The “x” signifies independence from overdetermined gender roles . . .
phew ... The idea that somehow further education is the training ground for our future "leaders" needs revisiting - I'd guess I'm not alone in thinking that allowing the liberal arts + soft "sciences" almost total hegemony over the entire academic world is resulting in meltdown....
Lors knows I'm no Communist, but having waded through the mental slurry of that New Yorker piece I can really see where the Khmer Rouge were coming from when they drove students out of the universities and made them dig latrines.
In the first place, the whole point of going to University (for my generation) was to prove that you could! In those days, entry was a titanic struggle against a State system which was forever placing more obstacles and tripwires in your path as you approached the finishing line. Once there, University was the exclusive reserve of brash, smart and self-assured young people. A camp well-equipped for partying, sex, sizing up future options and each other...and turning out real doers, artists and activists. The Russell Group aside, it's a shame to see inferior factories popping up to serve little purpose other than a government screen for unemployment.
I'm with Mr Staybryte on this one, making the little petals do some work would be good and by that I mean some physical work. When Blair said he wanted to increase the number of graduates in the workforce, who would improve the skill set in the economy he hadn't worked out the cost. When the universities and other places of higher education said to produce a hard sciences or engineering graduate it costs a lot of money, but we can produce an English Literature graduate for bugger all. Blair leapt on the production of arts degrees. It increases the number of graduates, makes it look like the UK has an educated flexible workforce, but it doesn't.
" I'd guess I'm not alone in thinking that allowing the liberal arts + soft "sciences" almost total hegemony over the entire academic world is resulting in meltdown...."
You'd guess correctly...
"I can really see where the Khmer Rouge were coming from when they drove students out of the universities and made them dig latrines."
I'm not sure this bunch could manage that without instructions..
"it's a shame to see inferior factories popping up to serve little purpose other than a government screen for unemployment."
Indeed so. It's not simply the waste of timer and money, it's the unearned sense of importance it gives.
"Scarily, she was a graduate."
Of a degree course that in no way equips her to do anything useful I'll wager?
The “x” signifies independence from overdetermined gender roles
ReplyDelete.
.
.
phew ... The idea that somehow further education is the training ground for our future "leaders" needs revisiting - I'd guess I'm not alone in thinking that allowing the liberal arts + soft "sciences" almost total hegemony over the entire academic world is resulting in meltdown....
Lors knows I'm no Communist, but having waded through the mental slurry of that New Yorker piece I can really see where the Khmer Rouge were coming from when they drove students out of the universities and made them dig latrines.
ReplyDeleteLord, not "Lors" FFS
ReplyDeleteIn the first place, the whole point of going to University (for my generation) was to prove that you could! In those days, entry was a titanic struggle against a State system which was forever placing more obstacles and tripwires in your path as you approached the finishing line. Once there, University was the exclusive reserve of brash, smart and self-assured young people. A camp well-equipped for partying, sex, sizing up future options and each other...and turning out real doers, artists and activists. The Russell Group aside, it's a shame to see inferior factories popping up to serve little purpose other than a government screen for unemployment.
ReplyDeleteBunny
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mr Staybryte on this one, making the little petals do some work would be good and by that I mean some physical work. When Blair said he wanted to increase the number of graduates in the workforce, who would improve the skill set in the economy he hadn't worked out the cost. When the universities and other places of higher education said to produce a hard sciences or engineering graduate it costs a lot of money, but we can produce an English Literature graduate for bugger all. Blair leapt on the production of arts degrees. It increases the number of graduates, makes it look like the UK has an educated flexible workforce, but it doesn't.
A bregreter in her mid 20s wrote a piece for the Indie. Scarily, she was a graduate.
ReplyDeleteJay
What does she have against Groucho?
ReplyDelete" I'd guess I'm not alone in thinking that allowing the liberal arts + soft "sciences" almost total hegemony over the entire academic world is resulting in meltdown...."
ReplyDeleteYou'd guess correctly...
"I can really see where the Khmer Rouge were coming from when they drove students out of the universities and made them dig latrines."
I'm not sure this bunch could manage that without instructions..
"it's a shame to see inferior factories popping up to serve little purpose other than a government screen for unemployment."
Indeed so. It's not simply the waste of timer and money, it's the unearned sense of importance it gives.
"Scarily, she was a graduate."
Of a degree course that in no way equips her to do anything useful I'll wager?
"What does she have against Groucho?"
:D