PhDs on food stamps

[raacluse]

video of history instructor, Tony Yang, who can't find steady employment... ironic that his doctoral field was history of economic crises (or something like that):

http://chronicle.com/article/Video-N...levant/131805/

[LaiSteve66]

This is why it's important to study something that employers actually hire for. My cousin has an art history degree and well........

[drydem]

Originally Posted by raacluse

video of history instructor, Tony Yang, who can't find steady employment... ironic that his doctoral field was history of economic crises (or something like that):

http://chronicle.com/article/Video-N...levant/131805/

In a world that is dependent on others for employment the infamous saying for intellectuals has been: if you cant find a job, you can teach.

Given the funding squeeze in the education market the above might be less than useful for today's intellectuals...

So the fall back position for those the intellectuals who must find work independent of others as a contractor might be...if you cant get any clients/contracts - you write(find a market for your ideas) or go on a lecture circuit.

( Some might say that finding this market means compromising your personal ideals/values and in a world where your personal ideals/values are a minority or oppose to those in power this is often true. One reason you find crazy talk host shows like Rush Limbaugh is that talk radio mass media thinks that kind of crazy talk sells - hence there is this market for crazy talk show hosts)


The labor market is now very tricky (finding a sustainable career/job) because of Economic Globalization. Marketable skills and their pricing/wages can change very quickly and most colleges/university are not design to respond to this kind of dynamic force. There are only a few labor markets that have some kind of regional protection from economic globalization.

Initially during the Renaissance, a college degree was only for the wealthy/elite/ruling class to make them better leaders. As the elite of society these people already had a job waiting for them after attending college. Normal people who had no such job waiting for them (guaranteed) would signed up for apprenticeship under a Trading Guild for training or would be hired by the family business or a friend. Universities and colleges were not initially designed to create a workforce which is why they are so clumsy at doing it now.

[raacluse]

coverage on an NPR show:

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/15/152751...stamps?ps=cprs

[raacluse]

Here's one blogger that suggests there's a larger context:

http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2012/05/09/phds_on_food_stamps.php


Here's another blogger who questions what's emphasized in colleges and universities:

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/05/13/college-can-help-you-do-anything-even-apply-for-foodstamps/

[drydem]

Originally Posted by raacluse

coverage on an NPR show:

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/15/152751...stamps?ps=cprs

Dr Yang's mother should take note: Even a phd in comp sci might not guarantee gainful employment. Several Universities(WA,FL) are shutting down their computer science because of the lack of demand for domestic comp sci majors ( both for grad and under grad). This lack of demand is in part due to the difficulty in getting a job with a comp sci degree. Domestic comp sci grads must compete at a global level with foriegn university comp sci grads (via the H1B Visa program) - especially in larger firms like Microsoft and Google. Universities from India and China are now outputting a great number of comp sci grads at a fraction of the cost what a USA university spends to do the same. It seems to me that the USA universities are finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up technologically. Compounding this with the heavy financial burden of the US education system and the USA has a recipe for failure.

[LaiSteve66]

Originally Posted by drydem

It seems to me that the USA universities are finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up technologically.

That has nothing to do with it. It is much cheaper to hire an Indian programmer. I work at a Big 4 firm and there's always a push to delegate work to our India team because it's cheaper. I've done it myself.