to philosophical
values, course organization, and enrollment trends.
Values in General
The review of the literature in Chapter II pro
vided many detailed and eloquent statements of values used
in formulating the jury survey on values. Very little
help in this regard was gained from examination of the two
textbooks currently used in the California community
college courses in world literature. There are no
prefaces or introductions specifically mentioning objec
tives or philosophy of this branch of literary study.
Apparently, the editors assume that there is a body of
value judgments to which world literature teachers gener
ally subscribe.
The community college catalogs, on the other hand,
were a mine of information on course objectives and basic
assumptions, all of which could be translated into value
judgments. The catalog descriptions could be described as
being generally less than informative or attractive to the
prospective student. Either they tend to be so concise as
to omit any mention of content or organization or, in an
obvious attempt to show inclusive range of content, they
would be considered overwhelming. One could reasonably
decide that the student who is ”shopping” for courses in
the catalog would not necessarily be influenced by the
catalog description to undertake the study of world liter
ature.
Although there is as shown in the findings in
102
Chapter IV, some divergence of opinion regarding the
relative significance of the categories of values which
could accrue to the student of the literary masterpieces,
there is also a broad area of agreement. Summaries of
responses to the "irrelevant” rating show that in general
these percentages hovered below 10 percent, with the excep
tion of "academic" and "personal growth" categories, both
rejected by classroom literature teachers 16 and 24 per
cent, respectively. Their interests are apparently more
centered in the other types of values.
More detailed analysis of the jury survey high
lights some of the more striking differences of opinion.
Respondents, who included classroom teachers of litera
ture, vice presidents, and professors of education, indi
cated relative significance of academic values, aesthetic
values, social awareness values, and personal growth
values.
Academic values
The jury survey revealed that of all respondents
participating, 42 percent of the responses of the curricu
lum experts ranked academic values as having highest
priority. No other group rated academic values as high.
Four percent of this same group ranked academic values as
irrelevant or unimportant. Thus curriculum experts ranked
academic values irrelevant or unimportant least often.
103
Seventeen percent of the responses of the professors of
literature, by contrast, rated academic values as having
highest priority. No other group rated academic values
as low as the professors of literature. Twenty-one per
cent of the responses of this group ranked academic values
as irrelevant or unimportant. Professors of literature,
therefore, ranked academic values irrelevant or unimpor
tant most often.
Aesthetic values
The jury survey showed that of all respondents
participating, 56 percent of the responses of the vice
presidents of academic affairs rated aesthetic values as
having highest priority. No other group ranked aesthetic
values as high. Zero percent of this same group rated
aesthetic values as irrelevant or unimportant. Thus vice
presidents ranked aesthetic values irrelevant or unimpor
tant least often. Twelve percent of the responses of the
curriculum experts ranked aesthetic values as irrelevant
or unimportant. No other group rated aesthetic values so
low. Thus curriculum experts ranked aesthetic values
irrelevant or unimportant most often.
Social awareness values
The jury survey showed that of academic values,
aesthetic values, personal growth values, and social
awareness values, social awareness values provoked the
I greatest differences in ranking values.
! I
Seventy-three percent of the responses of curricu
lum experts rated social awareness values as having high
est priority. No other group ranked social awareness
values as high. None of this same group rated social
awareness values as irrelevant or unimportant. Thus,
curriculum experts ranked social awareness values irrele
vant or unimportant least often. Fourteen percent of the
responses of the professors of literature, however, rated
social awareness values as irrelevant or unimportant.
Professors of literature, on that account, rated social
awareness values irrelevant most often.
Personal growth values
The jury survey revealed that of all respondents,
there was no appreciable difference between curriculum
experts, professors of literature, vice presidents of
academic affairs, and community college instructors of
masterpieces of world literature in ranking personal
growth values as having highest priority. Twenty-four
percent of the responses of the professors of literature,
on the other hand, ranked personal growth values as irrele
vant or unimportant. No other group rated personal growth
values so low. Thus, professors of literature ranked
personal growth values irrelevant most often.
