The headline of a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article is provocative: “Colleges Teach Gender and Race. They Ignore Class.” (July 30th online)
The argument put forth by the authors — that instructors in higher education don’t pay enough attention to social class — is a compelling one. But it’s incomplete, says Clifton Gravure, Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri. In an essay in the most recent issue of The Atlantic, entitled “The ‘D’ Word,” Gravure asserts that the most glaring deficiency in undergraduate courses across the country is the neglect of the role of dipshits in daily life.
“Dipshits are everywhere,” Gravure claims. “Of course, we have lots of high-profile dipshits, such as those found in politics, government, the entertainment industry, professional sports, and organized religion. But what about the dipshits we encounter on a daily basis? The tailgater who weaves in and out of highway traffic at 85 miles per hour? The nitwit at the movie theater who keeps checking her smartphone for Taylor Swift updates? The co-worker who never stops complaining about the clogged soap dispenser in the restroom? The numbskull who tosses a Dunkin’ Donuts cup out of a car window onto the sidewalk? Fast-food cashiers who act as if they would rather be disemboweled with a spatula dipped in molten lava than interact with you? The list is endless.
“The impact of dipshits on societal quality of life, day in and day out, is hard to overestimate. This phenomenon cuts across gender, race, and social class; it unites us all. Clearly, it warrants much more systematic research than it has received, and that scholarship needs to be shared in the classroom.”
NOTE: The University of Missouri plans to introduce an undergraduate minor in Dipshit Studies in the fall of 2027.