By: Rameez Ahmad Sudhan
Is Meritocracy a sham or solution as some of us think it is? So, when a young student raises slogan- ‘Let merit survive & so on,’ does that student know the connotations it has for a larger society and who should take the responsibility to open this debate up? Why am I talking about it, is that the whole debate hinges around the concept of merit which has gone way too much into our collective consciousness in a neoliberal social construct.
You should know the idea being pushed as elitist as it could be and as narrow as it is that about the job eventually which may fall in either on merit holders side or the one against it. This is the point blank idea fed to young minds on street protesting for a society hinged on the idea of meritocracy. I differ. I differ because not that I play the spoilsport for the merit holders, but for the basic reason that the idea of meritocracy is self-defeating.
Idea of Meritocracy unveiled:
Let’s look at the oxford definition of meritocracy, Government by persons selected on the basis of merit in a competitive educational system; a society so governed; a ruling or influential class of educated people, Oxford English Dictionary 2001: vol. IX, p. 635. Hence ‘meritocrat’ refer to an elite group of people who govern and who have been able to arrive at such a position on the basis of individual ability or achievement’.
Meritocracy cannot be defined as one’s ability to excel and others lack of effort to make good for oneself. This dichotomy has to be addressed when we begin unravelling the shades of the grey which is necessary. The elitist idea of merit is questionable!
While we debate the concept of meritocracy, Prof. Amartya Sen has his view on the idea, “The idea of meritocracy may have many virtues, but clarity is not one of them
Furthermore the idea is deeply investigated by Jo Littler in her book “Against Meritocracy” where she argues that meritocracy is the key cultural means of legitimation for contemporary neo liberal culture– and that whilst it promises opportunity, it in fact creates new forms of social division. This is what tends to happen as we feed the monster that is annihilating the whole society.
Even if the children from the margins have access to education, do they fit in the meritocratic they have the chances of better education which translates for a successful life? Answer is “NO”, because the upbringing or family support and talent are the two limiting factors that govern success in life.
Children from well-educated, well-off background fare better and much likely to complete the education at schools or college. This doesn’t fit the merit assertion as well. So, we need to be cognisant of these socio-economic realities.
How our beliefs are dented:
Meritocracy assumes that everyone has equal opportunity which is flawed premise as you know that the children who perform better and come from better resourced families cannot and should not at all be compared to one’s less privileged. There is a very explicit bias which speaks about the “Effort vs Ability”. In the public discourse it is evident now that the reason of failure for less privileged is attributed to their ‘inability’ and the similar inability for a meritocrat is lack of ‘effort’. So, who for us will decide who is unable to comprehend. Polarization can be stopped if we teach the concept of affirmative action for justice to all stakeholders. We can thrive on the idea of unified diversity.
Now consider the distribution of wealth and consequent spending on a child’s education. The spending by more resourceful parents is better than the ones at the other end of the spectrum, so how can we assume the inadequate resource spending as a child’s inability, which in any case is punishing twice for the inadequacy which he or she is not even aware of.
Professor Micheal Sandel, Harvard University argues in his book “The tyranny of the merit”, the meritocracy is based on this moral “when chances are equal than the winners deserve their winnings”. The premise is “equal chances”. So, how far do the lesser privileged have these chances available to compete in the race, leave aside winning the winnings. Is It easy for the privileged section to fathom how deep seated is the disparity? Yes, it is easy If we develop that sense of self & social awareness to appreciate the struggles of the lesser privileged. I see the elders in the society spilling words which are more venomous, but can create a new generation harping on hatred, injustice and discrimination.
Meritocracy has long historical roots, but it also has a new face. It proclaims movements for greater equality of opportunity for more people than ever before. We have been encouraged to believe that if we try hard enough we can make it: that race or class or gender or tribe are not, on a fundamental level, significant barriers to success. To release our inner talent, we need to work hard and market ourselves in the right way to achieve success. These are mental constructs. But upon close examination these factors play a limiting role so much so that there is defiance to this proclamation because it attempts to atomise people so that they are broken into smaller competing units, therefore depriving meaning ties with one another. This self-perpetuating game is fatal to the social fabric.
Way forward:
In a 21st century education system teaching children competitive edge than collaboration is surely not helping anyone. Let’s teach them how to negotiate the social realities which are looking at us like never before. I fear when these protesting kids or others watching the drama unfolding live on social media react to it, how their social skills will be impacted as we have them together in the same school or college. We pitching them against each other which should have been the opposite familiarizing the new social awareness skills. The relevance of Noblesse oblige has faded out as it is a self-perpetuating power aggrandizement. It should be replaced with new strategy that to break down such concentrations of wealth in the hands of elitist sections who think less privileged as social malaise. We need caution.
The writer is Fulbright Fellow 2023. rameezsuden@gmail.com