~......... . ' ....... 105
Enrollment Trends |
As to the questions of enrollment and class sizes,
it appeared in February 1, 1972, that the masterpieces of
the Western world, the literary classics of our cultural
heritage, were safe and secure because of burgeoning
enrollments. During the 1971-1972 school year, at least
El percent of all community colleges in California offered
masterpieces of world literature. During that same
period, there were a reported £,£00 students enrolled in
265 sections of world literature in California’s public
community colleges. Also, four junior colleges even
reported teaching ten or more sections per year of master
pieces alone. And yet, in the face of such heavy enroll
ments, there were signs of a shift in mood.
During the course of the year 1972, enrollments in
the literary classics courses began to drop. Fullerton
Junior College, which as recently as the fall semester of
1970 had 120 students studying the literary classics,
could muster only nineteen students for the spring semester
of 1972 for the entire college for the same class. Santa
Ana Junior College enjoyed an average enrollment of fifty-
five students per semester in its masterpieces courses for
six semesters from 1967 through 1970. By the fall of
1970, Santa Ana College found itself having only twenty
students per semester in its literary classics courses.
These low enrollment figures at Fullerton and Santa Ana
106!
I
were not unique. Other institutions also suffered loss of;
enrollment in their literary classics courses.
El Camino College, for instance, maintained an
enrollment in its classics classes at 260 students in the
peak year 1965 or 1.69 percent of the student body;
enrollment in 1972 was 256 students but this figure repre-|
sented only 1.15 percent of the total enrollment or a loss:
of 0.74 percent.
Cerritos College had 222 students enrolled in its
masterpieces classes in the peak year 1971 or 1.26 percent
of the student body; enrollment in 1972 was 210 or 1.15
percent of the total enrollment or a loss of 0.13 percent.
What these representative figures show is that in
the face of rising enrollments in community colleges
throughout California, a smaller proportion of the student
body is taking courses in masterpieces of world literature.
The English department questionnaire revealed that
there were 74 colleges teaching 296 sections of American
literature, 77 colleges teaching 296 sections of British
literature, and 55 colleges teaching 196 sections of
ethnic literature. Mention should be made here of the
surprising number of sections of British literature.
Although British literature is usually an upper division
requirement, particularly for English majors, 77 community
colleges reported teaching 296 sections of British liter
ature per year. Five community colleges said they offered
107
ten or more sections of British literature annually.
There were no comparative figures available for past years,
but it is possible that all of these literature courses
are actively and successfully competing for enrollment of
students who would otherwise be interested in taking
general education world literature courses. The recent
increase in interest in ethnic literature, for example,
might be siphoning off many prospective world literature
students. Taken all together, the total numbers of sec
tions in world literature, American literature, British
literature, and ethnic literature are possibly suggestive
of the healthy state of the literature curriculum in
California community colleges.
Questions naturally arise concerning the factors
influencing enrollments. Is the current pressure for
vocational education to blame for the decline in enroll
ment in masterpieces of world literature? Was the
Vietnamese War and its attendant pressure to gain student
deferments one of the reasons literature classes gained in
popularity from 1965 through 1969-1970? Did the end of
the draft and the end of the Vietnam War mean the end of
the need to "round out" programs with electives such as
masterpieces of world literature? What direction are we
moving in with reference to such courses as American
literature and ethnic literature? More classes? Fewer
classes?
log
More recently the idea of a shortened three-year
baccalaureate program had been resurrected. Close upon
that recommendation in 1972 followed announcements by
California State Superintendent of Instruction Wilson
Riles and California’s Governor Ronald Reagan laying
emphasis on the development of salable skills as a posi
tive goal of all students being graduated from
California’s public institutions of secondary and higher
education. One can conjecture that the occurrence of
these two statements affected enrollments in literary
classics courses. But the trends in declining enrollments
in masterpieces courses preceded the present trend toward
salable skills as a tangible outcome of secondary and
higher education.
