Fondren, Michael: Credentialing

    I will discuss the following details from the article: “Death by Degrees”: the dependency of credentials from college to real life, and the importance of the credential's name.

    How important are credentials? The editors in the article questions the value of credentials as they quote a man named Jean Baudrillard who believes that exchange value underlines actually value, but that value is made from exchange. The editors use this to say that degrees do not determine merit, but merit is based on the total system of degrees. If a lot of people have a bachelor’s degree for the same job, then it’s hard for employers to hire an individual from the rest based on merit. Thus, employers would have to raise the standard by requiring a master’s degree, that way people stick out, making hiring easier. While growing up, I remember people saying that teaching in a 2-year college could be possible with a master’s degree. Now things appear different, it’s harder to get a teaching job. That said, I’ve noticed people saying that there are too many PhDs out there, so they end up teaching at 2-year colleges rather than universities. If “everyone” tries to get a degree—whether they need it or not—employers will have to keep raising the standard by requiring more education credentials.

    Does it matter if I decide to graduate to school at all? The authors write how most of the Obama administration's appointees have a degree from an Ivy League school. Who is more qualified for a job: a person who got their degree in an Ivy League school or a person who got their degree from a standard public university? Ivy League graduates stand out because of where they got their credentials. However, not everyone can afford the best schools. The article states the only way to lower credentials for these people is “…subverting the credentials from the top.” People from the top would have to decide to not go to college, but not everyone who can afford it will do that.

Its stuff like this that makes me appreciate that not every single job requires a college degree. Some people just need training at a vocational school. These people are respected and needed. It makes me question whether a college education helps the individual, but hurts the credential for employers as a whole.