What according to Neusner is a major and what is its role in the university? Evaluate his criteria for choosing a major. How do these criteria relate to the author’s assertion in another publication that “we in universities have a single purpose: to open minds to new ideas”?

According to Neusner, a major is the subject or area a student learns with special emphasis. Its role in the university is it defines the power a department has in an institution. Neusner’s criteria for choosing a major includes, it should be offered by a strong and respected department, it should be interesting to you, it should interest you in the future, and it should not provide you with skills to make a living right away. These relate to Neusner’s assertion in another publication in that choosing a major that meets these criteria will allow you to accomplish his assertion and open your mind to new ideas.

Neusner opens his essay by describing what most people think about the prominence of the major in most people’s ideas about college, but even though he sympathizes, he concludes that “they really are wrong” (210).  Why, in Neusner’s view, are they mistaken?

Neusner thinks they are wrong because a major doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. After college, no one will inquire about your major but they would rather like to know about the experiences that happen to you because of your study.

Neusner asks “what stands behind the idea of a major?” (211), or what gave rise to and supports the practice of requiring students to devote anywhere from a third to one half of their total coursework to this “special emphasis.”  Write a 3-5 sentence summary of the theory behind the major.

The theory behind the major is human sciences are organized in two ways. The first is to seek general rules this allows for disciplines like psychology, history, sociology etc. The second is to look at specific instances to learn something about the whole and apply that to all humans. The goal is to teach students to look at the whole and focus on details.

Neusner gives more than 8 paragraphs to a discussion of the politics of the major, more than he gave to the theory and even to his advice on “choosing a major.”How does Neusner define the ideal major? Locate and either quote or paraphrase at least two ways most majors do not meet these ideal criteria.

Neusner defines the ideal major as one that would balance the diffuse and diverse curriculum so that a student could identify the part they want to focus on. Neusner says that most majors don’t meet the criteria in that they will set requirements that seem like they have order and structure in order to validate its importance (Neusner 213). Most majors don’t define their purpose, what students actually do, or how one course leads into another and another and eventually into a career (Neusner 212).

The only other thinker Neusner mentions by name and whose ideas he cites is Jonathan Z. Smith. Look up Smith and the college at the University of Chicago. What does the choice of Smith tell you about Neusner’s point of view?

I found that he was a historian of religions and Neusner mentioned that he knew a lot about religion but that is the only connection I can find between the two so I’m not too sure how to answer the question.