Nationally, enrollments are said to be off in all
areas of the humanities, while enrollments in all voca
tional areas are up. The drift, it seems, is not neces
sarily away from the classics of the Western world in
particular, but from the humanities in general. (25:7;
4S:73)
To the investigator, one implication of such an
apparent drift would be a fragmentation and loss of a
central cultural value that has traditionally unified the
college experience. If the humanities and the master
pieces of world literature classes continue to lose
enrollment, it seems to this researcher that institutions
109
of higher learning may become little more than vocational
institutions.
Course Organization
On the basis of information received from the
responding colleges, it is possible to generalize to some
extent about the organization of the courses in world
literature. Fifty-three of the courses are offered in a
two-semester sequence, twenty-one in one semester. Forty-
four colleges report using the Norton two-volume anthol
ogy; only six are using the Warnock two-volume text; and
thirty-one are relying on paperback editions of the
masterpieces. Since the Norton text is divided so that
the literary periods after the Renaissance are included in
the second volume, that historical division, similar to
that of the Warnock textbook, appears to establish the
pattern in the greatest number of colleges. This anthol
ogy stresses literary classifications (Romanticism,
Realism, Naturalism, Symbolism, etc.). Thus it could be
concluded that the use of this textbook would dictate an
emphasis on literary rather than historical or sociolog
ical considerations. The Norton anthology has selections
from only fifteen or sixteen twentieth century works.
Many instructors in the past have objected to the
lack of contemporary materials in most available antholo
gies. Unfortunately, respondents' lists of additional
110
readings and readings lists for courses taught without a I
textbook were too incomplete to resolve the question of
whether instructors who use books other than the antholo- i
gies are stressing, older "background” materials or are
teaching more modern or contemporary classics. The
criticisms leveled at the anthologies by the instructors
(Table 6, p. 55, Chapter IV) are also not helpful in this
regard. Of twenty-three complaints, thirteen dealt with
obvious problems such as cost of books and brevity of
extracts from the literature. Ten complaints centered
around the lack of Oriental or Eastern literature.
Apparently, however, 62 percent of the instructors are in
general satisfied with the anthologies or are resigned to
the inherent shortcomings and are accepting the books on
the basis of their convenience. It was surprising to find
that so few of the thirty-one instructors using groups of
paperbacks in lieu of the anthology provided lists for
examination and analysis.
From the catalog survey, very few conclusions
could be drawn about course organization, aside from the
expected historical divisions of the two-semester course.
With the exception of a few genre courses, there appears to
be a conventional pattern according to literary or histor
ical periods. The history of ideas approach is suggested
a few times, but one searches in vain for courses organized
thematically or with some other central focus.
"The nature of man is the central problem of
education. Perhaps, in truth, what man is
like, in reality and in potential, is the most
significant issue in all of human life."
Earl V. Pullias, A Search for Understanding
CHAPTER VIII
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The problem
The purpose of this research was to investigate
the place and use which the masterpieces of world liter
ature have in California public community colleges.
To English departments, the importance of this
investigation becomes urgent in view of the fact that
941)000 students attend California's ninety-six community
public junior colleges. In facing the task of meeting
the needs of so many students, teachers of literature
should be aware of developments in all areas of their
discipline. The present study is concerned with problems
connected with the teaching of the masterpieces of world
literature.
Research procedure
The following steps were taken to carry out the
111
112 !
I
research: (1) reviewing the literature; (2) developing and!
circulating an English department literature offering
questionnaire; (3) examining statements of objectives and
purposes of the masterpieces of world literature in course
descriptions in community college catalogs; (4) making
on-campus visits to eight community colleges to ascertain
enrollment trends in world literature classes over a ten-
year period, 1962-1972; (5) comparing textbooks used in
world literature courses; (6) developing and circulating
a jury survey to assess attitudes of community college
instructors, vice presidents of academic affairs, pro
fessors of education (curriculum), and university pro
fessors of literature on the purposes or values accruing
to the student from the study of the classics of world
literature; (7) presenting findings, conclusions, and
recommendations.
