jgh2:
“The myth of the academic meritocracy powerfully affects students from families that believe in education, that may or may not have attained a few undergraduate degrees, but do not have a lot of experience with how access to the professions is controlled. Their daughter goes to graduate school, earns a doctorate in comparative literature from an Ivy League university, everyone is proud of her, and then they are shocked when she struggles for years to earn more than the minimum wage. (Meanwhile, her brother—who was never very good at school—makes a decent living fixing HVAC systems with a six-month certificate from a for-profit school near the Interstate.)”—
THIS IS SCARY/MY LIFE/WHY THE FUTURE LOOKS SO DARK/ THE SKY IS FALLING/ZOMG
I can’t stop thinking about education these days — from Utah’s proposal to make 12th grad optional to my own experiences as a student and teacher.
The quoted statement is one of the reasons why, at this point in time, I’ve chosen not to pursue a doctoral program. First, I just don’t have it in me to write a dissertation — at this particular moment. I’m kind of happy not writing anything of substance, as I sort out my post-grad school life. Second, I can’t see why I’d drive myself further into student loan debt simply to fight for the few jobs available in academia. (Not to tacky up the post with a discussion about the recent shootings at Alabama, but the tenure process is stressful, especially when you consider a tight job market. What it shouldn’t do is cause a shooting spree, however. ETA: I should note that if the prof was this crazy/murderous/etc. it’s a good thing there are safeguards!)
