Sociologists Cite Preppie Problem

Freshmen preppies have more trouble adjusting to Harvard than their public school classmates, according to an article by two sociologists in the current issue of the Harvard Review.

In "Identity at Harvard and Harvard's Identity," David Ricks and Dr. Robert McClarley '59 outline the results of a study of 24 freshmen--12 from public schools and 12 from private schools--began in the late 1950s.

They report that "the work ethic which stands at the core of the Harvard culture attacks him (the preppie) at the level of his basic beliefs, way of life, and orientation toward being and doing." The "warm, spontaneous, expressive hackers" are pressured to become "unnaturally constrained and hard-working grinds."

In contrast, they continue, "work orientated Harvard" is nothing new to the public school graduate. "Work is the central reality of [their] past, present, and future."

Therefore, the problem of the preppie is living at Harvard by "the hacker values of getting along while all around are people whose main pleasure in life is people whose main pleasure in life is getting ahead."