Findings
1. The review of the literature revealed that
literature has generally been accorded a significant place
in general education programs, although the ’ ’classics’ '
have remained in the center of a centuries-old conflict
regarding their place in the curriculum.
2. Eighty-two respondents to the survey of
California community college English department programs
showed that the most popular anthology in use in the
....... ........ ....'....................113
California community college is the two-volume Norton
textbook. A smaller but substantial number of instructors
were using separate editions of materials of the master
pieces in lieu of the anthology.
3. Fifty-three California community college i
courses in world literature were organized in two-semester:
courses.
4. World literature sections in seventy-four
colleges totaled 265. They were competing with 29& sec
tions of American literature and 296 sections of British
literature. Ethnic literature, a relative newcomer to the
curriculum, was being taught in 196 sections.
5. The two leading textbooks, the Norton and the
Warnock Scott Foresman anthologies, are organized differ
ently. The former stress literary periods and trends.
The latter combines literary periods, historical divisions,
and thematic classifications. The Warnock anthology
includes Oriental and American literature.
6. The seventy-two catalog course descriptions
mainly emphasized aesthetic considerations, but there was
considerable stress on historical, social, and cultural
backgrounds with a minimum concern with personal growth
objectives.
7. Examination of student enrollment statistics
at eight selected California community college campuses
showed a steady ten-year increase in total numbers to 1972,
114!
I
but showed a slight decline of 0.37 percent in 1972 j
enrollments in world literature courses.
8, The jury survey of twelve California community
college classroom instructors of world literature courses,
three university professors of world literature, three ;
California community college administrators, and three
professors of education specializing in curriculum
development showed that the first two groups agreed more
with each other than with the other two groups taken
together. The second two groups, however, assigned higher
priority both to aesthetic values and to academic values
than the teachers of literature. Both teachers and the
other two groups weighted personal growth values similarly
at 28 percent and 31 percent respectively. But 24 percent
of the teachers’ responses labeled these values as irrele
vant. The second groups gave highest priority (46 percent)
than the teachers to social awareness values.
Conclusions
1. The place of the masterpieces of world liter
ature in the college curriculum has been a point of sharp
controversy among educators for more than a century.
2. Prior to the last half of the nineteenth
century the classics held a central place in the college
curriculum.
3. Although the masterpieces of world literature
115!
j
have a less prominent place in the college curriculum in
the latter half of the twentieth century than formerly,
many writers on education praise the values of these
studies.
4. Enrollment in masterpieces of world literature|
in community colleges seems to be stable with perhaps a
trend downward in the early 1970's.
5. California community college catalog descrip
tions of courses in masterpieces of literature are
generally not clear or attractive.
6. Course patterns, methodology, and instructional
materials for courses in masterpieces of world literature
in community colleges in California show little innovation
or variation.
7. A jury of twenty-one educators (University
professors of literature, community college instructors of
masterpieces of world literature, community college vice
presidents for academic affairs, professors of education),
although they differ in emphasis, generally agree on the
academic, aesthetic, social awareness, and personal growth
values to be derived from the study of the masterpieces
of world literature at the college level.
U. The anthology is the most commonly used text or
source material for courses in masterpieces of world liter
ature.
9. Paperbacks are widely used in courses in the
literary masterworks.
10. At the community college level courses in the
literary classics compete for enrollment with a wide
variety of courses in British and American literature.
11. Less than 25 percent of the jury of educators
consider the literary classics as irrelevant for the
modern college curriculum in any of the four areas of
value (aesthetic, academic, social awareness, and personal
growth values)•
12. Clear objectives are not available for
courses in the literary masterpieces.
Recommendations
Educational recommendations
1. Assigned to teach literary classics courses
should be those instructors who have evidenced a sincere
interest in the classics or who have special academic
training in world literature or both.
2. Innovations ought to be made in the teaching
of world literature, including the use of modular schedul
ing, instructional media, field trips, and interdepart
mental team teaching.
3. Statements might be included in community
college catalogs on the values which may accrue to the
student in his study of world literature.
