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"We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded local auto mechanics: by making all of the systems and regulations so sophisticated that they no

"We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded local auto mechanics: by making all of the systems and regulations so sophisticated that they now require an army of technicians and specialized equipment." This only means that technology changes and many industries are maturing. This is a good thing. "We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded bookkeepers: by finally letting women do it after decades of declaring that impossible, and then immediately reducing the status of the work once it became evident that women could, in fact, do it well." I never saw any supporting evidence that we are suddenly paying professors less because we know more women are getting positions. Once a professor is tenured, they can pretty much do anything they want and have a job for life. I can't really say that about any job I've ever had. I also don't think being a professor was ever a path to riches and wealth. It was a way to do what you love and still make a living.

asaph 8y ago
> We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded cab drivers: by leveling the profession and allowing anyone to participate, as long as they had a minimum credential and didn’t need much money. This is hardly an apt comparison. The skills required to drive a cab were never worthy of credentials beyond a driver's license and and a background check. The ride sharing companies didn't lower the bar for this job at all. They just rightly opened it up to a lot more people.
- oarsinsync 8y ago
  > The skills required to drive a cab were never worthy of credentials beyond a driver's license and and a background check In some cities, taxi drivers were expected to know the vast majority of the streets, such that a passenger could get in, say where they wanted to go, and the driver would know where to go and how to to get there. No looking up in maps, or using an A-Z, just go. They would be tested and certified in this too. Ride sharing companies + navigation/route planning apps have reduced the barrier to entry tremendously, but they have also reduced the quality of the drive, as drivers no longer actually know where they're going. They have also reduced the ability for abuse, thanks to being permanently tracked.
nradov 8y ago
There are dozens of local auto mechanics within a few miles of me, and most of them seem to be doing steady business. So I fail to see how we discarded them?
tropdrop 8y ago
> "We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded bookkeepers: by finally letting women do it after decades of declaring that impossible, and then immediately reducing the status of the work once it became evident that women could, in fact, do it well." That was a nod to the fact that "Women are not tenured at the same rate they are receiving PhDs, and less likely to be tenured when compared to their male counterparts." [1] 1 - https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ913032.pdf https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ913032.pdf
- ulucs 8y ago
  That fact means nothing when there is no control by field or any other correlated factors. That model also disregards every person who goes into industry.
  - pdpi 8y ago
    The control by field part is definitely very important — it can easily be a case of Simpson’s Paradox. However, the decision to go into industry is not at all independent from how you perceive your chances of getting tenure.

asaph 8y ago

> We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded cab drivers: by leveling the profession and allowing anyone to participate, as long as they had a minimum credential and didn’t need much money. This is hardly an apt comparison. The skills required to drive a cab were never worthy of credentials beyond a driver's license and and a background check. The ride sharing companies didn't lower the bar for this job at all. They just rightly opened it up to a lot more people.

oarsinsync 8y ago
> The skills required to drive a cab were never worthy of credentials beyond a driver's license and and a background check In some cities, taxi drivers were expected to know the vast majority of the streets, such that a passenger could get in, say where they wanted to go, and the driver would know where to go and how to to get there. No looking up in maps, or using an A-Z, just go. They would be tested and certified in this too. Ride sharing companies + navigation/route planning apps have reduced the barrier to entry tremendously, but they have also reduced the quality of the drive, as drivers no longer actually know where they're going. They have also reduced the ability for abuse, thanks to being permanently tracked.

nradov 8y ago

There are dozens of local auto mechanics within a few miles of me, and most of them seem to be doing steady business. So I fail to see how we discarded them?

tropdrop 8y ago

> "We discarded college faculty in the same way that we discarded bookkeepers: by finally letting women do it after decades of declaring that impossible, and then immediately reducing the status of the work once it became evident that women could, in fact, do it well." That was a nod to the fact that "Women are not tenured at the same rate they are receiving PhDs, and less likely to be tenured when compared to their male counterparts." [1] 1 - https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ913032.pdf https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ913032.pdf

ulucs 8y ago
That fact means nothing when there is no control by field or any other correlated factors. That model also disregards every person who goes into industry.
- pdpi 8y ago
  The control by field part is definitely very important — it can easily be a case of Simpson’s Paradox. However, the decision to go into industry is not at all independent from how you perceive your chances of getting tenure.