Saturday, November 20, 2010

dude, what you gonna do with that degree?

that was the question i got way back when i was in school. seems studying english or philosophy or history or any of the humanities is just not practical. lo and behold there's a story in today's paper, front page, about what sort of degree you get translates to the kind of money you make. both anna and i had the same thoughts regarding this article, since when did education mean getting vocational training? isn't the means to higher education to develop habits in reading and critical thinking? wouldn't that be crucial to be an active participant in our cultures. everything else, other than very specific training that is required for jobs in medicine and the sciences, everything can be learned on the job. since when did going to university require specific job training, for like everything? is it the desire for increasing capital? what does this quasi- vocational training mean about what our society values?

welcome to the NEW NORMAL where if you want to study history, philosophy, literature, languages or even, gasp!, creative writing an ancillary curriculum should be developed for prospective graduates where the students can utilize and perfect that key phrase, you want fries with that.

2 Comments:

At 2:27 PM, Blogger Jim K. said...

the push is for stuff the employer
can use immediately,,.they refuse
to train

two problems:
--the buzzwords they demand
are obsolete versions every 2 years
--the 'hot' degrees barely hire
anybody: biochem and chem people
are unemployed anyhow..phds!

i should think general education
and ability to learn would get
back in fashion some day...

the articles and realities are
drifting apart these days...
..like the real estate jabber was

 
At 10:58 AM, Blogger richard lopez said...

agreed. i recall 10 years ago that hot degrees were in engineering and business administration. now, at least in california, the desired graduates are from nursing schools.

just read a depressing article about unemployment and emigration from ireland. i remember back in the '80s there was a mass exodus of young people from the green isle because of a lack of jobs. then in the '90s there was an ecomomic boom like no other in ireland. now it's back to young people having to leave their country to find work, again.

happy days are here again.

 

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