117
Research recommendations
The following areas seem to warrant further
research:
1. A follow-up study of enrollment patterns in
the masterworks classes in California’s community colleges
2. A follow-up study to determine to what extent
the masterpieces of world literature are being taught in
freshman composition courses, in general literature
courses, and in genre courses.
3. New methods for the teaching of the master
pieces of world literature.
4. Criteria that can be used in selecting
instructors to teach the masterpieces of world literature
classes.
5. Objectives for evaluation of the teaching of
the masterpieces of world literature classes.
6. Analysis of the relation between widely
accepted Judaeo-Christian moral values or ideals and the
values presented in the most widely used selections in
courses of masterpieces of world literature.
7. Student reaction to or evaluation of courses
in the literary classics as compared to other courses in
literature.
S. The learning outcomes of students in courses
of masterpieces of world literature.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
lid
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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2. Bronowski, John. Science and Human Values. New
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4* Bulletin of St. JohnTs College in Annapolis.
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Edited by Maynard Mack. New York: W. W. Norton
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9. Cooperation in General Education. A Final Report of
the Executive Committee of the Cooperative Study
in General Education. Washington, D.C.: The
American Council on Education, 1947.
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Editorial. Los Angeles Times. June 2, 1972,
Section II, p. 25.
Eddy, Edward D., Jr. Colleges for Our Land and Time.
New York: Harper and Row, 1957.
Eliot, Thomas Stearns. To Criticize the Critic, and
Other Writings. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 1965.
Establishing the Goals. Volume I of Higher Education
for American Democracy. A Report of the
President’s Commission on Higher Education.
Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing
Office, 1947.
General Education in a Free Society: Report of the
Harvard Committee. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Harvard University Press, 1945.
General Education in School and College. A Report
by the members of the faculties of Andover,
Exeter, Lawrenceville, Harvard, Princeton, and
Yale. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard
University Press, 1952.
Haskins, Charles Homer. The Rise of Universities.
Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1957.
Harvard Classics. Edited by Charles W. Eliot. New
York: P. F. Collier and Son, 1910.
Hutchins, Robert Maynard. The Higher Learning in
America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1936.
_______. "The Tradition of the West," in Great
Books, The Foundation of a Liberal Education.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954*
Johnson, B. Lamar. General Education in Action.
A Report of the California Study of General
Education in the Junior College. Washington,
D.C.: The American Council on Education, 1947*
Kerr, Clark. The Uses of the University. New York:
Harper and Row, 1964.
Koos, Leonard V. The Community College Student.
Gainsville: University of Florida Press, 1970.
121
25. Lembke, Daryl. "Liberal Arts Interest Ebbs."
Los Angeles Times, January 16, 1973> Section II, i
p. 7.
26. McConnell, T. R. "General Education: An Analysis."
Fiftv-first Yearbook of the National Society
for the Study of Education. Part I. Cambridge,
England: University of Chicago Press, 1952.
27. McGrath, Earl J. "The Cooperative Study in General
Education." The Junior College Journal. IX
(May, 1939), 501.
28. . "The Purposes of General Education."
Journal of the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars, XXI (January. 1946), 15^
29. _______ . Toward General Education. New York:
The Macmillan Company, 1946•
30. Mayhew, Lewis B. General Education, An Account and
Appraisal. New York: Harper and Brothers, I960.
31. Medsker, Leland. The Junior College: Progress and
Prospect. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company,
I960T
32. Morse, H. T. "Liberal and General Education," in
General Education. Current Ideas and Concerns.
Edited by James G. Rice. Washington, D.C.:
Association for Higher Education, 1964*
33* "More Skill Training at Junior Colleges Urged."
Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1973, Part II,
p. 1 0.
34. Muscatine, Charles, et &1. Education at Berkeley.
Los Angeles: University of California Press,
1968.
35. Nevins, Allan. The State Universities and Democracy.
Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1962.
36. Newman, John Henry Cardinal. The Idea of a
University, Garden City, New York: Image Books,
1959.
