Mills, Taylor: Credentialing

Death by Degrees touched on Jean Baudrillard’s thought about one of Karl Marx’s theories. He believed that exchange value exists. By definition, exchange value is the quantitative aspect of value of a commodity. I believe that exchange value of a commodity exists. Academic institutions are common goods that are valued and useful. Students pay thousands of dollars for this commodity. In exchange, they expect the use-value to be equivalent to what they pay for. Karl Marx had a contrasting belief that only use-value existed. I believe in that idea too. The use-value describes a good’s qualitative aspects—does it meet the needs of the consumer? Referring back to academic institutions, they too have a use-value. The institutions provide many services to their students as well as their communities. Although Baudrillard did not believe in the idea of use-value, I digress by restating that use-value does exist if the consumer takes advantage of what the commodity has to offer.

The article goes on to insist that higher education in the United States is a system of stratification. It shows that there is separation among people based on income, race, sex, and in some cases the intelligence quotient (IQ) of a person. Although an unfortunate circumstance, it is a reality that some of us seem to abide by. Why do we seem to abide by it? There’s this concept called Equality of Opportunity. Taken from Dalton Conley’s, You May Ask Yourself, the idea expresses that although there is inequality it is accepted because every person should or will start with at least one equal opportunity. It is a concept that is difficult to digest considering the history of how this country has had oppressed individuals lacking opportunities from their suppressors. My thoughts on a system of stratification is that it exploits the fact that there are only a select few that can ride their way to the top of the social hierarchy while there are those who will never meet the ideal requirements of an elitist.

Therefore, I am asked whether or not I am being forced to have credentials? It is not a direct forcing considering the fact that this is the path that I chose by my own free will. But I will conclude by saying that the forcing is indirect because of the expectations set by those who claim they know what is best for me and for others.