Why College Is Not Home
为什么是大学而不是家庭
The college years are supposed to be a time for important growth in autonomy and the development of adult identity. However, now they are becoming an extended period of adolescence, during which many of today’s students and are not shouldered with adult responsibilities.
大学时代应该是自主性和成人身份成长的重要时期。然而，现在却成为青春期的延续，在此期间，许多学生没有肩负起成人的责任。
For previous generations, college was decisive break from parental control; guidance and support needed help from people of the same age and from within. In the past two decades, however, continued connection with and dependence on family, thanks to cellphones, email and social media, have increased significantly. Some parents go so far as to help with coursework. Instead of promoting the idea of college as a passage from the shelter of the family to autonomy and adult responsibility, universities have given in to the idea that they should provide the same environment as that of the home.
对于前几代人来说，大学是摆脱父母控制的决定性转折点；指导和支持需要同龄人和内部的帮助。然而，在过去的20年里，由于手机、电子邮件和社交媒体，与家庭的持续联系和对家庭的依赖显著增加。有些家长甚至帮助学生完成功课。大学没有将大学作为从家庭庇护所到自主与成人责任的通道，而是屈服于应该提供与家庭环境相同的想法。
To prepare for increased autonomy and responsibility, college needs to be a time of exploration and experimentation. This process involves “trying on” new ways of thinking about oneself both intellectually and personally. While we should provide “safe spaces” within colleges, we must also make it safe to express opinions and challenge majority views. Intellectual growth and flexibility are fostered on debate and questioning.
为了增强自主性和责任感，大学需要探索和试验。这个过程包括“尝试”新的方式思考自己，无论是在思维上还是个人上。虽然我们应该在大学内部提供“安全空间”，但我们也必须确保表达意见和挑战多数人意见的安全。在辩论和提问中增强思维和灵活性。
Learning to deal with the social world is equally important. Because a college community differs from the family, many students will struggle to find a sense of belonging. If students rely on administrators to regulate their social behavior and thinking pattern, they are not facing the challenge of finding an identity within a larger and complex community.
学会应对社会世界同样重要。因为大学群体与家庭不同，许多学生很难找到归属感。如果学生依靠管理者来调节他们的社会行为和思维模式，他们就很难面对在一个更大、更复杂的群体中寻找身份的挑战。
Moreover, the tendency for universities to monitor and shape student behavior runs up against another characteristic of young adults: the response to being controlled by their elders. If acceptable social behavior is too strictly defined and controlled, the insensitive or aggressive behavior that administrators are seeking to minimize may actually be encouraged.
此外，大学监控和塑造学生行为的趋势与年轻人的另一个特点背道而驰：对长辈控制的反应。如果对可接受的社会行为的规定和控制过于严格，管理者试图最小化的无意识或攻击性行为实际上可能会受到鼓励。
It is not surprising that young people are likely to burst out, particularly when there are reasons to do so. Our generation once joined hands and stood firm at times of national emergency. What is lacking today is the conflict between adolescent’s desire for autonomy and their understanding of an unsafe world. Therefore, there is the desire for their dorms to be replacement homes and not places to experience intellectual growth.
年轻人可能会爆发，这并不奇怪，尤其是在有理由这么做的时候。我们这一代人曾在国家紧急关头携手并肩，立场坚定。现在缺少的是青少年对自主的渴望与他们对不安全世界的理解之间的冲突。因此，人们希望他们的宿舍可以替代家庭，而不是经历思维成长的场所。
Every college discussion about community values, social climate and behavior should include recognition of the developmental importance of student autonomy and self-regulation, of the necessary tension between safety and self-discovery.
每一次关于群体价值观、社会氛围和行为的大学讨论都应该包括承认学生自主和自我调节的发展重要性，以及安全和自我发现之间必要的紧张关系。
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