37* Owen, William Baxter. The Humanities in the
Education of the Future. Boston: Sherman, French,
1912.
122
36. "The Public Junior College." The Fiftv-fifth
Yearbook of the National Society for the Study
of Education. Part I. Edited by Nelson B.
Henry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1956.
39. Pusey, Nathan. Age of the Scholar: Observations on
Education in a Troubled Decade. New York:
Harper and Row, 1964.
40. Rapp, Marvin A. "Liberal Arts and General
Education." Junior College Journal. XXXVI
(May, 1966), 24-2'S.
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Curriculum. Berkeley: McCutchan Publishing
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42. _______. "General Education and the Junior
College." Junior College Journal, XX (January,
1950), 239-240.
43. _______* "Inadequacies of General Education
Program." Junior College Journal. XVI (April,
1946), 363.
44. "The Role of the Public Junior College." The Fiftv-
fifth Yearbook of the National Society for the
Study of Education. Part I. Cambridge, England:
University of Chicago Press, 1952.
45. Stoops, Emery, and Rafferty, Max L. Practices and
Trends in School Administration. Palo Alto:
Ginn and Company, 1961.
4 6. Squire, James R. "The Contributions of Language and
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Humanities and the Curriculum. Washington, D.C.:
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Development, 1967•
47. Thornton, James W. The Community Junior College.
New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1972.
4 6. U. S. News and World Report. March 6, 1972, pp. 22-
24.
49. Van Doren, Mark. "Education by Books." Nation,
December, 1933, pp. 10-12.
Whitehead, Alfred North. Aims of Education and
Other Essays. New York: The Free Press, 1957.
7 : y V ^ ' : w 7 v ' V V v ' ’ ' ^ 7 ' v ' 7 -
i
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
Survey of English Department Literature
Offering Questionnaire
125
126 !
Name of Class_________________ |
Name of College.
February 1, 1972
Literature Survey
1. Do you use an anthology? (In World Lit) yes no.
If yes, please list the title:.
2. Do you use complete works in addition
to an anthology?________________________yes__ no.
If yes, please list the title(s):.
3. Do you use complete works in paperback
instead of an anthology?________________yes__ no.
If yes, please list the title(s)?.
4. Is your course a one-semester course? yes no.
5. Is your course a two-semester course?-___yes_ no.
6. How many sections of World Literature
(or its equivalent) are offered during
the year including the summer? no._____
7. Approximately what is the average
number of students enrolled in each
section of World Literature? no._____
£. How many sections of American
Literature are offered during the
year including the summer? no._____
9. How many sections of British
Literature are offered during the
year including the summer? no._____
10. How many sections of Ethnic Literature
are offered during the year including
the summer? no._____
11. In view of the needs of your students,
what appears to you to be a major shortcoming
or inadequacy of the text or texts required
for your course?
APPENDIX B
Letter of Transmittal for Survey of English
Department Literature Offering
Questionnaire
127
i2a
February 1, 1972
Chairman, English Department
Dear Sir:
Under the guidance of Dr. Earl V. Pullias of the Depart
ment of Higher Education, University of Southern
California, I am making a doctoral study of those courses
which fall into the category of World Literature. This
study is concerned specifically with determining the
extent to which the classics of World literature are being
taught in California community colleges. The results of
this study will help to provide information as to curricu
lum trends in this area in the community college system.
I am especially eager to have your response because your
experience and knowledge will contribute significantly
in arriving at conclusions. The enclosed questionnaire
has been kept as brief as possible, and it should take
about seven minutes to provide the information requested.
Please complete the attached questionnaire prior to
March 7 and return it in the stamped, addressed envelope
enclosed. The remainder of this study cannot be accom
plished until the information from the survey has been
received. Comments on any aspect of the survey are
welcome, and a summary of the questionnaire results will
be sent to you should you desire.
Sincerely yours,
George A. Jaeger, M.A.
English Department
APPENDIX C
List of Selected Community Colleges for On-
Campus Visits
Selected Community Colleges
The following colleges were selected for an in-
depth study of their enrollment trends over the past ten
years (1962-1972) in masterpieces of world literature
classes.
Cerritos College
Cypress College
El Camino College
Fullerton Junior
College
Golden West College
Orange Coast College
Rio Hondo College
Santa Ana College
I
! APPENDIX D
Jury Survey Participants
131
Jury Survey
Participating Colleges
Cerritos College
Compton College
College of the Desert
El Camino College
Foothill College
Fullerton College
Glendale College
Long Beach City College
Los Angeles Southwest
College
Modesto Junior College
Monterey Peninsula
College
Pasadena City College
Vice Presidents of Instruction
Dr. Cohen, El Camino College
Dr. Jack Randall, Cerritos College
Dr. Jack Scott, Orange Coast College
Classics Experts
Dr. Harold Aspiz
California State University at Long Beach
Dr. Louise Lubbe
California State University at Long Beach
Dr. Edward O’Neill
University of Southern California
Curriculum Experts
Dr. Taylor Jackman
California State University at Long Beach
Dr. B. Lamar Johnson
University of California at Los Angeles
Dr. Leslie Wilbur
University of Southern California
APPENDIX E
Jury Survey Questionnaire
133
134
Introduction to Jury Survey:
This survey represents an attempt to assess atti
tudes regarding the values accruing to the student from
the study of the classics of world literature.
Respondents are asked to check the values to which
they would give priority in their world literature course
offerings. The list is stated in terms of "outcomes” or
generalized "objectives" which have been associated with
the study of world literature.
I. Aesthetic Values
1. The enjoyment of beauty in the aesthetic
experience.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
2. The pleasures gained from exercise of the
intellectual faculties involved in the
aesthetic experience: formal analysis;
interpretation; comparative criticism;
historical criticism; and biographical
criticism.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
3. The encouragement of the student's creative
imagination.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
4. The improvement of the student's literary
taste and judgment.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
5. Appreciation of fine literature.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
135
6. Interest in the art of the Western world. i
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
II. Personal Growth
Personal growth by means of the vicarious experi
ences afforded through the study of world literature.
1. Insight into the student’s own personal
problems.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
2. Avoidance of narrow specialization: e.g.,
vocational, scientific, etc.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
3. Awareness of many opportunities for personal
options: values, actions, life styles.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
4. Understanding of widely differing temperaments
and modes of life.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
5. Identification and appreciation of moral
and spiritual values.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
Development of a critical, questioning
attitude.
_ a. Highest priority
_ b. Priority
_ c. Irrelevant or unimportant
Catharsis of anti-social behavior and
feelings.
_ a. Highest priority
_ b. Priority
_ c. Irrelevant or unimportant
Inspiration from noble examples set by
heroic men and women.
_ a. Highest priority
_ b. Priority
_ c. Irrelevant or unimportant
III. Social Awareness
Social awareness. Through world literature the
student shares in human experience of life in a broad
context of time and space. This sharing allows for
1. Participation in varied experiences of life
over a period of many centuries.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
2. Identification with many kinds of people.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
3. Appreciation of the human potential.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
A. Realization of the oneness of mankind.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority ,
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
5. Regard for human dignity and courage.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
IV. Academic
Education (academic) values. The basic assumption
is that knowledge of world literature is an essential
part of the background of the ’ ’ truly educated” person.
1. Learning about Greek and Roman civilization.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
2. Understanding the ’ ’ foundations” of Western
culture.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
3. Gaining historical perspective.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
4. Knowing "the best that has been thought
and said.”
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
5. Finding out about the parameters of Western
culture.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
6. Searching for relevance of past experiences
to the present.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
Arousing interest in foreign languages and
literature.
__ a. Highest priority
__ b. Priority
_ c. Irrelevant or unimportant
Acquiring a body of literary information:
titles of works, content of works, names of
characters, famous quotations, etc.
_ a. Highest priority
__ b. Priority
_ c. Irrelevant or unimportant
APPENDIX F
Letter of Transmittal for Jury Survey
140
April 30, 1973
The following scale represents an attempt to sort and
classify some of the values which proponents have claimed
are inherent in the study of literature. The concern here
is particularly the content of courses in literature
variously labelled world literature, the classics, great
books, world masterpieces, the classics in translation,
and European and American literature. Unsupported and,
in some instances, even grandiose claims have often been
made for such courses of literary study in the colleges.
Indeed, world literature courses have been offered tradi
tionally on the basis of congeries of assumed values
accruing to the student.
An examination of the prefaces to world literature
anthologies, of selected college catalogs, and of signifi
cant statements by noted writers suggests that their value
systems are generally fairly inclusive and differ mainly
in emphasis. Faith and enthusiasm are everywhere evident.
It sometimes appears that the study of world literature is
recommended as a panacea for all- of the ills of humanity.
Respondents are asked to check the values to which they
would give priority in their world literature course
offerings. The list is stated in terms of "outcomes" or
generalized "objectives" which have been associated with
the study of world literature.
So that I might complete my dissertation for the doctorate
in education by July, it would be very kind if you would
mark the items below according to the following plan and
return this questionnaire by May 15.
a. Highest priority
b. Priority
c. Irrelevant or unimportant
Respectfully yours,
George A. Jaeger
Doctoral candidate
University of Southern
California
APPENDIX G
Complete Works Used in Addition to
an Anthology
142
143
Worfrs and Authors Used in Addition to an Anthology as
Listed bv Respondents
Gilgamesh Epic
Ramavana
Shakuntala
Lao Tzu
Confucius
Book of the Dead
Bible
The Iliad and The Odyssey
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
Aristophanes
Sappho
Thucydides
Herodotus
Aristotle
Aeneid
Latin Poetry
Plutarch’s Lives
Nibelungenlied
Tristan and Iseult
Song of Roland
El Cid
Divine Comedy
Francois Villon
Don Quixote
Cellini’s Autobiography
Rabelais
Machiavelli
Shakespeare
Donne
Moliere
Voltaire
Wealth of Nations
Swift
Goethe
The Wild Duck
Mobv Dick
War and Peace
Anna Karenina
Madame Bovary
Crime and Punishment
The Origin of the Species
Das Kapital
Borges
Brecht
The Magic Mountain
The Trial
Ho Exit
The Stranger
Joyce
Lady Chatterlev’s Lover
Ionesco
Waiting for Godot
Zorba the Greek
Steppenwolf
Solzhenitsyn
Haiku poetry and Japanese
literature
APPENDIX H
Complete Works Used Instead of an
Anthology
144.
145
Works and Authors Used in Place of an Anthology as
Listed by Respondents
Gilgamesh
Kena-Upanishad
Bhagavad-Gita
The Bible
The Iliad and The Odyssey
Sappho
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
Aristophanes
Plato
The Metamorphoses of Ovid
Latin poetry
Aeneid
The White Ponv (Ancient Chinese)
Medieval Romances
Chaucer
Song of Roland
Decameron
Dante
Erasmus
(Marlowe) Faustus
Shakespeare
Don Quixote
Rabelais
Moliere |
Voltaire
Balzac I
Goethe
Crime and Punishment I
Madame Bovarv
Fathers and Sons
The Wild Duck
Moby Dick j
War and Peace
Brothers Karamazov
The Death of Ivan Ilvieh
Lagervist *s The Dwarf
Gide
Death in Venice
Steppenwolf
The Trial
The Plague
The Stranger
African poetry and
stories
Siddartha

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Creator Jaeger, George Anthony (author)

Core Title The Use Of Masterpieces Of World Literature In California Public Community Colleges: A Study In Purposes And Trends

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag education, higher,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Advisor Pullias, Earl Vivon (committee chair), Grafton, Clive L. (committee member), O'Neill, William S. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c18-820115

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Legacy Identifier 7409068

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Document Type Dissertation

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Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

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